σπυρίς (spuris)
spuris
basket
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 5 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun spuris refers to a flexible, woven basket used for carrying food or provisions. In the New Testament, it appears in five verses, primarily within the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, with one instance in Acts. The sources describe it as a plaited container, likely made of reeds or similar material, designed to hold leftovers or daily sustenance.
This word is distinct from the smaller kophinos, which also means basket but often implies a finer, perhaps hand-held sieve or small container. The spuris appears in the accounts of the feeding miracles: after Jesus feeds the five thousand, seven large spurides are filled with remaining fragments (Matthew 15:37; Mark 8:8). Later, when Jesus asks his disciples if they remember how many baskets were gathered, he uses this same term for both the twelve small and seven large collections (Matthew 16:9-10; Mark 8:19-20), highlighting the sheer volume of abundance. In Acts 9:25, Paul’s friends lower him in a similar woven basket to escape danger, showing its practical use for transport.
The etymology suggests a connection to weaving or plaiting, emphasizing its construction. Its usage underscores themes of provision and surplus, as the baskets held more than enough to satisfy immediate hunger, leaving an excess that was carefully collected. This concrete image of overflowing abundance remains central to how translators render these passages today.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word spuris describes a sturdy, woven basket used for carrying food or provisions. In the Gospels, it appears when Jesus feeds large crowds and there is more than enough to eat. After everyone has had their fill, the disciples gather seven of these baskets filled with leftovers. This image shows that God’s provision often exceeds our immediate needs, leaving room for others.
Later, Jesus reminds his followers of this abundance by asking how many baskets were collected. The memory of those full containers serves as a reminder that what seems scarce in human hands is plentiful in divine care. Even in Acts, the same type of basket is used to lower Paul to safety, showing its everyday reliability.
When life feels short on resources, this word points to a deeper truth: God provides generously. The leftover fragments were not discarded but carefully gathered, suggesting that every bit of grace matters. We can trust that our needs are seen and met, often in ways that surprise us with surplus rather than scarcity.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 5 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- baskets3×
- baskets.1×
- a basket.1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- σπυρίδας2×
- σπυρίδων1×
- σπυρίδι.¶1×
- σπυρίδας.1×
Key Verses
-
Matthew 15:37
They all ate and were filled. They took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces that were left over.
This verse records the gathering of seven full baskets after feeding four thousand, highlighting the theme of divine abundance beyond immediate need.
-
Mark 8:20
“When the seven loaves fed the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They told him, “Seven.”
Jesus uses this term to recall the previous miracle, reinforcing the disciples' memory of God's consistent provision through tangible evidence.
-
Acts 9:25
but his disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall, lowering him in a basket.
The basket serves a practical, life-saving purpose here, showing its common use in daily transport and safety during times of danger.