Lexical Summary pnigó: To choke, to strangle, to suffocate Original Word: πνίγω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance choke, take by the throat. Strengthened from pneo; to wheeze, i.e. (causative, by implication) to throttle or strangle (drown) -- choke, take by the throat. see GREEK pneo NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. verb Definition to choke NASB Translation choke (1), drowned (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4155: πνίγωπνίγω: imperfect ἐπνιγον; 1 aorist ἐπνιξα; imperfect passive 3 person plural ἐπνίγοντο; a. to choke, strangle: used of thorns crowding down the seed sown in a field and hindering its growth, Matthew 13:7 T WH marginal reading; in the passive of perishing by drowning (Xenophon, anab. 5, 7, 25; cf. Josephus, Antiquities 10, 7, 5), Mark 5:13. b. to wring one's neck, throttle (A. V. to take one by the throat): Matthew 18:28. (Compare: ἀποπνίγω, ἐπιπνίγω, συμπνίγω.) Strong’s Greek 4155 depicts the violent act of choking or strangling, whether literal or figurative. Its three New Testament occurrences span a parable, an historical narrative, and a kingdom illustration—demonstrating that the Spirit-inspired writers employed the term to unveil how sin, demonic power, and worldly distraction suffocate life. Occurrences in the New Testament 1. Matthew 13:7 – “Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the seedlings.” Worldly Cares That Suffocate Spiritual Life (Matthew 13:7) Jesus’ Parable of the Sower reveals that the gospel may be received, only to be “choked” by thorns—identified in verse 22 as “the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth.” The choking imagery captures an incremental yet lethal process: as thorny anxieties wrap around faith, spiritual respiration is cut off. The warning is not aimed at hardened unbelievers but at those who have germinating seed. Therefore, vigilance against material distraction is presented as essential to fruitfulness. The Unforgiving Servant’s Violence (Matthew 18:28) In the parable on forgiveness, the unforgiving servant seizes his peer and “began to choke him.” The king had forgiven the servant an unpayable debt, yet he answers mercy with strangulation. The verb intensifies the moral disconnect: unforgiveness does not merely wound; it throttles another image-bearer of God. This scene demonstrates that harboring bitterness can convert a recipient of grace into an agent of suffocation. Jesus concludes that the heavenly Father will hand such a servant “over to the jailers to be tortured” (verse 34), underscoring the deadly seriousness of unmerciful conduct. Demonic Destruction and Christ’s Authority (Mark 5:13) When Legion’s demons enter the swine, the herd races into the sea and “were drowned,” literally “were choked.” The unclean spirits’ intent is consistent: to extinguish life by suffocation. Yet their destructive success is limited to animals; the delivered man sits clothed and in his right mind (Mark 5:15). The same verb that describes fatal oppression in pigs accentuates the liberation Jesus grants to human beings. In ministry, the passage supports the reality of demonic forces and the supreme authority of Christ to overrule them. Historical Background Strangulation was a common method of violence in the ancient Mediterranean world, whether in domestic assault, judicial execution, or animal slaughter. Its brutality required no weapon, making it a vivid metaphor for any force that steadily cuts off vitality. By choosing this verb, biblical authors borrowed a term readers could feel in their throats, sharpening the moral and spiritual lessons. Thematic Significance • Sin and worldliness operate by gradual suffocation rather than immediate decapitation. Practical and Pastoral Implications 1. Spiritual Self-Examination: Believers should identify “thorns” threatening to throttle their devotion—unchecked anxiety, pursuit of wealth, or habitual sin. Related Concepts While Strong’s 4155 focuses on choking, Scripture also employs cognate terms for “throttling together” (Strong’s 4846) and “suffocating anxieties” (Luke 21:34). Collectively they stress the strangling effect of anything that diminishes fear-free, Spirit-filled life. Summary Strong’s Greek 4155 pictures the hands of thorns, an unforgiving servant, and demonic powers tightening around their victims. In every scene, the gospel message shines: Jesus warns, forgives, and liberates so that what is strangled may breathe again and bear fruit to the glory of God. Englishman's Concordance Matthew 13:7 V-AIA-3PGRK: ἄκανθαι καὶ ἔπνιξαν αὐτά INT: thorns and choked them Matthew 18:28 V-IIA-3S Mark 5:13 V-IIM/P-3P Strong's Greek 4155 |
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