The Understanding the Language series works to connect individual words/phrases from New Testament scripture and our understanding of their original Greek definitions to bring us a deeper level of comprehension of the Word of God.
“How much better [is it] to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!” (Prov 16:16)
All scriptures are taken from the KJV and the information provided is for your reference in Bible study. To truly achieve a complete understanding in your studies: take the knowledge of the individual definitions, seek the guidance and revelation of the Holy Spirit, and always study a scripture in context of the whole chapter or book, or complete thought of the writer (for those longer books/chapters with multiple events or messages conveyed).
The word “labour” occurs many times in the New Testament; however, the one English word stems from six differing Greek words, each with a unique meaning. We often use a single English definition—the one we are most familiar with—in our initial understanding of the scriptures. It’s helpful in a more in-depth study to understand the message being conveyed by first understanding the individual definitions of the word “labour” as it was originally written.
MODERN DAY ENGLISH DEFINITIONS
Labor (noun): productive activity, especially for the sake of economic gain; physical or mental work, especially of a hard or fatiguing kind, toil; a job or task done or to be done
Labor (verb): to perform labor, exert one’s powers of body or mind, work, toil; to strive, as toward a goal, work hard; to act, behave or function at a disadvantage
OLD ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS
Labour, Laboureth, Labours, Laboured, Labouring
GREEK DEFINITION 1
G2872, kopiao: grow weary, tired, exhausted (w/toil, burdens, grief); labour w/wearisome effort, to toil (of bodily labour)
SCRIPTURE OCCURRENCES
Matt 11:28 “Come unto me, all [ye] that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
John 4:38 “I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.”
Acts 20:35 “I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Rom 16:6 “Greet Mary, who bestowed much labour on us.”
Rom 16:12 “Salute Tryphena and Tryphosa, who labour in the Lord. Salute the beloved Persis, which laboured much in the Lord.”
1 Cor 4:12 “And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:”
1 Cor 15:10 “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which [was bestowed] upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”
1Cor 16:16 “That ye submit yourselves unto such, and to every one that helpeth with [us], and laboureth.”
Gal 4:11 “I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.”
Eph 4:28 “Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with [his] hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.”
Phil 2:16 “Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.”
Col 1:29 “Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.”
1 Thes 5:12 “And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;”
1 Tim 4:10 “For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.”
1 Tim 5:17 “Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.”
2 Tim 2:6 “The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits.”
Rev 2:3 “And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.”