Strong's Greek: 4969. σφάζω (sphazó) -- To slay, to slaughter, to kill

Strong's Lexicon

sphazó: To slay, to slaughter, to kill

Original Word: σφάζω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: sphazó
Pronunciation: sfad'-zo
Phonetic Spelling: (sfad'-zo)
Definition: To slay, to slaughter, to kill
Meaning: I slay, kill by violence, slaughter, wound mortally.

Word Origin: A primary verb

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: - H7819 (שָׁחַט, shachat): To slaughter, to kill, often used in the context of sacrificial offerings.

- H2026 (הָרַג, harag): To kill, to slay, used in various contexts of killing or murder.

Usage: The Greek verb "sphazó" primarily means to slay or slaughter, often in the context of a sacrificial or violent death. It is used in the New Testament to describe the act of killing, particularly in a sacrificial or ritualistic sense, as well as in the context of persecution and martyrdom.

Cultural and Historical Background: In the ancient world, the act of slaughtering animals was a common practice in both religious and secular contexts. Sacrifices were integral to Jewish worship, as prescribed in the Old Testament, where animals were slain as offerings to God. The term "sphazó" would have been understood by early Christians in the context of these sacrificial practices, as well as in the broader Greco-Roman culture where similar rituals were performed. Additionally, the early Christian community faced persecution, and the term also came to be associated with the martyrdom of believers.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from a prim. root sphag-
Definition
to slay, slaughter
NASB Translation
slain (7), slay (2), slew (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 4969: σφάζω

σφάζω, Attic σφάττω: future σφάξω, Revelation 6:4 L T Tr WH; 1 aorist ἐσφαξα; passive, perfect participle ἐσφαγμένος; 2 aorist ἐσφαγην; from Homer down; the Sept. very often for שָׁחַט, to slay, slaughter, butcher: properly, ἀρνίον, Revelation 5:6, 12; Revelation 13:8; τινα, to put to death by violence (often so in Greek writings from Herodotus down), 1 John 3:12; Revelation 5:9; Revelation 6:4, 9; Revelation 18:24. κεφαλή ἐσφαγμενη εἰς θάνατον, mortally wounded (R. V. smitten unto death), Revelation 13:3. (Compare: κατασφάζω.)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

kill, slay, wound.

A primary verb; to butcher (especially an animal for food or in sacrifice) or (generally) to slaughter, or (specially), to maim (violently) -- kill, slay, wound.

Forms and Transliterations

εσφαγης εσφάγης ἐσφάγης εσφαγμενην εσφαγμένην ἐσφαγμένην εσφαγμενον εσφαγμένον ἐσφαγμένον εσφαγμένος εσφαγμενου εσφαγμένου ἐσφαγμένου εσφαγμενων εσφαγμένων ἐσφαγμένων έσφαζον έσφαξαν έσφαξας έσφαξε εσφαξεν έσφαξεν ἔσφαξεν εσφενδόνισε εσφηνωμεναιω εσφήνωσε έσφιγξαν σφαγέντος σφαγήναι σφαγήσονται σφάζε σφάζειν σφάζετε σφάζοντες σφάζουσι σφαζωσιν σφάξαι σφάξατε σφάξει σφάξεις σφάξετε σφάξη σφάξης σφάξον σφάξουσι σφαξουσιν σφαξούσιν σφάξουσιν σφάξω σφάξωσι σφάξωσιν σφενδόνας σφενδόνη σφένδονη σφενδόνης σφενδονήσεις σφενδονήται σφηκίαν σφηκίας σφίγγεται σφίγξεις esphages esphagēs espháges esphágēs esphagmenen esphagmenēn esphagménen esphagménēn esphagmenon esphagmenōn esphagménon esphagménōn esphagmenou esphagménou esphaxen ésphaxen sphaxousin spháxousin

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