πορνεία (porneia)
porneia
sexual sin
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 25 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun porneia refers broadly to illicit sexual intercourse, encompassing acts like adultery and incest that fall outside biblical boundaries. While often translated as "fornication," it is a wider term than moicheia (adultery), covering various forms of sexual immorality including prostitution and unlawful unions. Paul lists it alongside other serious sins in passages such as 1 Corinthians 6:18 and Galatians 5:19, treating it as a fundamental breach of moral order.
In the Old Testament background, the word often translates Hebrew terms for spiritual unfaithfulness, linking sexual sin with idolatry. This metaphorical sense appears in Revelation, where "great porneia" describes Babylon’s corruption and false worship (Revelation 17:2, 18:3). Jesus also uses the term to describe the evil thoughts that defile a person from within (Matthew 15:19), showing its scope extends beyond physical acts to include inner moral failure.
The word’s root relates to selling or traffic in sexual vice, highlighting its commercial or exploitative dimensions in ancient contexts. Translators must carefully choose between "fornication," "sexual immorality," or "prostitution" depending on the specific context, as no single English word captures its full range of meanings.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word porneia points to a deep breach in how we relate to God and others. It covers more than just physical acts; it includes the inner desires that twist our hearts away from love. When Jesus speaks of this, He looks past outward behavior to the motives within. This reminds us that true purity begins in the mind and spirit, not merely in avoiding certain actions.
For your daily life, this means paying attention to what you allow into your thoughts. Paul urges believers to flee from these patterns because they harm the whole person. Instead of hiding sin, we are invited to bring our struggles into the light. God’s grace is sufficient for every area of life, offering freedom from shame and a path toward genuine holiness.
Even in the vivid imagery of Revelation, this term highlights the danger of mixing loyalty with worldly systems. It serves as a sobering warning against compromising our faith for temporary gain. Yet, the call remains clear: turn back to God. His judgment is just, but His invitation to repentance is open to all who seek Him with a sincere heart.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 25 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- sexual immorality13×
- sexual immorality,4×
- sexual immorality.2×
- of sexual immorality2×
- sexual immorality;1×
- immorality1×
- from sexual immorality;1×
- for sexual immorality1×
- Sexual immorality1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- πορνείας10×
- πορνείᾳ4×
- πορνεῖαι,2×
- πορνείας·2×
- πορνεία,2×
- πορνείᾳ,1×
- πορνείαν.¶1×
- πορνείαν.1×
- πορνείαν,1×
- πορνεία1×
- Πορνεία1×
Key Verses
-
Matthew 15:19
For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual sins, thefts, false testimony, and blasphemies.
This verse expands the definition of porneia to include internal evil thoughts, showing that sexual sin originates in the heart before it appears as an action.
-
I Corinthians 6:18
Flee sexual immorality! “Every sin that a man does is outside the body,” but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.
Paul uses the urgent command 'flee' here, emphasizing that this specific sin uniquely damages the believer's union with the Lord and their own body.
-
Revelation of John 17:2
with whom the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality. Those who dwell in the earth were made drunken with the wine of her sexual immorality.”
Here the term is used metaphorically to describe spiritual unfaithfulness, linking idolatry and compromise with the imagery of sexual immorality.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does porneia mean in the Bible?
How is porneia different from adultery?
Why does Revelation use this word?
Every Occurrence (25 verses across 12 books)
Matthew 3 verses
but I tell you that whoever puts away his wife, except for the cause of sexual immorality, makes her an adulteress; and…
Matthew 15:19For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual sins, thefts, false testimony, and blasphemies.
Matthew 19:9I tell you that whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and he…