peinao denotes experiencing hunger, chiefly bodily need for food, and in two contexts longing met by righteousness or coming to Jesus.

The occurrences predominantly describe bodily hunger: a condition following fasting, accompanying need or lack, or answered by food. Two passages place hunger in statements of fulfillment connected with righteousness or with coming to Jesus, showing a non-food application within those clauses.

1. Bodily hunger and need for food · dominant

   The verb marks hunger after fasting in Matthew 4:2 and Luke 4:2, and it describes the disciples' hunger before they pluck and eat grain in Matthew 12:1. In Matthew 25:35 the first-person aorist is followed by the giving of food, while Romans 12:20 makes feeding an enemy conditional on his hunger; in these clauses the APB renders the condition with forms such as "was hungry" and "is hungry."

   Matthew 4:2Luke 4:2Matthew 12:1Matthew 25:35Romans 12:20Philippians 4:12
2. Hunger in statements of promised fulfillment · rare

   In Matthew 5:6, the present participle describes those who hunger and thirst for righteousness and who will be satisfied. In John 6:35, the aorist subjunctive occurs in the promise that the one coming to Jesus will never hunger; the APB presents both clauses with "hunger,".

   Matthew 5:6John 6:35

In the Anselm Project Bible: Across the verses, the APB uses "hungry," "hunger," "hungering," and "go hungry" for the surrounding clauses, including hunger after fasting and hunger answered by food. In Matthew 5:6 and John 6:35, it retains "hunger" within promises of satisfaction or never hungering.