The Use of the Term “μωρὰ” in the New Testament
1.1 Foolish and Thoughtful. In the parable of the Ten Virgins, Jesus contrasted the five foolish virgins with the five thoughtful virgins. 1Matthew wrote: “πέντε δὲ ἐξ αὐτῶν ἦσαν μωραὶ καὶ πέντε φρόνιμοι.” Notice that the contrast with “foolish” (“μωραὶ”) is with “thougtful” (“φρόνιμοι”), not “unwise” (“ἄσοφοι”). In Ephesians 5:15, Paul contrasted the concepts of wise and unwise (“ἄσοφοι” and “σοφοί”) in the context of walking in life. Therefore, we must follow the distinction between foolish and thinkers, without injecting the concept of wisdom per se.
1.2 Mora. We know that the term “μωρὰ” is the opposite of “σοφούς” from the use of the terms in 1 Corinthians 1:27 and the contrasts there. 2Paul wrote: “ἀλλὰ τὰ μωρὰ τοῦ κόσμου ἐξελέξατο ὁ θεός, ἵνα καταισχύνῃ τοὺς σοφούς, καὶ τὰ ἀσθενῆ τοῦ κόσμου ἐξελέξατο ὁ θεός, ἵνα καταισχύνῃ τὰ ἰσχυρά.”
1.2 Unthinking. Jesus also used the term “unthinking” (ἄφρονες”) in Luke 11:37 to describe the Pharisees who cleaned the outside of the cup, but inside they are full of robbery and wickedness. In Ephesians 5:17, Paul contrasted the “unthinking” (“ἄφρονες”) with the “συνίετε” regarding the will of the Lord. In 2 Corinthians 11:16, Paul warned the Corinthians not to think (“δόξῃ”) him “ἄφρονα,” but even if they receive him as “ἄφρονα,” then he may boast a little. In Romans 2:20, Paul described the moralistic Jews as correctors (“παιδευτὴν”) of “ἀφρόνων,” indicating they need correction through discipline (see Hebrews 12:11).
| Verse | Text | Translation | Notes | Point |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew 7:24 | Πᾶς οὖν ὅστις ἀκούει μου τοὺς λόγους τούτους καὶ ποιεῖ αὐτούς, ὁμοιωθήσεται ἀνδρὶ φρονίμῳ, ὅστις ᾠκοδόμησεν αὐτοῦ τὴν οἰκίαν ἐπὶ τὴν πέτραν· | “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a thoughtful man who built his house on the rock. | The thoughtful man builds upon the rock | The thoughtful man builds upon the rock |
| Matthew 10:16 | Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἀποστέλλω ὑμᾶς ὡς πρόβατα ἐν μέσῳ λύκων· γίνεσθε οὖν φρόνιμοι ὡς οἱ ὄφεις καὶ ἀκέραιοι ὡς αἱ περιστεραί. | “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so become thoughtful as the serpents and innocent as doves. | Become thoughtful as serpents in the midst of wolves | Become thoughtful as serpents in the midst of wolves |
| Matthew 16:23; Mark 8:33 | ὁ δὲ στραφεὶς εἶπεν τῷ Πέτρῳ, Υπαγε ὀπίσω μου, Σατανᾶ: σκάνδαλον εἶ ἐμοῦ, ὅτι οὐ φρονεῖς τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ ἀλλὰ τὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων | But He turned and said to Peter, Get behind me, satan; you are a stumbling block to Me; for not you think the things of the God but the things of men | People can think the things of God or the things of man | People think things, sometimes the things of God and sometimes the things of men; notice that thinking satan using the stumbling blocks of thinking the things of man, not the things of God |
| Matthew 24:45 | Τίς ἄρα ἐστὶν ὁ πιστὸς δοῦλος καὶ φρόνιμος ὃν κατέστησεν ὁ κύριος ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκετείας αὐτοῦ τοῦ δοῦναι αὐτοῖς τὴν τροφὴν ἐν καιρῷ; | Who then is the faithful slave and thoughtful whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? | Thoughtful slaves plan for the future | Thoughtful slaves plan for the future |
| Matthew 25:2 | πέντε δὲ ἐξ αὐτῶν ἦσαν μωραὶ καὶ πέντε φρόνιμοι. | Five of them were foolish, and five were thoughtful | Foolish were not thoughtful | Foolish were not thoughtful |
| Matthew 25:4 | αἱ δὲ φρόνιμοι ἔλαβον ἔλαιον ἐν τοῖς ἀγγείοις μετὰ τῶν λαμπάδων ἑαυτῶν. | but the thoughtful virgins took oil in flasks along with their lamps. | Thoughtful virgins prepared for delays and were ready | Thoughtful virgins prepared for delays and were ready |
| Matthew 25:8 | αἱ δὲ μωραὶ ταῖς φρονίμοις εἶπαν· δότε ἡμῖν ἐκ τοῦ ἐλαίου ὑμῶν, ὅτι αἱ λαμπάδες ἡμῶν σβέννυνται. | The foolish said to the thoughtful, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ | The thoughtful virgins did not deplete their resources | The thoughtful virgins did not deplete their resources |
| Luke 1:17 | καὶ αὐτὸς προελεύσεται ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ ἐν πνεύματι καὶ δυνάμει Ἠλίου, ἐπιστρέψαι καρδίας πατέρων ἐπὶ τέκνα καὶ ἀπειθεῖς ἐν φρονήσει δικαίων, ἑτοιμάσαι κυρίῳ λαὸν κατεσκευασμένον. | It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS BACK TO THE CHILDREN, and the disobedient to righteous thinkers, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. | John would turn the disobedient to righteous thinkers | John would turn the disobedient to righteous thinkers |
| Luke 12:42 | καὶ εἶπεν ὁ κύριος· τίς ἄρα ἐστὶν ὁ πιστὸς οἰκονόμος ὁ φρόνιμος, ὃν καταστήσει ὁ κύριος ἐπὶ τῆς θεραπείας αὐτοῦ τοῦ διδόναι ἐν καιρῷ [τὸ] σιτομέτριον; | And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and thoughtful steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time? | Stewards can be faithful and thoughtful | Stewards can be faithful and thoughtful |
| Luke 16:8 | καὶ ἐπῄνεσεν ὁ κύριος τὸν οἰκονόμον τῆς ἀδικίας ὅτι φρονίμως ἐποίησεν· ὅτι οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου φρονιμώτεροι ὑπὲρ τοὺς υἱοὺς τοῦ φωτὸς εἰς τὴν γενεὰν τὴν ἑαυτῶν εἰσιν. | And his master praised the unrighteous manager because he had acted thoughtfully; for the sons of this age do more thoughtfully in relation to their own kind than the sons of light. | The unrighteous can act thoughtfully | The unrighteous can act thoughtfully |
| Acts 28:22 | ἀξιοῦμεν δὲ παρὰ σοῦ ἀκοῦσαι ἃ φρονεῖς, περὶ μὲν γὰρ τῆς αἱρέσεως ταύτης γνωστὸν ἡμῖν ἐστιν ὅτι πανταχοῦ ἀντιλέγεται | But we consider worthy from you to hear what you think | People like to hear what some people think | People want to hear what others think |
| Romans 8:5 | οἱ γὰρ κατὰ σάρκα ὄντες τὰ τῆς σαρκὸς φρονοῦσιν, οἱ δὲ κατὰ πνεῦμα τὰ τοῦ πνεύματος. | For the ones who are according to the flesh think the the things of the flesh, but the ones according to the spirit the things of the flesh | According to the flesh people think the things of the flesh, but the according to the spirit people the things of the spirit | Flesh people think the things of flesh and spirit people think the things of the spirit |
| Romans 8:27 | ὁ δὲ ἐραυνῶν τὰς καρδίας οἶδεν τί τὸ φρόνημα τοῦ πνεύματος, ὅτι κατὰ θεὸν ἐντυγχάνει ὑπὲρ ἁγίων | but the One who searches the hearts knows what the thought of the Spirit, because according to God He intercedes for saints | God searches the hearts and knows the thoughts of the Holy Spirit , Who intercedes for saints according to God | God searched the hearts and know the thoughts; thoughts and heart go together |
| Romans 8:6 | τὸ γὰρ φρόνημα τῆς σαρκὸς θάνατος, τὸ δὲ φρόνημα τοῦ πνεύματος ζωὴ καὶ εἰρήνη | For the thought of the flesh death, but the thought of the spirit life and peace | The thought of the flesh is death; the thought of the spirit is life and peace | The flesh mindset is death; the spirit mindset is life and peace |
| Romans 8:7 | διότι τὸ φρόνημα τῆς σαρκὸς ἔχθρα εἰς θεόν, τῷ γὰρ νόμῳ τοῦ θεοῦ οὐχ ὑποτάσσεται, οὐδὲ γὰρ δύναται | because the thought of the flesh hostile to God, for to the law of God not is subjected, for not able | The thought of the flesh is hostile toward God, and does not subject itself to the law of God and is not even able to do so | The thought of the flesh is not able to subject itself to the law of God |
| Romans 11:20 | καλῶς: τῇ ἀπιστίᾳ ἐξεκλάσθησαν, σὺ δὲ τῇ πίστει ἕστηκας. μὴ ὑψηλὰ φρόνει, ἀλλὰ φοβοῦ: | good. In unbelief they were broken off, but you in faith you have stood. Think not high, but fear | Believers should not think proud, but fear | Thinking proud should be replaced with fear |
| Romans 11:25 | Οὐ γὰρ θέλω ὑμᾶς ἀγνοεῖν, ἀδελφοί, τὸ μυστήριον τοῦτο, ἵνα μὴ ἦτε [παρ’] ἑαυτοῖς φρόνιμοι, ὅτι πώρωσις ἀπὸ μέρους τῷ Ἰσραὴλ γέγονεν ἄχρι οὗ τὸ πλήρωμα τῶν ἐθνῶν εἰσέλθῃ | For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery–so that you will not be thoughtful in your own estimation–that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; | Do not be thoughtful in your own estimation | Do not be thoughtful in your own estimation |
| Romans 12:3 | Λέγω γὰρ διὰ τῆς χάριτος τῆς δοθείσης μοι παντὶ τῷ ὄντι ἐν ὑμῖν μὴ ὑπερφρονεῖν παρ’ ὃ δεῖ φρονεῖν, ἀλλὰ φρονεῖν εἰς τὸ σωφρονεῖν, ἑκάστῳ ὡς ὁ θεὸς ἐμέρισεν μέτρον πίστεως | For I say through the grace the one given to me all to all the ones being with you not to think uppity than he should think but to think to the sound-think, to each as the God apportioned a measure of faith | Some people think uppity, and not as God apportioned to each a measure of faith | People should not think uppity, but to think sensibly |
| Romans 12:16 | τὸ αὐτὸ εἰς ἀλλήλους φρονοῦντες, μὴ τὰ ὑψηλὰ φρονοῦντες ἀλλὰ τοῖς ταπεινοῖς συναπαγόμενοι. μὴ γίνεσθε φρόνιμοι παρ’ ἑαυτοῖς. | The same things with one another thinking; not the high things thinking, but the lowly go together. Do not be thinking for yourself | Paul commanded the Romans not to be high, but to go with the lowly; never be prudent for yourself | Believers must not be high thinking or only thinking for themselves |
| Romans 14:6 | ὁ φρονῶν τὴν ἡμέραν κυρίῳ φρονεῖ: καὶ ὁ ἐσθίων κυρίῳ ἐσθίει, εὐχαριστεῖ γὰρ τῷ θεῷ: καὶ ὁ μὴ ἐσθίων κυρίῳ οὐκ ἐσθίει, καὶ εὐχαριστεῖ τῷ θεῷ | The thinking one the day to the Lord thinks; and the one who eats, to the Lord eats, for he gives thanks to the God and the one who not eats to Lord not eats and thanks to the God | Some people think of some days as the Lord they think | People think about days to the Lord think |
| Romans 15:5 | ὁ δὲ θεὸς τῆς ὑπομονῆς καὶ τῆς παρακλήσεως δῴη ὑμῖν τὸ αὐτὸ φρονεῖν ἐν ἀλλήλοις κατὰ Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν | But the God of perseverance and encouragement may give to you the same things to think | God want believers to think the same with one another according to Christ Jesus | Paul prayed for people to be of the same thinking with one another |
| 1 Corinthians 4:10 | ἡμεῖς μωροὶ διὰ Χριστόν, ὑμεῖς δὲ φρόνιμοι ἐν Χριστῷ· ἡμεῖς ἀσθενεῖς, ὑμεῖς δὲ ἰσχυροί· ὑμεῖς ἔνδοξοι, ἡμεῖς δὲ ἄτιμοι. | We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are thoughtful in Christ; we are weaklings, but you are strong ones; you are glorious, but we dishonored. | Paul said the Corinthians were thoughtful, but the ministers were fools | Paul said the Corinthians were thoughtful, but the ministers were fools |
| 1 Corinthian 10:15 | ὡς φρονίμοις λέγω· κρίνατε ὑμεῖς ὅ φημι. | I speak as to thoughtful–you judge what I say. | Paul spoke to thoughtful people at Corinth | Paul spoke to thoughtful people at Corinth |
| 1 Corinthians 13:11 | ὅτε ἤμην νήπιος, ⸂ἐλάλουν ὡς νήπιος, ἐφρόνουν ὡς νήπιος, ἐλογιζόμην ὡς νήπιος⸃· ⸀ὅτε γέγονα ἀνήρ, κατήργηκα τὰ τοῦ νηπίου. | When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I thought as a child, I reasoned as a child; when I became a man, I put away the things of the child | Children think like children, but adult put away such thinking | Thinking changes with age |
| 2 Corinthians 11:19 | ἡδέως γὰρ ἀνέχεσθε τῶν ἀφρόνων φρόνιμοι ὄντες· | For you, being so thoughtful, tolerate the unthoughtful ones gladly. | The thoughtful Corinthians tolerated the unthoughtful gladly | The thoughtful Corinthians tolerated the unthoughtful gla |
| 2 Corinthians 13:11 | Λοιπόν, ἀδελφοί, χαίρετε, καταρτίζεσθε, παρακαλεῖσθε, τὸ αὐτὸ φρονεῖτε, εἰρηνεύετε, καὶ ὁ θεὸς τῆς ἀγάπης καὶ εἰρήνης ἔσται μεθ’ ὑμῶν | Finally, brethren, rejoice, be made complete, be exhorted, think the same, be peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you. | Paul exhorted people to think the same | Believers must think the same |
| Galatians 5:10 | ἐγὼ πέποιθα εἰς ὑμᾶς ἐν κυρίῳ ὅτι οὐδὲν ἄλλο φρονήσετε· ὁ δὲ ταράσσων ὑμᾶς βαστάσει τὸ κρίμα, ὅστις ἐὰν ᾖ. | I have confidence in you in the Lord that you will will think; but the one who is disturbing you will bear his judgment, whoever he is. | Confidence in the Lord to think | Confidence in the Lord to think |
| Philippians 1:7 | καθώς ἐστιν δίκαιον ἐμοὶ τοῦτο φρονεῖν ὑπὲρ πάντων ὑμῶν, διὰ τὸ ἔχειν με ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ ὑμᾶς, ἔν τε τοῖς δεσμοῖς μου καὶ ἐν τῇ ἀπολογίᾳ καὶ βεβαιώσει τοῦ εὐαγγελίου συγκοινωνούς μου τῆς χάριτος πάντας ὑμᾶς ὄντας. | As it is right to this to think about all of you, the thing to have me in the hear of you, in not only the bonds of me and in the apology and confirmation of the gospel sharers of me the grace all you continue. | It was right for Paul to think that God would perfect His good work in them | Paul thought highly of the Philippians because they kept him in their hearts |
| Philippians 4:2 | Εὐοδίαν παρακαλῶ καὶ Συντύχην παρακαλῶ τὸ αὐτὸ φρονεῖν ἐν κυρίῳ | I exhort Euodia and Syntyche to think the same in Lord | People overcome differences by thinking the same in Lord | Paul exhorted people to think the same in Lord to overcome differences |
| Philippians 4:10 | Ἐχάρην δὲ ἐν κυρίῳ μεγάλως ὅτι ἤδη ποτὲ ἀνεθάλετε τὸ ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ φρονεῖν, ἐφ’ ᾧ καὶ ἐφρονεῖτε ἠκαιρεῖσθε δέ | But I rejoiced greatly in Lord you revived the things concerning me to think, as before you also thought, but lacked opportunity | Paul rejoiced when people revived their thoughts concerning him. | People can revive their thoughts concerning you |
| Ephesians 1:8 | ἧς ἐπερίσσευσεν εἰς ἡμᾶς, ἐν πάσῃ σοφίᾳ καὶ φρονήσει, | which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and thought | Wisdom and thought are not the same things | Wisdom and thought are not the same things |
| Philippians 2:2 | πληρώσατέ μου τὴν χαρὰν ἵνα τὸ αὐτὸ φρονῆτε, τὴν αὐτὴν ἀγάπην ἔχοντες, σύμψυχοι, τὸ ἓν φρονοῦντες, | Make full the joy of me, that the same thing you think, the same love having, joined souls, the one thinking | Paul commanded the Philippians to make his joy complete, by thinking the same, having the same love, same souls, thinking the same things | Joy may be commanded and produced by the same thinking |
| Philippians 2:5 | τοῦτο φρονεῖτε ἐν ὑμῖν ὃ καὶ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, | Think this in you which also in Christ Jesus | Paul commanded the Philippians to think the same as Christ Jesus, particularly about the interests of others | God commands us to think about the interests of others, just as Christ Jesus thought about others |
| Philippians 3:15 | ὅσοι οὖν τέλειοι, τοῦτο φρονῶμεν· καὶ εἴ τι ἑτέρως φρονεῖτε, καὶ τοῦτο ὁ θεὸς ὑμῖν ἀποκαλύψει· | Therefore, as many as perfect ones, this we may be thinking; and if anything other you think, also this the God to you will reveal | Paul commanded the Philippians to press on toward the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Paul declared the perfect one would be thinking of that call; if not, God would reveal the other thinking | God commands us to press on towards His call and to think corporately about that call; God promised to reveal contrary thinking |
| Philippians 3:19 | ὅσοι οὖν τέλειοι, τοῦτο φρονῶμεν· καὶ εἴ τι ἑτέρως φρονεῖτε, καὶ τοῦτο ὁ θεὸς ὑμῖν ἀποκαλύψει· | whose the end destruction, who the God the appetite, and the glory in the shame of them, and they think things earthly | People now opposed to Christ think the things earthly. | What you think reveals where you are in your spiritual life; earthly things or spiritual things |
| Colossians 3:2 | τὰ ἄνω φρονεῖτε, μὴ τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς | Think things above, not things on the earth | God commands us to think about things above, not earthly things | Until we obey God’s commands regarding what we think about, we will still disobey Him |
| Titus 3:8 | Πιστὸς ὁ λόγος· καὶ περὶ τούτων βούλομαί σε διαβεβαιοῦσθαι, ἵνα φροντίζωσιν καλῶν ἔργων προΐστασθαι οἱ πεπιστευκότες θεῷ· ταῦτά ἐστιν καλὰ καὶ ὠφέλιμα τοῖς ἀνθρώποις. | The word is faithful; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God may be thoughtful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and profitable for men. | Thoughtful to engage in good works | Thoughtful to engage in good works |