"bitterness, Acts 8:23; Heb. 12:15; met. bitterness of spirit and language, harshness, Rom. 3:14; Eph. 4:31*"
Definition and meaning
bitterness, Acts 8:23; Heb. 12:15; met. bitterness of spirit and language, harshness, Rom. 3:14; Eph. 4:31*
In the original Greek the word is written: πικρία
Historical context
The Roman Empire provided infrastructure no previous civilization had built — roads, sea routes, a common language in Greek, and relative peace across the Mediterranean. Jewish synagogues existed in every major city, giving Paul a starting point everywhere he traveled. The early church had no buildings, no political power, no social standing — and spread faster than any movement in ancient history.
The people who first heard this word were not reading a book — they were living through empires, oppression, exile, and covenant. Every word carried the weight of that reality. Understanding it changes how you read Scripture.
Scripture references
These are the most notable occurrences of pikria (G4088) across the King James Bible.
For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.
Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
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Common questions
Strong's G4088 (pikria) is a Greek word that means: bitterness, Acts 8:23; Heb. 12:15; met. bitterness of spirit and language, harshness, Rom. 3:14; Eph. 4:31* It appears 4 times in the King James Bible.
The word pikria (G4088) appears 4 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G4088 is pikria, a Greek word defined as: bitterness, Acts 8:23; Heb. 12:15; met. bitterness of spirit and language, harshness, Rom. 3:14; Eph. 4:31*. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
pikria is a Greek word found in the New Testament.