"Trophimus, pr. name, of Ephesus, a friend of Paul, Acts 20:4; 21:29; 2 Tim. 4:20*"
Definition and meaning
Trophimus, pr. name, of Ephesus, a friend of Paul, Acts 20:4; 21:29; 2 Tim. 4:20*
In the original Greek the word is written: Τρόφιμος
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 trophimos (G5161) across the King James Bible.
And there accompanied him into Asia Sopater of Berea; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timotheus; and of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus.
(For they had seen before with him in the city Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)
Erastus abode at Corinth: but Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick.
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Common questions
Strong's G5161 (trophimos) is a Greek word that means: Trophimus, pr. name, of Ephesus, a friend of Paul, Acts 20:4; 21:29; 2 Tim. 4:20* It appears 3 times in the King James Bible.
The word trophimos (G5161) appears 3 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G5161 is trophimos, a Greek word defined as: Trophimus, pr. name, of Ephesus, a friend of Paul, Acts 20:4; 21:29; 2 Tim. 4:20*. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
trophimos is a Greek word found in the New Testament.