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Phroneo
A. The verb phroneo belongs to the following word group:
1. Phroneo (fronevw) (verb), “to think objectively, to comprehend.”
2. Phren (frhvn) (noun), “thinking, understanding, objective thinking or thought.”
3. Aphron (a{frwn) (adjective), “foolish, rash, inconsiderate.”
4. Aphrosune (aVfrosuvnh) (noun), “foolishness, folly, senselessness.”
5. Phronema (frovnhma) (noun), “mind, way of thinking, mentality, thought, aspiration, aim.”
6. Phronesis (frovnhsi$) (noun), “thought, understanding, way of thinking, frame of mind.”
7. Phronimos (frovnimo$) (adjective), “prudent, sensible, shrewd, arrogant, wise, thoughtful.”
8. Phronimos (fronivmw$) (adverb), “wisely, shrewdly.”
9. Euphraino (euVfraivnw) (verb), “to make glad, to be happy, to rejoice, to be merry.”
10. Kataphroneo (katafroneVw) (verb), “to despise, to think against.”
11. Kataphronetes (katafronhth$) (noun), “scoffer, despiser.”
12. Paraphroneo (parafroniVa) (verb), “to be beside oneself, to act irrationally, to be deranged.”
13. Paraphronia (parafroniVa) (noun), “insanity, madness, folly.”
14. Periphroneo (perifroneVw) (verb), “to have contempt for, to despise.”
15. Sophronizo (swfroniVzw) (verb), “to admonish, to chasten, to train.”
16. Tapeinophrosune (tapeinofrosuVnh) (noun), “humility, modesty.”
17. Tapeinophron (tapeinoVfrwn) (adjective), “humbleminded, lowly.”
18. Huperphroneo (uVperfroneVw) (verb), “to think highly, to be high-minded, to excessively proud.”
19. Hupselophroneo (uVyhlofroneVw) (verb), “to be proud, to be arrogant.”
20. Philophronos (filofroVnw$) (adverb), “hospitality, kindly disposed, in a friendly state of mind.”
21. Philophron (filo*frwn) (adjective), “friendly, kind, kindly-disposed.”
22. Phrenapatao (frenapataVw) (verb), “to deceive.”
23. Phrenapates (frenapaVth$) (noun), “deceiver.”
24. Phrontizo (frontiVzw) (verb), “to consider carefully, to apply one’s mind to something.”
B. Classical Usage
1. The words derived from the stem phren- occur frequently in classical Greek literature.
2. The verb phroneo appears from Homer onwards.
3. Liddel and Scott list following meanings in classical Greek (Greek-English Lexicon, pages 1955-1956):
a. “to have understanding, to be wise, to be prudent”
b. (with adverbs) “think rightly, think objectively”
c. “to feel, to think”
d. “to know by experience”
e. “to have an opinion of one’s self, to think of one’s self”
f. “to direct one’s mind to a thing, to seek or strive for, to be intent on”
g. “to seek one’s interests or advantage.”
h. “to be in possession of one’s senses”
i. “to comprehend”
j. “to think, form or hold an opinion to judge”
k. “to have thoughts or an attitude”
l. “to honor, to respect”
4. Phren, usually plural phrenes, “diaphragm,” was early regarded as the seat of intellectual and spiritual
activity.
5. The diaphragm determines the nature and strength of the breath and hence also the human spirit and its
emotions.
6. In Homer phrenes means “inner part, mind, consciousness, understanding” and like the other terms for
inner organs it is the agent of spiritual and intellectual experiences.
7. Phrenes and derivates almost lost their physical sense.
8. In Homer the group is nearly always used for purely intellectual activity.
9. Expressions like kata phrena kai kata thumon (Iliad 1, 193; 11, 411; Odyssey 1, 294; 4, 117) are for Homer
typical means of denoting clearly intellectual and emotional involvement.
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10. We also find the simple phroneo, which is already common in Homer especially in the participle and which
usually means “to think” and can also describe the inner attitude.
11. One also finds the sense “to plan” in Homer, but the real development of this is later.
12. In classical times we find the adjective phronimos, “understanding,” and the verbal nouns phronema,
“thought,” also “disposition,” and phronesis, “thinking, reason, cleverness.”
13. Phrenes retains for the most part the less precise sense of “inner attitude.”
14. The verb phroneo means “to have understanding” in Oed. Tyr. 316, 326, 328 and “to decide” in 617.
15. It means “to intend” in Eur. Iph. Aul. 332; Phoen. 1128.
C. LXX Usage
1. Phroneo appears 15 times in the LXX but only 4 of these have a Hebrew counterpart.
2. It is associated with “having wisdom” (Hebrew chakham, e.g., Deut. 32:29; Zech. 9:2) or “having
understanding regard for” (Hebrew bin; Isaiah 44:18, of spiritual discernment; cf. Deut. 32:29).
3. The verb phroneo is used in the LXX to translate the following Hebrew terms:
a. Bin (wyb), “understand” (Is. 44:18).
b. Chakham (skj), “be wise” (Dt. 32:29; Zec. 9:2).
c. Sakhal (lkc), Hiphil: “be wise” (Ps. 94:8 [93:8] ).
4. As true as phronesis is from God, God’s phronesis is unsearchable (Is. 40:28).
5. There are 3 virtues which in their theoretically intellectual and practically ethical character cannot be
separated conceptually in the OT, or systematically integrated into a doctrine of virtues, even though the
Greek reader or translator might be inclined to do this under philosphical influence:
a. Sophia (sofiva), “wisdom”
b. Phronesis (frovnhsi$), “understanding”
c. Aisthesis (ai)sqhsi$), “knowledge”
6. The heaping up of terms is an indication of the many-sidedness of aspects.
7. Thus phronesis and sophia and many synonyms finally constitute a unity as a depiction of the spiritually
determined practical wisdom of the OT.
8. Proverbs 10:23 (LXX; Hebrew text is different) eternal sophia, “wisdom” produces phronesis,
“understanding” in man.
9. The LXX subordinates phronesis to sophia.
10. It is under sophia but retains its metaphysical character.
D. NT Usage
1. Phroneo occurs 30 times in the NT.
2. It is almost exclusively apart of the Pauline vocabulary.
3. The word appears 27 times in the Pauline corpus.
4. It is found 11 times in the book of Romans, twice in 1 Corinthians, once in Galatians and Colossians and 11
times in the book of Philippians (Phil. 1:7; twice in 2:2; 2:5; twice in 3:15; 3:16, 19; 4:2; twice in 4:10.
5. Phroneo means “to think, to judge” (e.g. Acts 28:22; 1 Cor. 13:11; Phil. 1:7; 4:10).
6. In these passages it refers to the content of thought and not so much the process of thinking.
7. Paul’s whole language in Romans 12:3 indicates how deeply a person’s thoughts are affected by their
object and their direction.
8. It follows that, although the verb as such has no particular content, there can nevertheless be no such thing
as neutral thinking.
9. Man is always aiming at something.
10. Striving and endeavor are part of his nature.
11. He must seek to possess, and he must be committed.
12. The way one thinks is intimately related to the way one lives, whether by means of the Word and the Spirit
and thus the new Christ nature or old Adamic nature.
13. A man’s thinking and striving cannot be seen in isolation from the overall direction of his life.
14. The latter will be reflected in the aims, which he sets himself.
15. This close inter-relationship between life and thought is echoed by the wide range of meanings attaching to
phroneo.
16. It expresses not merely an activity of the intellect, but also a movement of the will.
17. It is both interest and decision at the same time.
18. Hence the meaning can actually extend to the idea of “taking sides” with someone or something.
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19. The Christian should have an attitude of humility, which was perfectly exemplified by the impeccable
humanity of Christ in hypostatic union during His 1st Advent.
20. This humility of the humanity of Christ is expressed by Paul in Philippians 2:5-11.
21. Humility is acquired by the believer by applying the mind of Christ, i.e. the Word of God to his thought
process and thus acting upon the principles found in the Word of God.
22. It is an objective mental attitude based upon the Word of God.
23. Only the believer who Spirit-filled and Word-filled can truly worship and serve God.
24. The Spirit-filled and Word-filled believer alone can truly serve the Lord and the Body of Christ.
25. Thus, humility is possessing a servant’s mentality and that servant’s mentality was perfectly exemplified by
the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union during His 1st Advent.
26. Phroneo refers to the type of thinking that takes place in the nous or the left lobe of the soul.
27. There are 2 types of thinking which take place in the nous or left lobe:
a. Phroneo: “objective type thinking.”
b. Dokeo: “subjective type thinking”
28. Phroneo plus pisteuo, “to have trust in” transfers doctrine to the pneuma, “human spirit” and converts it to
epignosis, “metabolized doctrine.”
29. There must be a decision in the soul once doctrine is objectively perceived.
30. A true objective mental attitude is one that is based upon the principles found in the Word of God.
31. For the unbeliever an objective mental attitude is based upon establishment principles found in the codices
1 and 3 of the Mosaic Law.
32. For the believer in the church age an objective mental attitude is based upon the mystery doctrine for the
church age found in the New Testament and in particular the Pauline epistles.
33. Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, “Phroneo signifies (a) "to think, to be minded in a certain
way"; (b) "to think of, be mindful of." It implies moral interest or reflection, not mere unreasoning opinion.
Under (a) it is rendered by the verb "to mind" in the following: (Rom. 8:5), "(they that are after the flesh)
do mind (the things of the flesh)"; (12:16), "be of (the same) mind," lit., "minding the same," and "set (not)
your mind on," RV, KJV, "mind (not)"; (15:5), "to be of (the same) mind," RV, (KJV, "to be likeminded"); so the RV in (2 Cor. 13:11), KJV, "be of (one) mind"; (Gal. 5:10), "ye will be (none otherwise)
minded"; (Phil. 1:7), RV, "to be (thus) minded," KJV, "to think (this)"; (2:2), RV, "be of (the same) mind,"
KJV, "be likeminded," and "being... of (one) mind," lit., "minding (the one thing)"; (2:5), RV, "have (this)
mind," KJV, "let (this) mind be," lit., "mind this"; (3:15), "let us... be (thus) minded," and "(if)... ye are
(otherwise) minded" (some mss. have the verb in (v. 16)); (3:19), "(who) mind (earthly things)"; (4:2), "be
of (the same) mind"; (Col. 3:2), RV and KJV marg., "set your mind," lit., "mind (the things above)," KJV,
"set your affection.”
34. Bauer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature provides the
following classification of the word’s meaning in the NT (pages 866):
a. “to think, form or hold an opinion, judge”
b. “to set one’s mind on, be intent on”
c. “to have thoughts or an attitude, be minded or disposed”
35. The New Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon gives the following definitions of phroneo in the NT (page 658):
a. “to have understanding, be wise”
b. “to feel, to think, to have an opinion of one’s self, to think of one’s self”
c. “to direct one’s mind to a thing, to seek or strive for, to seek one’s interests or advantage”
36. Louw and Nida’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains gives the
following 4-fold definition of the word in the NT:
a. “to employ one’s faculty for thoughtful planning, with emphasis upon the underlying disposition or
attitude”: “to have an attitude, to think in a particular manner.”
b. “to keep on giving serious consideration to something”: “to ponder, to let one’s mind dwell on, to
keep thinking about, to fix one’s attention on.”
c. “to hold a view or have an opinion with regard to something”: “to hold a view, to have an opinion, to
consider, to regard.”
d. “to acknowledge the high status of a person or event”: “to honor, to show honor to, to respect.”
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