Lexical Summary basanismos: Torment, Torture Original Word: βασανισμός Strong's Exhaustive Concordance torment. From basanizo; torture -- torment. see GREEK basanizo HELPS Word-studies Cognate: 929 basanismóstorment (vexation) – tortuous; subjective agony that corresponds to an objective basis – i.e. as the "torment-rack" proves (reveals) the real "state of affairs" (cf. TDNT 1:561f). See 928 (basanizō). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom basanizó Definition torture NASB Translation torment (6). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 929: βασανισμόςβασανισμός, βασανισμοῦ, ὁ (βασανίζω, which see); 1. a testing by the touchstone or by torture. 2. torment, torture; a. the act of tormenting: Revelation 9:5. b. the state or condition of those tormented: Revelation 18:7, 10, 15; ὁ καπνός τοῦ βασανισμοῦ αὐτῶν the smoke of the fire by which they are tormented, Revelation 14:11. (4 Macc. 9:6; 11:2; (others); bad wine is called βασανισμός by Alexis in Athen. 1, 56, p. 30 f.) Strong’s Greek 929 designates an intense form of suffering most often translated “torment.” All six New Testament occurrences appear in Revelation, where the word supplies a unifying thread that binds together temporal judgments in history and the final, everlasting recompense of God. Occurrences and Narrative Function 1. Revelation 9:5 (twice) portrays a five-month plague in which locust-like creatures “torment” the unsealed. The doubled use of the term underlines both the duration and the excruciating quality of that judgment. Eschatological Torment and Divine Justice Revelation distinguishes between remedial suffering that still allows repentance (chapter 9) and final suffering where the opportunity is gone (chapter 14). The same Greek term bridges both scenes, emphasizing the unbroken consistency of God’s moral order: present judgments anticipate ultimate judgment. Torment is never capricious; it is the measured response of divine holiness to persistent rebellion. Contrast with the Suffering of the Saints Believers in Revelation also suffer, but Scripture reserves different vocabulary for their trials (thlipsis, “tribulation”). The Spirit-inspired precision guards the doctrine that the redeemed “will not be harmed by the second death” (Revelation 2:11). Torment (929) is strictly the portion of unrepentant humanity and demonic powers. Historical Background In Greco-Roman courts, “torment” described interrogation under a proving test. Revelation appropriates the term to affirm that God’s judgments likewise expose the true nature of hearts and kingdoms. Babylon’s luxurious façade cannot survive the proving fire; her torment discloses her inner corruption. Pastoral and Evangelistic Significance • Warns the unconverted: Revelation 14:11 pictures everlasting conscious punishment, urging urgent repentance while grace is still offered. Theology of Retribution and Mercy The recurring use of 929 reinforces a theology where mercy precedes judgment. Even in the woe of chapter 9, death is withheld for five months, granting a window to repent. When repentance is finally rejected, torment becomes unending. Thus the word teaches both the patience and the firmness of the Lord. Contemporary Application 1. Uphold the seriousness of eternal realities in evangelism. Summary Strong’s 929 threads through Revelation as the Spirit’s solemn vocabulary for punitive suffering, moving from limited plagues to everlasting judgment. It confronts readers with the gravity of sin, the certainty of divine recompense, and the urgent call to find refuge in the Lamb before torment becomes eternal. Englishman's Concordance Revelation 9:5 N-NMSGRK: καὶ ὁ βασανισμὸς αὐτῶν ὡς NAS: months; and their torment was like KJV: and their torment [was] as the torment INT: and the torment of them as [the] Revelation 9:5 N-NMS Revelation 14:11 N-GMS Revelation 18:7 N-AMS Revelation 18:10 N-GMS Revelation 18:15 N-GMS Strong's Greek 929 |
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