WG: Bitter¶
Overview¶
The bitterness concept in the NT involves a tightly connected word family (pikr- root: G4087-G4090) plus two taste-related words (apsinthos, chole) and one antonym (glykys). Together they cover literal taste-bitterness, figurative moral resentment, prophetic grief, and the sweet-bitter opposition.
Word Group Members¶
| Strong's | Word | Transliteration | POS | Occurrences | Role in Concept | Library Entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G4089 | πικρός | pikros | adjective | 2 | The quality (bitter) | G4089-pikros.md |
| G4087 | πικραίνω | pikraino | verb | 4 | The action (to make bitter / be embittered) | TODO(need G4087 study) |
| G4088 | πικρία | pikria | noun (fem.) | 4 | The state (bitterness, acridity) | TODO(need G4088 study) |
| G4090 | πικρῶς | pikros | adverb | 2 | The manner (bitterly) | TODO(need G4090 study) |
| G894 | ἄψινθος | apsinthos | noun (fem.) | 1 | The substance (wormwood — bitter plant) | TODO(need G894 study) |
| G1099 | γλυκύς | glykys | adjective | 4 | The antonym (sweet/fresh) | G1099-glykys.md |
| G5521 | χολή | chole | noun (fem.) | 2 | The bile (gall — visceral bitterness) | TODO(need G5521 study) |
Relationships¶
Shared Root¶
- πικρός (G4089), πικραίνω (G4087), πικρία (G4088), πικρῶς (G4090) — all from the pikr- root
Co-occurrence (appear in same verses)¶
| Word A | Word B | Shared Verses | Typical Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| πικραίνω (G4087) | γλυκύς (G1099) | 2 (Rev 10:9, 10:10) | Sweet-then-bitter prophetic scroll — "sweet as honey... belly was bitter" |
| πικραίνω (G4087) | ἄψινθος (G894) | 1 (Rev 8:11) | Wormwood star makes waters bitter — "they were made bitter" |
| πικρία (G4088) | χολή (G5521) | 1 (Acts 8:23) | Gall-of-bitterness formula — "in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity" |
No other pairwise co-occurrences exist among group members (0 shared verses for all remaining pairs).
Louw-Nida Domain Overlap¶
All pikr- family words (G4087, G4088, G4089) share domain 79.008 (Sweet, Bitter, Tasteless) with G894 apsinthos and G1099 glykys. The adjective G4089 also shares domain 88.023 (Resentful) with G2052 eritheia "selfish ambition" (co-occurring in Jas 3:14).
Roles in the Concept¶
- Quality: pikros (G4089) — the adjective describing what is bitter (taste or disposition)
- Action: pikraino (G4087) — the verb for making or becoming bitter
- State: pikria (G4088) — the noun for the condition of bitterness
- Manner: pikros (G4090) — the adverb for doing something bitterly (weeping)
- Substance: apsinthos (G894) — a specific bitter plant; wormwood
- Visceral: chole (G5521) — gall/bile; paired with pikria in "gall of bitterness"
- Antonym: glykys (G1099) — sweet; the fundamental taste opposition
Key Passages Where Multiple Group Words Appear Together¶
- Rev 10:9-10 — pikraino (G4087) + glykys (G1099): "it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey... it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter." The sweet-bitter reversal of the prophetic scroll.
- Rev 8:11 — pikraino (G4087) + apsinthos (G894): "the name of the star is called Wormwood... they were made bitter." Wormwood as agent of embittering waters.
- Acts 8:23 — pikria (G4088) + chole (G5521): "in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity." Doubled bitterness metaphor for Simon's spiritual state.
- James 3:11-14 — pikros (G4089) + glykys (G1099): sweet/bitter water from one fountain (v.11), then "bitter envying" (v.14). Bridges literal taste and figurative moral quality within one discourse.
Generated from: gather_word_group_data.py, louw_nida.db Last updated: 2026-05-12