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Greek

To gain

κερδαίνωStrong’s G2770

kerdainō

Appears in 16 verses of the New Testament

In short

Kerdainō is the Greek word usually translated “may win”, “gained” and “may gain”. It appears in 16 verses of the New Testament.

“For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”
Matthew 16:26 KJV
Meaning

Usually translated “may win”, “gained” and “may gain”. Open the dictionary entry below for the full range of meaning, with the verses it cites.

How it's translated
  • i may win 4
  • i gained 2
  • i may gain 2
  • he shall gain 1
  • you have gained 1
  • he gained 1
  • gained 1
  • to gain 1

Word-by-word English from the STEPBible tagged text.

Where it's used most
  • Matthew 6
  • 1 Corinthians 4
  • Mark 1
  • Luke 1
  • Acts 1
  • Philippians 1

8 books in all.

Related words
Explore in Scripture
All 16 verses, by book
Mark 1
8:36
Luke 1
9:25
Acts 1
27:21
1 Corinthians 4
9:199:209:219:22
Philippians 1
3:8
James 1
4:13
1 Peter 1
3:1
Greek dictionary

κερδαίνω kerdainō · to gain

κερδαίνω [in Sm.: Job.22:3 * ;] to gain: with accusative, Mat.25:16-17, 20 25:22; τ. κόσμον, Mat.16:26, Mrk.8:36, Luk.9:25; absol., to make profit, get gain: Jas.4:13. Metaphorical, with accusative of thing(s), to save oneself from, avoid: Act.27:21 (Field, Notes, 145); with accusative of person(s), to gain, win: Mat.18:15, 1Co.9:19-22, Php.3:8; pass., 1Pe.3:1.† (AS)

From STEPBible’s Greek lexicon (based on Abbott-Smith).

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

How the English word “gain” was understood when the King James Version was still the common Bible of English readers.

GAIN, verb transitive

[Heb. to gain to possess.]

  1. To obtain by industry or the employment of capital; to get as profit or advantage; to acquire.“What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” Matthew 16:26
  2. To win; to obtain by superiority or success; as, to gain a battle or a victory; to gain a prize; to gain a cause in law.
  3. To obtain; to acquire; to procure; to receive; as, to gain favor; to gain reputation.
  4. To obtain an increase of anything; as, to gain time.
All definitions and other forms of “gain”
  1. To obtain or receive anything, good or bad; as, to gain harm and loss. Acts 27:21
  2. To draw into any interest or party; to win to one's side; to conciliate.“If he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother” Matthew 18:15
  3. To obtain as a suitor.
  4. To reach; to attain to; to arrive at; as, to gain the top of a mountain; to gain a good harbor.

GAIN, verb intransitive

To have advantage or profit; to grow rich; to advance in interest or happiness.

  1. “Thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbors by extortion” Ezekiel 22:12
  2. To encroach; to advance on; to come forward by degrees; with on; as, the ocean or river gains on the land.
  3. To advance nearer; to gain ground on; with on; as, a fleet horse gains on his competitor.
  4. To get ground; to prevail against or have the advantage.
  5. To obtain influence with.

GAIN, noun

Profit; interest; something obtained as an advantage.

  1. “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ” Philippians 3:7
  2. Unlawful advantage. 2 Corinthians 12:17
  3. Overplus in computation; any thing opposed to loss.

GAIN, noun

In architecture, a beveling shoulder; a lapping of timbers, or the cut that is made for receiving a timber.

    GAIN, adjective

    Handy; dexterous.

      Noah Webster, An American Dictionary of the English Language (1828). Verse references are checked against the KJV. Read the full entry.

      Verses are from the King James Version. Word meanings come from the original Greek, not from any one translation.