φίλαυτος (G5367) — self-loving¶
Part of the 2 Timothy 3:1–5 Vice List study
Contents¶
- Overview
- Etymology and Semantic Range
- OT / LXX Background
- NT Distribution
- Theological Note
- NT Occurrences
Overview¶
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Strong's | G5367 |
| Greek | φίλαυτος |
| Transliteration | philautos |
| Gloss | self-loving |
| 2 Tim 3 verse | 3:2 |
| KJV rendering | "lovers of their own selves" |
| NT occurrences | 1 (1 book) |
| LXX occurrences (canonical) | 0 |
Etymology and Semantic Range¶
Compound: φίλος (loving) + αὐτός (self). NT hapax legomenon. Aristotle used the cognate φιλαυτία as the root of all vice (Eth. Nic. IX.8).
Placed first in the list, φίλαυτος appears to anchor the catalogue: all the vices that follow are in some sense expressions of disordered self-love. The Aristotelian background (self-love as the mother of vices) may be deliberate.
OT / LXX Background¶
No LXX occurrences. The Hebrew Bible addresses self-centredness through concepts like pride (גָּאוֹן) and the hardened heart (קְשֵׁה-לֵב), rather than a single term.
NT Distribution¶
Theological Note¶
Its position at the head of the list and its Aristotelian resonance suggest Paul is offering a diagnosis: the last-days vices are symptoms of a fundamental inversion — love of self displacing love of God (contrast φιλόθεος at the end, v.4).
NT Occurrences¶
| Reference | Greek form | KJV text |
|---|---|---|
| 2Ti 3:2 | φίλαυτοι, | For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, u… |