519. apagchó

Lexicon

apagchó: To hang oneself, to strangle

Original Word: ἀπάγχω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: apagchó
Pronunciation: ä-pä'-ŋkho
Phonetic Spelling: (ap-ang'-khom-ahee)
Definition: To hang oneself, to strangle
Meaning: I choke, strangle; mid: I strangle or hang myself.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

hang himself.

From apo and agcho (to choke; akin to the base of agkale); to strangle oneself off (i.e. To death) -- hang himself.

see GREEK apo

see GREEK agkale

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from apo and agchó (to press, strangle)
Definition
to strangle, hang oneself
NASB Translation
hanged (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 519: ἀπάγχω

ἀπάγχω (cf. Latinangustus,anxius, English anguish, etc.; Curtius, § 166): 1 aorist middle ἀπηγξαμην; to throttle, strangle, in order to put out of the way (ἀπό away, cf. ἀποκτείνω to kill off), Homer, Odyssey 19, 230; middle to hang oneself, to end one's life by hanging: Matthew 27:5. (2 Samuel 17:23; Tobit 3:10; in Attic from Aeschylus down.)

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: Derived from the Greek preposition ἀπό (apo), meaning "from" or "away," and the verb ἄγχω (anchō), meaning "to strangle" or "to choke."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: The concept of hanging oneself is not directly paralleled in the Hebrew Bible with a specific term equivalent to ἀπάγχω. However, the act of hanging or strangling can be related to Hebrew terms such as תָּלָה (talah, Strong's Hebrew 8518), which means "to hang," as seen in various Old Testament contexts involving execution or display of bodies.

Usage: The term ἀπάγχω is used in the New Testament to describe the act of hanging oneself, specifically in the context of suicide.

Context: The Greek verb ἀπάγχω appears in the New Testament in the context of the tragic end of Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ. After betraying Jesus for thirty pieces of silver, Judas was overcome with remorse and attempted to return the money to the chief priests and elders. When they refused to take it back, Judas threw the silver into the temple and departed. In his despair, he went away and hanged himself, as recorded in Matthew 27:5: "So Judas threw the silver into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself."

This act of self-destruction is a poignant moment in the Gospel narrative, highlighting the depth of Judas's regret and the severe consequences of his betrayal. The use of ἀπάγχω in this context underscores the finality and desperation of Judas's actions. It serves as a sobering reminder of the spiritual and moral implications of sin and betrayal.

The act of hanging oneself, as described by ἀπάγχω, is not only a physical act but also carries significant theological weight. It reflects the ultimate separation from life and, symbolically, from the community of believers and from God. Judas's story is often discussed in theological circles as a cautionary tale about the dangers of greed, betrayal, and the failure to seek forgiveness and redemption.

Forms and Transliterations

απηγξατο απήγξατο ἀπήγξατο apenxato apēnxato apḗnxato

Englishman's Concordance

Matthew 27:5 V-AIM-3S
GRK: καὶ ἀπελθὼν ἀπήγξατο
NAS: and he went away and hanged himself.
KJV: and went and hanged himself.
INT: and having gone away hanged himself

Strong's Greek 519
1 Occurrence

ἀπήγξατο — 1 Occ.