Lexical Summary thanatoó: To put to death, to kill, to mortify Original Word: θανατόω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance become dead, put to death, kill, mortify. From thanatos to kill (literally or figuratively) -- become dead, (cause to be) put to death, kill, mortify. see GREEK thanatos NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom thanatos Definition to put to death NASB Translation cause...to be put to death (1), made to die (1), put...to death (3), putting to death (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 2289: θανατόωθανατόω, θανάτῳ; future θανατώσω; 1 aorist infinitive θανατῶσαι (3 person plural subjunctive θανατώσωσι, Matthew 26:59 R G); passive (present θανατοῦμαι); 1 aorist ἐθανατωθην; (from θάνατος); from Aeschylus and Herodotus down; the Sept. for הֵמִית, הָרַג, etc. 1. properly, to put to death: τινα, Matthew 10:21; Matthew 26:59; Matthew 27:1; Mark 13:12; Mark 14:55; Luke 21:16; 2 Corinthians 6:9; 1 Peter 3:18; passive, by rhetorical hyperbole, to be in the state of one who is being put to death, Romans 8:36. 2. metaphorically, a. to make to die i. e. destroy, render extinct (something vigorous), Vulg.mortifico (A. V. mortify): τί, Romans 8:13. b. passive with the dative of the thing, by death to be liberated from the bond of anything (literally, to be made dead in relation to; cf. Winers Grammar, 210 (197); Buttmann, 178 (155)): Romans 7:4. General Concept Thanatoō denotes the deliberate act of putting someone or something to death. In Scripture it is never a casual term; it speaks to judicial execution, murderous intent, violent persecution, and—most profoundly—the spiritual mortification that flows from union with Christ. Old Testament Backdrop Septuagint translators used thanatoō for capital crimes (for example, Exodus 21:12) and idolatry (Deuteronomy 13:10). Thus, by the first century the verb already carried legal weight as well as covenantal warning: death is the penalty for sin and rebellion against God. Occurrences in the New Testament 1. Plotting Jesus’ execution: Matthew 26:59; Matthew 27:1; Mark 14:55 Judicial Murder of the Messiah The Sanhedrin “were seeking false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death” (Matthew 26:59). Every Gospel occurrence shows the religious leaders’ intent, exposing humanity’s rebellion and fulfilling Isaiah 53: “He was cut off from the land of the living.” Thanatoō here underscores that Christ did not die accidentally; He was purposefully delivered up, satisfying divine justice. Persecution of the Saints Jesus warned, “Brother will betray brother to death… and have them put to death” (Matthew 10:21). Thanatoō frames the cost of discipleship: loyalty to Christ can provoke lethal hostility, yet even murderers cannot sever believers from God’s love (Romans 8:38-39). These texts historically strengthened the early church during waves of persecution under Nero, Domitian, and later emperors. Union with Christ and Mortification of Sin Romans 7:4 uses the passive: believers “died to the law through the body of Christ,” teaching that in Christ’s body we were put to death with Him, releasing us from the condemning jurisdiction of the Mosaic code. Romans 8:13 applies the verb actively: “if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” Here thanatoō moves from legal position to daily practice. The Spirit-enabled mortification of sin is evidence of genuine life, a doctrine emphasized in historic Christian spirituality (e.g., John Owen’s “be killing sin or it will be killing you”). Suffering, Not Defeat Romans 8:36 cites Psalm 44:22: “For Your sake we face death all day long.” Paul adopts thanatoō to portray ongoing exposure to lethal hostility, yet the surrounding context announces overwhelming victory “through Him who loved us.” Likewise 2 Corinthians 6:9 sets “being put to death, yet not killed” alongside paradoxes of apostolic ministry, revealing that physical jeopardy cannot annul divine preservation. Christ’s Substitutionary Death “For Christ also suffered for sins once for all… He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit” (1 Peter 3:18). Thanatoō crystallizes the substitutionary nature of the atonement: the righteous One meets the sentence that unrighteous people deserved, thus reconciling them to God. Practical Ministry Implications • Preaching: thanatoō calls sinners to recognize the gravity of sin—it merits death—while pointing them to the One who bore that penalty. Historical Echoes Early church fathers cited thanatoō to frame martyr narratives (e.g., Polycarp’s execution) and to defend the faith against accusations of political sedition, arguing that while authorities could “put to death” the body, they could not conquer the gospel. Reformation writers reapplied the term to describe putting to death false teaching, and evangelical missions literature uses it to honor modern martyrs. Summary Strong’s 2289 gathers legal sentence, murderous hatred, sacrificial atonement, and spiritual mortification under one verb. Whether describing Christ’s cross, the church’s persecution, or the believer’s battle with sin, thanatoō testifies that death—imposed or embraced—becomes a gateway to resurrection life in God’s sovereign economy. Englishman's Concordance Matthew 10:21 V-FIA-3PGRK: γονεῖς καὶ θανατώσουσιν αὐτούς NAS: parents and cause them to be put to death. KJV: cause them to be put to death. INT: parents and will put to death them Matthew 26:59 V-ASA-3P Matthew 27:1 V-ANA Mark 13:12 V-FIA-3P Mark 14:55 V-ANA Luke 21:16 V-FIA-3P Romans 7:4 V-AIP-2P Romans 8:13 V-PIA-2P Romans 8:36 V-PIM/P-1P 2 Corinthians 6:9 V-PPM/P-NMP 1 Peter 3:18 V-RPM/P-NMS Strong's Greek 2289 |
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