πολύτιμος (polutimos)
polutimos
valuable
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The adjective polutimos describes something that is extremely valuable or costly in price. It combines words meaning "much" and "honor," creating a sense of high worth that goes beyond simple monetary cost to include deep respect and preciousness. This term appears only three times in the New Testament, marking specific moments where exceptional value is highlighted.
In Matthew 13:46 and John 12:3, it characterizes an ointment of great price, emphasizing the significant sacrifice involved in its use. In 1 Peter 1:7, the word shifts to describe faith, which is more precious than perishable gold. This usage underscores that spiritual integrity holds a higher, enduring value compared to material wealth.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When we hear that something is polutimos, we immediately understand it as having immense worth. This Greek word combines ideas of great quantity and deep honor, pointing to a value that exceeds simple market price. It describes things that command our highest respect and careful stewardship because they are truly rare and enduring.
In the Gospels, this term highlights the extraordinary cost of devotion. Mary’s use of expensive nard and the merchant’s sale of all possessions for one pearl show that true value often requires significant sacrifice. These stories remind us that what we cherish most deserves our full attention and resources, rather than holding back out of fear or calculation.
The Apostle Peter applies this same high standard to faith itself. He explains that your trust in God is more precious than gold, which can melt away or be lost. This perspective invites you to view your spiritual life not as a burden, but as a treasure worth protecting through every trial and test of time.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- very precious1×
- of great price1×
- more precious1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- πολύτιμον1×
- πολυτίμου1×
- πολυτιμότερον1×
Key Verses
-
Matthew 13:46
who having found one pearl of great price, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.
This verse uses the word to show that the kingdom of heaven is so valuable that a person should willingly give up everything else to possess it.
-
John 12:3
Therefore Mary took a pound of ointment of pure nard, very precious, and anointed Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment.
Here the term describes Mary’s ointment, emphasizing that her act of worship involved a sacrifice of significant material wealth to honor Jesus.
-
I Peter 1:7
that the proof of your faith, which is more precious than gold that perishes, even though it is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ—
Peter uses this word to elevate faith above perishable gold, indicating that spiritual integrity endures through trials while material wealth fades.