φίλαυτος (philautos)
philautos
selfish
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The adjective philautos describes a person who is selfish or excessively self-loving. Its meaning comes directly from its parts: philos, meaning "loving," and autos, meaning "self." In the New Testament, this term carries a distinctly negative connotation, portraying a mindset that prioritizes one’s own interests above all else.
This word appears only once in Scripture, in Paul’s description of the difficult times that will characterize the last days (2 Timothy 3:2). Here, it stands alongside other vices like pride and arrogance to illustrate a society turned inward. The sources note that while the literal sense is "loving oneself," the context implies a harmful excess where self-interest overrides love for others.
Translators typically render philautos as "selfish" or "lovers of themselves." This captures the ethical failure at the heart of the word: it is not merely natural self-preservation, but a distorted affection that leads to disregard for the community. The term serves as a sharp contrast to the self-giving love that Christian teaching advocates.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
Paul describes a time when people are lovers of themselves in 2 Timothy 3:2. This word shows how self-focus can grow into something harmful. It is not about caring for your health or needs, but placing your own desires above everyone else. When we love ourselves too much, we stop seeing the people around us as valuable.
Christian life calls us to look outward with love. Jesus gave His life for others, showing us a way that is different from selfishness. We can ask God to help us care more about our neighbors than our own comfort. This shift in focus brings peace and strengthens our relationships with those we meet each day.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- lovers of self,1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- φίλαυτοι,1×
Key Verses
-
II Timothy 3:2
For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
This is the only occurrence of the word, where Paul lists it as a key trait of selfishness in the last days.