περικάθαρμα (perikatharma)
perikatharma
garbage
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun perikatharma literally means "off-scouring" or refuse, describing the waste left over after a thorough cleaning. In the New Testament, it appears only once, in 1 Corinthians 4:13, where Paul uses this vivid image to describe the apostles’ social standing.
Its etymology combines a prefix meaning "around" with a root related to purification. While ancient Greeks sometimes used the term for victims sacrificed to cleanse a community from calamity, Paul strips away that sacrificial nuance. He applies it instead to human beings who are treated as societal trash—scorned and despised by the world.
This single usage carries significant theological weight. By calling himself and his companions "the garbage of the world," Paul inverts cultural values. It highlights that those chosen by God often occupy the lowest rungs of social hierarchy, bearing shame not because they are worthless, but because they faithfully follow a crucified Messiah.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When Paul describes himself and his fellow apostles as perikatharma, he uses a word that literally means the scum scraped off the bottom of a cleaning pot. It is a vivid image of social rejection, where believers are treated as waste by the culture around them. This was not a metaphor for minor inconvenience, but a description of being despised and discarded by society.
Yet this shame carries a profound promise. In the Kingdom of God, low status does not mean low value. Those who suffer ridicule for their faith share in the story of Jesus, who was also rejected by the world. Your dignity is not found in public approval, but in your union with Christ. Even when you feel overlooked or scorned, you are known and loved by God.
This truth offers comfort to anyone facing criticism for their beliefs. It reminds us that following Jesus may cost us social standing, but it gains us a place in His family. We do not need to defend our worth through status or success. Our identity is secure in Him, regardless of how the world treats us.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- [the] scum1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- περικαθάρματα1×
Key Verses
-
I Corinthians 4:13
Being defamed, we entreat. We are made as the filth of the world, the dirt wiped off by all, even until now.
Paul uses this rare word to describe apostles as societal waste, showing that faithful service often invites scorn rather than honor.