2974. kóphos

Lexical Summary

kóphos: Deaf, mute

Original Word: κωφός
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: kóphos
Pronunciation: KOH-fos
Phonetic Spelling: (ko-fos')
KJV: deaf, dumb, speechless
NASB: mute, deaf, mute man, one who, one who was deaf
Word Origin: [from G2875 (κόπτω - mourn)]

1. blunted
2. (figuratively) of hearing (deaf) or speech (dumb)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

deaf, dumb, speechless.

From kopto; blunted, i.e. (figuratively) of hearing (deaf) or speech (dumb) -- deaf, dumb, speechless.

see GREEK kopto

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
of uncertain origin
Definition
blunt, dull
NASB Translation
deaf (4), mute (6), mute man (3), one who (1), one who was deaf (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 2974: κωφός

κωφός, κωφη, κωφόν (κόπτω to beat, pound), blunted, dull; properly, βέλος, Homer, Iliad 11, 390; hence a. blunted (or lamed) in tongue; dumb: Matthew 9:32; Matthew 12:22; Matthew 15:30; Luke 1:22; Luke 11:14 (Herodotus and following; the Sept. for אִלֵּם Habakkuk 2:18).

b. blunted, dull, in hearing; deaf: Matthew 11:5; Mark 7:32, 37; Mark 9:25; Luke 7:22 (Homer h. Merc. 92; Aeschylus, Xenophon, Plato, and following; the Sept. for חֵרֵשׁ, Exodus 4:11; Isaiah 43:8; Psalm 37:14 (), etc.).

Topical Lexicon

Scope of Usage in the New Testament

The term appears fourteen times, exclusively in the Gospels. Its contexts fall into two broad categories: (1) summaries of Christ’s restorative mission (Matthew 11:5; Luke 7:22) and (2) narrative accounts of deliverance or healing (the remaining twelve references). These settings consistently portray the Messiah confronting both physical disability and demonic oppression, underscoring His comprehensive authority.

Messianic Self-Identification

When John the Baptist’s disciples sought confirmation of Jesus’ identity, the Lord cited Isaiah’s vision of a renewed creation:

“the blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and good news is preached to the poor” (Matthew 11:5).

By listing restored hearing and speech, Jesus anchored His ministry in prophetic expectation (Isaiah 29:18; 35:5), assuring John that the promised kingdom was dawning in real time.

Miracles of Restoration

1. Physical Impairment
• Mark 7:32–35 records a man “deaf and hardly able to speak.” Jesus leads him aside, uses tangible gestures, declares “Ephphatha,” and “immediately the man’s ears were opened and his tongue was released”. The personal, hands-on method illustrates the Lord’s compassion and the immediacy of His power.
• The crowd’s response in Mark 7:37—“He has done all things well… He even makes the deaf hear”—echoes Genesis language of divine workmanship, presenting Jesus as Creator at work within creation.

2. Demonic Affliction
• Several passages (Matthew 9:32–33; 12:22; Luke 11:14) attribute muteness to unclean spirits. When the demon departs, speech is restored. The Gospels therefore distinguish between disability stemming from a fallen world and that produced by direct spiritual bondage, yet in each case the cure is found in Christ.
• The deliverance narratives silence objections that first-century believers confused categories; rather, the writers note the cause so the reader may perceive the breadth of Jesus’ dominion.

Spiritual Deafness as a Moral Category

While the word denotes literal loss of hearing or speech, the Evangelists employ the healings as enacted parables. Isaiah had indicted Israel for being “deaf” to God (Isaiah 42:18–20). By giving hearing to the physically impaired, Jesus dramatizes His ability to pierce spiritual dullness (compare Mark 8:17–18). Thus, every miracle serves both the sufferer’s need and the audience’s call to repentance and faith.

Restoration to Community

In first-century Judaism, those unable to speak or hear faced social and religious marginalization, limited participation in synagogue life, and scant economic opportunity. Jesus not only cures the infirmity but also re-integrates the individual:

“The crowds were amazed and said, ‘Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel’” (Matthew 9:33).

Healing therefore functions as a sign of the kingdom’s inclusive fellowship—Jew and Gentile alike are welcomed once Christ removes the barriers imposed by sin and suffering.

Implications for Christian Ministry

1. Holistic Compassion

The Church is to proclaim the same gospel attested by visible acts of mercy (Luke 10:9). Ministry that ignores physical or social affliction fails to reflect the pattern of Christ.

2. Prayer and Expectation

Because Scripture records Jesus’ consistent success over deafness and muteness, believers pray with confidence for God’s intervention, while submitting to His sovereign purposes (James 5:14–16).

3. Evangelism and Discipleship

The healed testify immediately (Mark 7:36–37), modeling witness. Moreover, the pattern of ears opened parallels the necessity of God opening the heart to receive truth (Acts 16:14).

Eschatological Anticipation

Isaiah foresaw a day when “the ears of the deaf will be unstopped.” Each New Testament occurrence is a pledge of the final renewal when “there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain” (Revelation 21:4). The temporary, localized healings of Galilee foreshadow the universal, permanent restoration awaiting creation.

Summary

Across fourteen Gospel references, κωφός serves as a lens through which the reader beholds Messiah’s compassion, authority, and fulfillment of prophecy. Whether confronting natural infirmity or demonic oppression, Jesus reverses the curse, preaches good news, and inaugurates the age to come—inviting every generation to hear His voice and speak His praise.

Forms and Transliterations

εκωφώθην κωφά κωφής κωφοι κωφοί κωφοὶ κωφον κωφόν κωφὸν κωφος κωφός κωφους κωφούς κωφοὺς κωφών λαβήν λαβίδας λαβίδες λαβίδι λάβρος λάβρου λάβρω λάγανα λάγανον kophoi kophoì kōphoi kōphoì kophon kophón kophòn kōphon kōphón kōphòn kophos kophós kōphos kōphós kophous kophoús kophoùs kōphous kōphoús kōphoùs

Englishman's Concordance

Matthew 9:32 Adj-AMS
GRK: αὐτῷ ἄνθρωπον κωφὸν δαιμονιζόμενον
NAS: As they were going out, a mute, demon-possessed
KJV: to him a dumb man
INT: to him a man mute possessed by a demon

Matthew 9:33 Adj-NMS
GRK: ἐλάλησεν ὁ κωφός καὶ ἐθαύμασαν
NAS: was cast out, the mute man spoke;
KJV: was cast out, the dumb spake:
INT: spoke the mute [man] And marveled

Matthew 11:5 Adj-NMP
GRK: καθαρίζονται καὶ κωφοὶ ἀκούουσιν καὶ
NAS: are cleansed and [the] deaf hear,
KJV: and the deaf hear,
INT: are cleansed and deaf hear and

Matthew 12:22 Adj-AMS
GRK: τυφλὸς καὶ κωφός καὶ ἐθεράπευσεν
NAS: man [who was] blind and mute was brought
KJV: blind, and dumb: and he healed
INT: blind and mute and he healed

Matthew 12:22 Adj-AMS
GRK: ὥστε τὸν κωφὸν λαλεῖν καὶ
NAS: him, so that the mute man spoke
KJV: the blind and dumb both spake
INT: so that the mute spoke and

Matthew 15:30 Adj-AMP
GRK: κυλλούς τυφλούς κωφούς καὶ ἑτέρους
NAS: blind, mute, and many
KJV: lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and
INT: crippled blind mute and others

Matthew 15:31 Adj-AMP
GRK: θαυμάσαι βλέποντας κωφοὺς λαλοῦντας κυλλοὺς
NAS: as they saw the mute speaking,
KJV: when they saw the dumb to speak,
INT: marveled seeing mute speaking crippled

Mark 7:32 Adj-AMS
GRK: φέρουσιν αὐτῷ κωφὸν καὶ μογιλάλον
NAS: They brought to Him one who was deaf and spoke with difficulty,
KJV: unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech;
INT: they bring to him a deaf man and who spoke with difficulty

Mark 7:37 Adj-AMP
GRK: καὶ τοὺς κωφοὺς ποιεῖ ἀκούειν
NAS: even the deaf to hear
KJV: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and
INT: both the deaf he makes to hear

Mark 9:25 Adj-NNS
GRK: ἄλαλον καὶ κωφὸν πνεῦμα ἐγὼ
NAS: saying to it, You deaf and mute
KJV: [Thou] dumb and deaf spirit, I
INT: mute and deaf Spirit I

Luke 1:22 Adj-NMS
GRK: καὶ διέμενεν κωφός
NAS: to them, and remained mute.
KJV: and remained speechless.
INT: and remained mute

Luke 7:22 Adj-NMP
GRK: καθαρίζονται καὶ κωφοὶ ἀκούουσιν νεκροὶ
NAS: are cleansed, and [the] deaf hear,
KJV: are cleansed, the deaf hear,
INT: are cleansed and deaf hear dead

Luke 11:14 Adj-NNS
GRK: αὐτὸ ἦν κωφόν ἐγένετο δὲ
NAS: out a demon, and it was mute; when the demon
KJV: it was dumb. And it came to pass,
INT: it was mute it came to pass moreover

Luke 11:14 Adj-NMS
GRK: ἐλάλησεν ὁ κωφός Καὶ ἐθαύμασαν
NAS: had gone out, the mute man spoke;
KJV: was gone out, the dumb spake;
INT: spoke the mute [man] And marveled

Strong's Greek 2974
14 Occurrences

κωφοὶ — 2 Occ.
κωφὸν — 5 Occ.
κωφός — 4 Occ.
κωφούς — 3 Occ.