προφέρω

I produce

Definition

The verb προφέρω (propherō) means 'to bring forth,' 'to produce,' or 'to utter.' It carries the sense of causing something to come out from within. In its single New Testament occurrence, Luke 6:45, it describes the mouth 'bringing forth' or 'uttering' what is stored in the heart. While this is its only biblical use, in broader Greek literature it could also mean to bring something forward physically or to propose something in speech.

Biblical Usage

This word is used only once in the New Testament, in Luke 6:45. Here, Jesus teaches that 'the good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces (προφέρω) good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces (προφέρω) evil; for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.' The context is ethical teaching, where the word vividly illustrates the internal source of external speech and action.

Etymology

The word is a compound of πρό (pro), meaning 'before,' 'forth,' or 'out,' and the common verb φέρω (pherō), meaning 'to bear' or 'to carry.' Thus, προφέρω literally means 'to carry forth' or 'to bring out.' It shares its root with many common Greek words involving carrying or bearing, such as φέρω itself and its compounds.

Semantic Range

Though used only once, προφέρω is theologically significant in Luke 6:45 for illustrating the connection between the inner heart and outward life. It reinforces the biblical principle that true righteousness or evil originates internally before manifesting externally (cf. Matthew 12:34-35, Mark 7:20-23). Understanding this Greek term highlights Jesus's teaching on the necessity of a transformed heart, not merely external conformity.

In the ancient Greco-Roman world, the 'heart' (καρδία) was commonly viewed as the center of thought, will, and emotion. The metaphor of the heart as a 'treasury' from which one 'brings forth' words was an understandable image for conveying the source of a person's character. The concept that speech reveals inner reality was a shared value in both Jewish wisdom literature and Greek philosophical discourse.

ἐκφέρω (ekpherō, G1627) — to carry out or bring out (often physically); λαλέω (laleō, G2980) — to speak or utter (more general for speech); ἀποδίδωμι (apodidōmi, G591) — to give back or produce (often in sense of yielding fruit)

Word Details

Scripture References