Lexical Summary apokteinó or apoktennó: To kill, to slay, to put to death Original Word: ἀποκτείνω (or ἀποκτέννω) Strong's Exhaustive Concordance put to death, kill, slay. From apo and kteino (to slay); to kill outright; figuratively, to destroy -- put to death, kill, slay. see GREEK apo NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom apo and kteinó (to kill) Definition to kill NASB Translation kill (33), killed (29), killing (1), kills (5), put...to death (2), put to death (4). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 615: ἀποκτείνωἀποκτείνω, and Aeolic, ἀποκτέννω (Matthew 10:28 L T Tr; Mark 12:5 G L T Tr; Luke 12:4 L T Tr; 2 Corinthians 3:6 T Tr; cf. Fritzsche on Mark, p. 507f; (Tdf. Proleg., p. 79); Winers Grammar, 83 (79); (Buttmann, 61 (54))), ἀποκτενῶ (Griesbach in Matthew 10:28; Luke 12:4), ἀποκταίνω (Lachmann in 2 Corinthians 3:6; Revelation 13:10), ἀποκτεννυντες (Mark 12:5 WH); future ἀποκτενῶ; 1 aorist ἀπέκτεινα; passive, present infinitive ἀποκτέννεσθαι (Revelation 6:11 G L T Tr WH); 1 aorist ἀπεκτάνθην (Alexander Buttmann (1873) Ausf. Spr. ii. 227; Winers Grammar, the passage cited; (Buttmann, 41 (35f))); (from Homer down); 1. properly, to kill in any way whatever (ἀπό i. e. so as to put out of the way; cf. (English to kill off), German abschlachten): Matthew 16:21; Matthew 22:6; Mark 6:19; Mark 9:31; John 5:18; John 8:22; Acts 3:15; Revelation 2:13, and very often; (ἀποκτενῶ ἐν θανάτῳ, Revelation 2:23; Revelation 6:8, cf. Buttmann, 184 (159); Winers Grammar, 339 (319)). to destroy (allow to perish): Mark 3:4 (yet others take it here absolutely, to kill). 2. metaphorically, to extinguish, abolish: τήν ἐχτραν, Ephesians 2:16; to inflict moral death, Romans 7:11 (see ἀποθνῄσκω, II. 2); to deprive of spiritual life and procure eternal misery, 2 Corinthians 3:6 (Lachmann ἀποκταινει; see above). Topical Lexicon Summary of Meaning and Scope Strong’s Greek 615 (ἀποκτείνω) describes the deliberate taking of life. In Scripture it ranges from literal murder to judicial execution, from hostile persecution to eschatological judgments, and once (Ephesians 2:16) to the spiritual “killing” of enmity at the cross. Its breadth lets the word speak to human sin, divine justice, and redemptive victory. Roots in the Hebrew Scriptures New-Testament writers inherit a theology that equates unlawful bloodshed with assault on the image of God (Genesis 9:6). Prophets denounced Jerusalem as “the city that kills the prophets” (compare Matthew 23:37), preparing the motif of rejected messengers in Jesus’ parables. Usage in the Gospels 1. Prophetic Parables: Vineyard tenants “seized his servants … beat one, killed another” (Matthew 21:35). The climax anticipates the Son: “Let us kill him” (Mark 12:7). Apostolic Proclamation and Martyrdom Peter charges Israel, “You killed the Author of life” (Acts 3:15). Stephen echoes: “Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One” (Acts 7:52). Paul laments, “They killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets” (1 Thessalonians 2:15). The word thus crystallizes human opposition to God’s revelation. Yet martyrdom becomes witness: Antipas “was put to death” at Pergamum (Revelation 2:13), and future saints will be “killed for the testimony of Jesus” (Revelation 6:11). The vocabulary of killing is transfigured into the theology of suffering unto glory. Doctrinal and Pastoral Themes • Total Depravity: Repeated plots to kill Jesus unveil the depth of human rebellion. Eschatological Context Revelation employs ἀποκτείνω twelve times. Demonic horsemen “were released to kill a third of mankind” (Revelation 9:15). The beast “was permitted to kill” the two witnesses (Revelation 11:7) and seeks to kill all who refuse his mark (Revelation 13:15). Final judgment reverses the violence: “The rest were killed with the sword coming out of the mouth of the One on the horse” (Revelation 19:21). Historical Ministry Significance Early Church history confirms the word’s relevance: martyr narratives (Polycarp, Ignatius) echo biblical usage, framing death for Christ as victory. Preachers through the centuries have appealed to Matthew 10:28 and Revelation 2:10 to fortify believers facing lethal opposition. Ethical Implications for Today 1. Sanctity of Life: The verb’s gravity reinforces Christian opposition to murder, abortion, and euthanasia. Key Verses to Memorize Matthew 10:28; Acts 3:15; Ephesians 2:16; Revelation 2:13. Forms and Transliterations απεκτάγκατε απεκτανθη απεκτάνθη ἀπεκτάνθη απεκτανθησαν απεκτάνθησαν ἀπεκτάνθησαν απέκτεινα απέκτεινά απεκτειναν απέκτειναν ἀπέκτειναν απέκτεινας απέκτεινάς απεκτεινατε απεκτείνατε ἀπεκτείνατε απέκτεινε απέκτεινέ απεκτεινεν απέκτεινεν ἀπέκτεινεν απεκτέννοντο απέκτενον αποκτανθεις αποκτανθείς ἀποκτανθεὶς αποκτανθηναι αποκτανθήναι ἀποκτανθῆναι αποκτανθώσι αποκτανθωσιν ἀποκτανθῶσιν αποκτειναι αποκτείναι αποκτείναί ἀποκτεῖναι αποκτείναντα αποκτείναντι αποκτειναντων αποκτεινάντων ἀποκτεινάντων αποκτεινας αποκτείνας ἀποκτείνας αποκτείνατε αποκτεινει αποκτείνει ἀποκτείνει αποκτείνειν αποκτείνεσθαι αποκτείνης απόκτεινον απόκτεινόν αποκτείνοντες αποκτεινοντων αποκτεινόντων ἀποκτεινόντων αποκτεινουσα ἀποκτείνουσα αποκτεινούσιν αποκτείνω αποκτεινωμεν αποκτείνωμεν ἀποκτείνωμεν αποκτείνων αποκτείνωσι αποκτεινωσιν αποκτείνωσιν ἀποκτείνωσιν αποκτενει αποκτενεί ἀποκτενεῖ αποκτενείς αποκτενειτε αποκτενείτε ἀποκτενεῖτε ἀποκτέννει αποκτεννεσθαι ἀποκτέννεσθαι ἀποκτέννοντες ἀποκτεννόντων αποκτεννυντες ἀποκτέννυντες αποκτενούσα αποκτένουσα αποκτενούσι αποκτενούσί αποκτενουσιν αποκτενούσιν ἀποκτενοῦσιν αποκτενω αποκτενώ ἀποκτενῶ apektanthe apektanthē apektánthe apektánthē apektanthesan apektanthēsan apektánthesan apektánthēsan apekteinan apékteinan apekteinate apekteínate apekteinen apékteinen apoktantheis apoktantheìs apoktanthenai apoktanthênai apoktanthēnai apoktanthē̂nai apoktanthosin apoktanthôsin apoktanthōsin apoktanthō̂sin apokteinai apokteînai apokteinanton apokteinantōn apokteinánton apokteinántōn apokteinas apokteínas apokteinomen apokteinōmen apokteínomen apokteínōmen apokteinonton apokteinontōn apokteinónton apokteinóntōn apokteinosin apokteinōsin apokteínosin apokteínōsin apokteinousa apokteínousa apoktenei apokteneî apokteneite apokteneîte apoktennei apokténnei apoktennesthai apokténnesthai apoktennontes apokténnontes apoktennonton apoktennontōn apoktennónton apoktennóntōn apokteno apoktenô apoktenō apoktenō̂ apoktenousin apoktenoûsinLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Matthew 10:28 V-PPA-GMPGRK: ἀπὸ τῶν ἀποκτεννόντων τὸ σῶμα NAS: those who kill the body KJV: not them which kill the body, but INT: because of those who kill the body Matthew 10:28 V-ANA Matthew 14:5 V-ANA Matthew 16:21 V-ANP Matthew 17:23 V-FIA-3P Matthew 21:35 V-AIA-3P Matthew 21:38 V-PSA-1P Matthew 21:39 V-AIA-3P Matthew 22:6 V-AIA-3P Matthew 23:34 V-FIA-2P Matthew 23:37 V-PPA-NFS Matthew 24:9 V-FIA-3P Matthew 26:4 V-PSA-3P Mark 3:4 V-ANA Mark 6:19 V-ANA Mark 8:31 V-ANP Mark 9:31 V-FIA-3P Mark 9:31 V-APP-NMS Mark 10:34 V-FIA-3P Mark 12:5 V-AIA-3P Mark 12:5 V-PPA-NMP Mark 12:7 V-PSA-1P Mark 12:8 V-AIA-3P Mark 14:1 V-PSA-3P Luke 9:22 V-ANP Strong's Greek 615 |
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