5149. trizó
Lexical Summary
trizó: To gnash, grind

Original Word: τρίζω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: trizó
Pronunciation: tree'-zo
Phonetic Spelling: (trid'-zo)
KJV: gnash
NASB: grinds
Word Origin: [apparently a primary verb]

1. to creak (squeak)
2. (by analogy) to grate the teeth (in frenzy)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
gnash.

Apparently a primary verb; to creak (squeak), i.e. (by analogy) to grate the teeth (in frenzy) -- gnash.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from a root trig-
Definition
to cry, chirp, to grind the teeth
NASB Translation
grinds (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 5149: τρίζω

τρίζω; to squeak, make a shrill cry (Homer, Herodotus, Aristotle, Plutarch, Lucian, others): transitive, τούς δωντας, to grind or gnash the teeth, Mark 9:18; κατά τίνος, Ev. Nicod. c. 5.

Topical Lexicon
Root meaning and range of sense

The verb translated “gnashes” in Mark 9:18 carries the idea of a harsh grinding or grating noise. Classical writers used it for the shriek of metal, the rasp of a saw, or the grinding of teeth in pain or rage. In Scripture, the imagery always communicates intense inner turmoil—physical agony, uncontrolled fury, or profound anguish.

Biblical occurrence

Mark 9:18 provides the sole New Testament instance: “Whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid.” (Berean Standard Bible). The vivid description highlights three features of demonic assault on the boy: violent convulsions, loss of bodily control, and the audible grinding of teeth. The evangelist’s deliberate use of a rarely employed verb underscores the graphic reality of the boy’s suffering and the depth of the spirit’s cruelty.

Connection with ancient medical and cultural understandings

First-century observers recognized epileptic symptoms, yet Mark attributes this seizure not to natural disease alone but to an unclean spirit. Medical writers of the era spoke of involuntary jaw clenching in severe maladies; Mark’s terminology matches that clinical observation but adds a spiritual dimension. By portraying the boy’s jaw grinding as a sign of demonic oppression, the Gospel challenges purely naturalistic explanations and affirms the biblical worldview in which physical, psychological, and spiritual realms intersect.

Theological insights

1. Demonstration of Christ’s supremacy. The same narrative culminates in Jesus rebuking the spirit, restoring the child, and teaching that victory comes “by prayer” (Mark 9:29). The single occurrence of this verb is thus framed by Christ’s sovereign authority, revealing that no force, however violent, can withstand Him.
2. Revelation of the enemy’s character. The grinding teeth picture a spirit bent on destruction (Mark 9:22). Satan’s purpose remains “to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10), while Christ brings life.
3. Anticipation of final judgment. Elsewhere Jesus warns that the lost will experience “weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 25:30). Although that warning employs a different Greek term, the parallel image links present demonic oppression with ultimate eschatological anguish, reminding readers that deliverance today foreshadows the complete liberation believers will enjoy and the utter defeat awaiting the kingdom of darkness.

Related biblical imagery

• Old Testament laments—Job 16:9; Psalm 35:16; Lamentations 2:16—portray adversaries who “gnash their teeth” in hostility.
• Prophetic judgment texts—Psalm 112:10—depict the wicked gnashing their teeth in despair at God’s vindication of the righteous.
• New Testament warnings—Matthew 13:42; Luke 13:28—use “gnashing of teeth” for conscious regret in hell. Mark’s lone usage therefore links the boy’s momentary torment with themes of sustained hostility toward God and eternal separation from Him.

Pastoral and practical implications

1. Deliverance ministry. The account encourages believers to rely on the authority of Jesus Christ, exercised through prayer, in confronting demonic influence.
2. Compassionate care. Mark’s detail reminds caregivers to address both physical symptoms and spiritual realities when ministering to those in distress.
3. Apologetic value. The narrative’s realism argues against mythical embellishment; the precise description of symptoms accords with medical observation, lending historical credibility to the Gospel record.

Historical significance in Christian proclamation

Early church fathers cited Mark 9 to illustrate Christ’s power over demonic forces. In preaching, reformers such as John Calvin used the passage to emphasize human inability apart from divine aid, pointing to the disciples’ failure and the necessity of prayerful dependence. Modern missionaries continue to draw on this text when confronting syncretistic or occult contexts, finding in the grinding of teeth a graphic token of demonic bondage that yields to Jesus’ name.

Conclusion

Though occurring only once, Strong’s Greek 5149 enriches the Gospel narrative by painting an unforgettable portrait of suffering relieved by the Savior. It bridges medical observation, spiritual reality, and eschatological warning, ultimately exalting the One who silences every screech of evil and grants peace to all who trust Him.

Forms and Transliterations
τριζει τρίζει τριημερίαν τριμεριείς trizei trízei
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Mark 9:18 V-PIA-3S
GRK: ἀφρίζει καὶ τρίζει τοὺς ὀδόντας
NAS: him [to the ground] and he foams [at the mouth], and grinds his teeth
KJV: and gnasheth with his
INT: he foams and gnashes his teeth

Strong's Greek 5149
1 Occurrence


τρίζει — 1 Occ.

5148
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