Lexical Summary stugnazó: To be gloomy, to look sullen, to be downcast Original Word: στυγνάζω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance lower, be sad. From the same as stugnetos; to render gloomy, i.e. (by implication) glower (be overcast with clouds, or sombreness of speech) -- lower, be sad. see GREEK stugnetos NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom stugnos (hated, gloomy); from stugétos Definition to have a gloomy appearance NASB Translation saddened (1), threatening (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4768: στυγνάζωστυγνάζω; 1 aorist participle στυγνάσας; (στυγνός sombre, gloomy); to be sad, to be sorrowful: properly, ἐπί τίνι (R. V. his countenance fell at etc.), Mark 10:22; metaphorically, of the sky covered with clouds (A. V. to be towering), Matthew 16:3 (T brackets WH reject the passage). (Schol. on Aeschylus Pers. 470; the Sept. thrice for שָׁמֵן, to be amazed, astonished, ἐπί τινα, Ezekiel 27:35; Ezekiel 32:10; στυγνότης, of the gloominess of the sky, Polybius 4, 21, 1.) Topical Lexicon Scriptural OccurrencesMark 10:22 records the verb in narrative form: “At this, the man’s face fell, and he went away sad, because he had great wealth.” Here “στυγνάζω” paints the visible, immediate gloom that settled upon the rich young ruler when confronted with the cost of discipleship. Matthew 16:3 places the verb on the lips of Jesus: “And in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but not the signs of the times!” Here the word depicts a darkening sky, a meteorological omen that Jesus uses to expose spiritual dullness. Semantic Range in First-Century Usage In secular Greek the term could describe storm-clouded skies, sullen moods, or an appearance that repels. Within the New Testament its two uses fuse these nuances: a literal “overcast” sky (Matthew 16:3) and a figurative “overcast” countenance (Mark 10:22). Both scenes involve a looming crisis—physical weather in one, a heart crisis in the other—underscoring Scripture’s ability to bring creation and conscience into a single moral horizon. Theological Themes 1. Gloom as a Symptom of Unbelief 2. Creation Echoing Moral Reality Jesus’ use of an overcast sky in teaching shows the Creator employing natural phenomena as parables of spiritual truth (cf. Psalm 19:1; Romans 1:20). Weather patterns become didactic tools that point to covenant faithfulness or impending accountability. 3. The Falling Face and the Hardened Heart The rich young ruler’s facial collapse illustrates how outward expression often betrays inward refusal (compare Genesis 4:5-7 where Cain’s face fell). Scripture consistently links downcast appearance with sin’s burden and the need for grace. Historical and Patristic Reflections Early Christian teachers (e.g., Chrysostom, Augustine) linked Mark 10:22 to the perils of wealth, warning believers not merely against riches but against the sorrow that comes from unwillingness to yield everything to Christ. The “overcast” countenance served as a pastoral diagnostic: where the gospel provokes gloom instead of joy, self-rule still dominates. Pastoral and Ministry Applications • Discipleship Counseling When individuals recoil from costly obedience, their “fallen face” may reveal lingering attachments. Sensitive shepherding can address underlying idols rather than the surface sadness. • Preaching and Apologetics Jesus’ weather illustration encourages preachers to employ everyday observations as gateways to eternal truths, pressing hearers to discern “the signs of the times” (Matthew 16:3). • Corporate Worship Liturgical readings of Mark 10:17-31 can invite congregations to examine their own faces—are they radiant with surrender or shadowed by self-preservation? Typological Considerations The darkening sky before a storm foreshadows the eschatological day when “the heavens will recede like a scroll” (Revelation 6:14). Just as the overcast sky warns of imminent rain, the present moral climate warns of the coming judgment seat of Christ. Summary Insight Strong’s Greek 4768 offers more than a lexical note; it serves as a vivid theological lens through which both nature and human emotion testify to the urgency of wholehearted allegiance to Jesus Christ. Forms and Transliterations στυγναζων στυγνάζων στυγνασας στυγνάσας στυγνάσουσιν στυγνός stugnasas stugnazon stugnazōn stygnasas stygnásas stygnazon stygnazōn stygnázon stygnázōnLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Matthew 16:3 V-PPA-NMSGRK: πυρράζει γὰρ στυγνάζων ὁ οὐρανός NAS: is red and threatening.' Do you know how KJV: is red and lowring. O [ye] hypocrites, INT: is red indeed lowering the sky Mark 10:22 V-APA-NMS Strong's Greek 4768 |
    |