Original Word: σώφρων, ον
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: sóphrón
Phonetic Spelling: (so'-frone)
Short Definition: self-controlled, temperate
Definition: of sound mind, self-controlled, temperate, sober-minded, modest, chaste.

4998 sṓphrōn (from sōos, "sound, safe" and 5424 /phrḗn, "inner outlook" which regulates outward behavior) – properly, safe (sound) because moderated, referring to what is prudent because correctly (divinely) balanced (which is far more than being "the middle of the road").

4998 /sṓphrōn ("acting in God's definition of balance") makes someone genuinely temperate, i.e. well-balanced from God's perspective. True balance is not "one-size-fits-all" nor is it blandly static. Biblical moderation (4998 /sṓphrōn) describes "a man who does not command himself, but rather is commanded by God'" (K. Wuest, Word Studies, 2, 46). This root (sōphro-, "soundness") then reflects living in God-defined balance.

[The root (phrēn) is the root of "diaphram," the inner organ (muscle) that regulates physical life, controlling breathing and heart beat.

The whole word-family (root, sōphro-) comes from sōos ("safe") and phrēn ("what regulates life"), which is the root of the English term "diaphram").

Example: An opera singer controls the length (quality) of their tones by their diaphragm which even controls the ability to breathe and moderates heartbeat. Hence it regulates ("brings safety") to the body, keeping it properly controlled.]

STRONGS NT 4998: σώφρων

σώφρων, σωφρον (from σάος, contracted σῶς (cf. σῴζω, at the beginning), and φρήν, hence, the poetic σαοφρων; cf. ἄφρων, ταπεινόφρων, μεγαλόφρων) (from Homer down);

a. of sound mind, sane, in one's senses (see σωφρονέω, a. and σωφροσύνη, a.).

b. curbing one's desires and impulses, self-controlled, temperate (R. V. soberminded) ((ἐπιθυμεῖ ὁ σώφρων ὧν δεῖ καί ὡς δεῖ καί ὅτε, Aristot eth. Nic. 3, 15 at the end), see (σωφροσύνη, b.): 1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:8; Titus 2:2, 5.

STRONGS NT 4998a: τ [τ ,Tau: on the receding (ττ( in the vocabulary of the N. T. before (σς(, see under Sigma.]

discreet, sober, temperate.

From the base of sozo and that of phren; safe (sound) in mind, i.e. Self-controlled (moderate as to opinion or passion) -- discreet, sober, temperate.

see GREEK sozo

see GREEK phren

σωφρονα σώφρονα σωφρονας σώφρονας sophrona sōphrona sṓphrona sophronas sōphronas sṓphronasInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts