Meaning
primarily denotes "a striking, beating" (akin to kopto, "to strike, cut"); then, "toil resulting in weariness, laborious toil, trouble;" it is translated "labor" or "labors" in Joh 4:38, 1Co 3:8, 1Co 15:58, 2Co 6:5, 2Co 10:15, 2Co 11:23, 2Co 11:27, RV, "labor" (AV, "weariness"); 1Th 1:3, 1Th 2:9, 1Th 3:5, 2Th 3:8; (in some mss., Heb 6:10); Rev 2:2 (RV "toil"); Rev 14:13. In the following the noun is used as the object of the verb parecho, "to afford, give, cause," the phrase being rendered "to trouble," lit., "to cause toil or trouble," to embarass a person by giving occasion for anxiety, as some disciples did to the woman with the ointment, perturbing her spirit by their criticisms, Mat 26:10, Mar 14:6; or by distracting attention or disturbing a person's rest, as the importunate friend did, Luk 11:7, Luk 18:5; in Gal 6:17, "let no man trouble me," the Apostle refuses, in the form of a peremptory prohibition, to allow himself to be distracted further by the Judaizers, through their proclamation of a false gospel and by their malicious attacks upon himself.
denotes (a) "labors, toil," Col 4:13, in the best mss. (some have zelos, "zeal," AV); (b) "the consequence of toil," viz., distress, suffering, pain, Rev 1:16-11, Rev 21:4. See PAIN.
Notes: (1) In Phi 1:22, AV, ergon, "work," is translated "labor" (RV, "work"); work refers to what is done, and may be easy and pleasant; kopos suggests the doing, and the pains taken therein. (2) A synonymous word is mochthos, "toil, hardship, distress," 2Co 11:27, 1Th 2:9, 2Th 3:8.
akin to A, No. 1, has the two different meanings (a) "growing weary," (b) "toiling;" it is sometimes translated "to bestow labor" (see under BESTOW, No. 3). It is translated by the verb "to labor" in Mat 11:28, Joh 4:38 (2nd part); Act 20:35, Rom 16:12 (twice); 1Co 15:10, 1Co 16:16, Eph 4:28, Phi 2:16, Col 1:29, 1Th 5:12, 1Ti 4:10, 1Ti 5:17, 2Ti 2:6, Rev 2:3, 1Co 4:12, RV, "toil" (AV, "labor"). See TOIL.
from cheima, "winter cold," primarily, "to expose to winter cold," signifies "to drive with a storm;" in the Passive Voice, "to be driven with storm, to be tempest-tossed," Act 27:18, RV, "as (we) labored with the storm" (AV, "being ... tossed with a tempest").
"to contend along with a person" (sun, "with," athleo, "to contend"), is said in Phi 4:3 of two women who "labored with" the Apostle in the Gospel; in Phi 1:27, RV, "striving (for)," marg., "with," AV, "striving together (for). See STRIVE.
Notes: (1) In Joh 6:27, 1Th 2:9, AV, ergazomai, "to work," is translated respectively "labor" and "laboring" (RV, "working"). It is used of manual work here and in 1Th 4:11, Eph 4:28; of work for Christ in general, in 1Co 16:10. See COMMIT. (2) In Heb 4:11, AV, spoudazo, "to be diligent," is translated "let us labor" (RV, "let us give diligence"). (3) In Col 4:12, AV, agonizomai, "to strive, wrestle," is translated "laboring fervently" (RV, and AV, marg., "striving"). (4) In 2Co 5:9, AV, philotimeomai, "to seek after honor," and hence, "to be ambitious," is translated "we labor," marg., "endeavor" (RV, "we make it our aim," marg., "are ambitious"); cp. Rom 15:20, 1Th 4:11, RV, marg.
