πορθέω (portheō)
portheō
to lay waste
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb portheō means to lay waste or destroy, carrying a sense of violent ruin and harassment. It describes an aggressive act of devastation that leaves nothing intact. In the New Testament, this word appears only three times, all within the writings of Paul regarding his own past actions.
Its force is evident in how it characterizes Paul’s pre-conversion zeal. He recalls persecuting the church of God with such intensity that he sought to destroy it (Galatians 1:13). The term captures not just opposition, but a systematic effort to ravage and harass believers, reflecting the severity of his former life before encountering Christ.
As a collative form of perthō, it emphasizes the thoroughness of the destruction. Translators often render it as "destroy" or "ravage," highlighting the physical and social devastation Paul inflicted on the early Christian community. The word serves as a stark contrast to his later mission of building up what he once sought to tear down.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word portheō describes a violent, systematic destruction, leaving nothing intact. In the New Testament, it appears only three times, all in Paul’s own testimony of his life before meeting Christ. He used this powerful verb to describe how he once ravaged the early church, seeking to tear down what God was building.
This stark admission reveals the depth of Paul’s transformation. What began as aggressive persecution ended in humble service. His past attempts to destroy the faith became the foundation for his lifelong mission to spread it. This contrast shows that no history is too dark for God’s redeeming grace.
For believers today, this word offers hope. If God could turn a persecutor into an apostle, He can also use your past mistakes to further His purposes. Your history does not disqualify you; it can become part of your testimony if you allow Christ to rewrite the story.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- was destroying1×
- he was destroying;1×
- having caused havoc1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἐπόρθουν1×
- ἐπόρθει·1×
- πορθήσας1×
Key Verses
-
Galatians 1:13
For you have heard of my way of living in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the assembly of God and ravaged it.
Paul uses this word here to emphasize the extreme intensity and thoroughness of his pre-conversion persecution against the church.
-
Acts 9:21
All who heard him were amazed, and said, “Isn’t this he who in Jerusalem made havoc of those who called on this name? And he had come here intending to bring them bound before the chief priests!”
The narrator uses a related concept to describe how Paul's previous actions caused amazement and fear among listeners in Damascus.
-
Galatians 1:23
but they only heard, “He who once persecuted us now preaches the faith that he once tried to destroy.”
This verse contrasts the past act of destruction with the present reality of preaching, highlighting the complete reversal of Paul’s life path.