Lexical Summary rhégnumi: To break, to burst, to tear Original Word: ῥήγνυμι Strong's Exhaustive Concordance break apart, burst, rend, tear. Or rhesso (hrace'-so) both prolonged forms of rheko (which appears only in certain forms, and is itself probably a strengthened form of agnumi (see in katagnumi)) to "break," "wreck" or "crack", i.e. (especially) to sunder (by separation of the parts; katagnumi being its intensive (with the preposition in composition), and thrauo a shattering to minute fragments; but not a reduction to the constituent particles, like luo) or disrupt, lacerate; by implication, to convulse (with spasms); figuratively, to give vent to joyful emotions -- break (forth), burst, rend, tear. see GREEK katagnumi see GREEK katagnumi see GREEK thrauo see GREEK luo NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originprol. verb from a prim. root rég- Definition to break apart, by ext. to throw down NASB Translation break forth (1), burst (3), slammed (1), slams (1), tear...to pieces (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4486: ῤήγνυμιῤήγνυμι (Matthew 9:17) and ῤήσσω (Homer, Iliad 18, 571; 1 Kings 11:31; Mark 2:22 R G L marginal reading; Mark 9:18 (Luke 5:37 L marginal reading; (see below))); future ῤήξω; 1 aorist ἔρρηξα; present passive 3 person plural ῤήγνυνται; from Homer down; the Sept. for בָּקַע and קָרַע ; to rend, burst or break asunder, break up, break through; a. universally: τούς ἀσκούς, Mark 2:22; Luke 5:37; passive, Matthew 9:17; equivalent to to tear in pieces (A. V. rend): τινα, Matthew 7:6. b. namely, εὐφροσύνην (previously chained up, as it were), to break forth into joy: Galatians 4:27, after Isaiah 54:1 (the full phrase is found in Isaiah 49:13; Isaiah 52:9; (cf. Buttmann, § 130, 5); in classical Greek ῥηγνύναι κλαυθμόν, οἰμωγήν, δάκρυα, especially φωνήν is used of infants or dumb persons beginning to speak; cf. Passow, under the word, 2, vol. ii., p. 1332{a}; (Liddell and Scott, under the word I. 4 and 5)). c. equivalent to σπαράσσω, to distort, convulse: of a demon causing convulsions in a man possessed, Mark 9:18; Luke 9:42; in both passages many (so R. V. text) explain it to dash down, hurl to the ground (a common occurrence in cases of epilepsy); in this sense in Artemidorus Daldianus, oneir. 1, 60 a wrestler is said ῤῆξαι τόν ἀντιπαλον. Hesychius gives ῤῆξαι. καταβαλεῖν. Also ῥηξε. κατέβαλε. Cf. Kuinoel or Fritzsche on Mark 9:18. (Many hold that ῤήσσω in this sense is quite a different word from ῤήγνυμι (and its collateral or poetic ῤήσσω), and akin rather to (the onomatopoetic) ἀράσσω, ῤάσσω, to throw or dash down; cf. Lobeck in Alexander Buttmann (1873) Ausf: Spr. § 114, under the word ῤήγνυμι; Curtius, Das Verbum, pp. 162, 315; Schmidt, Syn., chapter 113, 7. See as examples Wis. 4:19; Hermas, mand. 11, 3 [ET]; Apostolic Constitutions, 6, 9, p. 165, 14. Cf. προσρήγνυμι.) (Compare: διαρηγνυμι, περιρήγνυμι, προσρήγνυμι.) STRONGS NT 4486: ῤήσσωῤήσσω, see ῤήγνυμι. Strong’s Greek 4486 is a vivid verb that describes violent breaking, bursting, or tearing. With only seven appearances, its strategic placements highlight decisive moments when human frailty or old structures cannot contain the powerful realities of God’s kingdom. Old Testament Background The Septuagint regularly uses cognate forms to translate Hebrew verbs for rending garments (for grief or repentance) and for the shattering of pottery or strongholds (for judgment). This backdrop prepares the reader to recognize 4486 as signaling either destructive judgment or the explosive arrival of something new that overwhelms existing forms. Gospel Narratives: The Clash of Kingdoms 1. Matthew 7:6: “Do not give dogs what is holy; do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them underfoot, and then turn and tear you to pieces.” Here 4486 warns that when the holy message is despised, hostility erupts. The picture is of wild animals “tearing”—a sober reminder of the discernment required in gospel proclamation. Pauline Usage: Prophetic Fulfillment and Gospel Expansion Galatians 4:27 cites Isaiah 54:1 with a prophetic twist: “Rejoice, O barren woman, who bears no children; break forth and cry aloud, you who have never travailed….” The apostle applies ῥῆξον (“break forth”) to the surprising fruitfulness of the heavenly Jerusalem. What the law-enslaved world could not produce, grace explodes into being. The same verb signaling destruction in the Gospels now depicts joyful eruption of life among the children of promise. Theological Themes 1. Incompatibility of Old and New: 4486 dramatizes the impossibility of blending Christ’s covenant with works-based righteousness. The gospel does not patch or stretch; it recreates. Pastoral and Practical Implications • Discernment in Witness: Matthew 7:6 cautions believers to steward the gospel wisely, avoiding needless provocation that might invite hostile “tearing.” Historical Reception Early fathers such as Irenaeus read the wineskin passages as proof that the Mosaic economy could not contain the fullness of Christ. Reformers echoed the theme, contrasting gospel liberty with legalistic systems. Modern missions literature often cites these texts when evaluating cultural forms that might hinder or help gospel advance. Related Terms and Contrasts • συντρίβω (to crush) emphasizes pulverizing judgment, whereas 4486 focuses on a split or rupture. Conclusion Strong’s 4486 consistently marks decisive ruptures—whether the destructive tearing of evil, the disruptive arrival of Christ’s kingdom, or the jubilant breakout of redemptive life. Its seven occurrences remind readers that God’s saving work both confronts and transcends existing structures, calling for vessels flexible enough to hold the new wine of the gospel. Englishman's Concordance Matthew 7:6 V-ASA-3PGRK: καὶ στραφέντες ῥήξωσιν ὑμᾶς NAS: and turn and tear you to pieces. KJV: and turn again and rend you. INT: and having turned they tear to pieces you Matthew 9:17 V-PIM/P-3P Mark 2:22 V-FIA-3S Mark 9:18 V-PIA-3S Luke 5:37 V-FIA-3S Luke 9:42 V-AIA-3S Galatians 4:27 V-AMA-2S Strong's Greek 4486 |
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