"to be more than enough; to have more than enough, to have in abundance, 2 Cor. 8:15; to abound, be abundant, 2 Thess. 1:3; 2 Pet. 1:8; to increase, be augmented, Rom. 5:20; to come into wider action, be more widely spread, Rom. 6:1; 2 Cor. 4:15; in NT trans. to cause to abound or..."
Definition and meaning
to be more than enough; to have more than enough, to have in abundance, 2 Cor. 8:15; to abound, be abundant, 2 Thess. 1:3; 2 Pet. 1:8; to increase, be augmented, Rom. 5:20; to come into wider action, be more widely spread, Rom. 6:1; 2 Cor. 4:15; in NT trans. to cause to abound or increase, to augment, 1 Thess. 3:12
In the original Greek the word is written: πλεονάζω
Historical context
Paul wrote Romans from Corinth, one of the most important commercial cities in the empire. Rome had a Jewish population of around 50,000. The letter addresses real tensions between Jewish believers with centuries of Torah tradition and Gentile believers with no such background. Emperor Nero was on the throne. Within ten years he would execute both Paul and Peter.
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 pleonazo (G4121) across the King James Bible.
Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.
As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack.
Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.
And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:
We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;
For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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Common questions
Strong's G4121 (pleonazo) is a Greek word that means: to be more than enough; to have more than enough, to have in abundance, 2 Cor. 8:15; to abound, be abundant, 2 Thess. 1:3; 2 Pet. 1:8; to increase, be augmented, Rom. 5:20; to come into wider action, ... It appears 8 times in the King James Bible.
The word pleonazo (G4121) appears 8 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G4121 is pleonazo, a Greek word defined as: to be more than enough; to have more than enough, to have in abundance, 2 Cor. 8:15; to abound, be abundant, 2 Thess. 1:3; 2 Pet. 1:8; to increase, be. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
pleonazo is a Greek word found in the New Testament.