ἀποθνήσκω G0599
To die; of physical death (natural, violent, judicial) or figurative/spiritual death (dying to sin, the law, or self)
An intensified form of the root 'to die' (thnēskō), apothnēskō is the standard New Testament verb for death in all its dimensions. Most of its 112 occurrences describe ordinary physical death — people, animals, even a grain of wheat falling to the ground. But Paul transforms the word into a theological tool: believers 'die to sin' in baptism (Rom 6:2), 'die to the law' to live for God (Gal 2:19), and 'die with Christ' to share in resurrection. The multilingual evidence is telling — Spanish morimos and German sterben remain identical across both literal and figurative uses, reflecting how Paul deliberately exploits the shock of applying death-language to spiritual transformation.
Senses
1. die physically — Physical death — the cessation of bodily life, whether natural, violent, or judicial. Spans the full range from narrative death scenes (Matt 8:32, the swine; Mark 9:26, an apparent death) to solemn declarations about martyrdom (Matt 26:35, 'even if I must die with you'). Rendered consistently across languages (spa: murió, fra: mourir, deu: sterben), confirming the default, unmarked sense across 101 occurrences. 101×
AR["ماتَ", "ماتَت", "مَاتَ"]·ben["তিনি-মরলেন", "মরলেন।", "মরেছিলেন", "মরেছিলেন।", "মরেছে", "মরেছেন", "মারা-গেছে", "মারা-গেল", "মৃত্যুবরণ-করলেন", "মৃত্যুবরণ-করেছিলেন", "মৃত্যুবরণ-করেছিলেন,", "সন্তানহীন"]·DE["sterben", "stirbt"]·EN["Died", "He-died", "died", "he-died"]·FR["mourir"]·heb["מֵת", "מֵתָה"]·HI["मर-गई", "मर-गया", "मर-गया?", "मर-गया।", "मरा"]·ID["Dia-mati", "Ia-mati", "Ia-mati,", "ia-mati", "mati", "mati.", "telah-mati"]·IT["morire"]·jav["Panjenenganipun-séda", "Panjenenganipun-séda,", "pejah", "piyambakipun-pejah", "sampun-pejah.", "sampun-séda,", "sèda", "séda", "séda,", "séda.", "séda?"]·KO["돌아가셨다", "좽었다", "좽었으니", "죽었는가", "죽었는지", "죽었다", "죽었으니", "죽으셨고", "죽으셨다"]·PT["morreu", "morreu."]·RU["однажды", "умер", "умер.", "умерла"]·ES["murió"]·SW["akafa", "alikufa", "alikufa,", "alikufa.", "amekufa"]·TR["öldü", "öyleyse"]·urd["مر-گیا", "مرا", "مری", "وہ-مرا"]
Matt 8:32, Matt 26:35, Mark 9:26, Mark 12:21, Mark 12:22, Mark 15:44, Luke 16:22, Luke 16:22, Luke 20:29, Luke 20:30, Luke 20:31, Luke 20:36 (+38 more)
2. die figuratively/spiritually — Figurative or spiritual death — dying to sin, to the law, or to the old self, especially in Pauline theology. Romans 6:2 asks 'How shall we who died to sin still live in it?' while Romans 6:8 proclaims 'if we died with Christ, we believe we shall also live with him.' The identical translation forms across languages (spa: morimos/morí, deu: sterben) show that Paul relies on the literal verb to carry metaphorical weight — no special 'spiritual death' vocabulary is invented. 11×
AR["مُتنا", "مُتُّ", "مُتُّمْ", "مُتْنَا", "نَموتُ", "نَمُوتَ", "نَمُوتُ"]·ben["আমরা-মরেছি", "তোমরা-মরেছিলে", "মরলাম", "মরি", "মরি,", "মরি।", "মরেছি,", "মৃত্যুবরণ-করি।"]·DE["sterben"]·EN["died", "we-die", "we-died", "we-may-die", "you-died"]·FR["mourir"]·heb["מֵתִים", "מַתְנוּ", "מַתִּי", "מַתֶּם", "נָמוּת", "שֶׁנָמוּת"]·HI["तुम-मर-गये", "मर-गए", "मर-गया", "मरते-हैं", "मरें", "मैन-मर,", "हम-मरते-हैं"]·ID["aku-mati", "kamu mati", "kita-mati", "kita-mati,", "kita-mati.", "mati.", "telah-mati"]·IT["morire"]·jav["kita-pejah", "kita-pejah,", "kita-pejah.", "kula-sampun-pejah,", "panjenengan-séda", "pejah", "pejah."]·KO["너희가-죽었다", "너희가-죽었으면", "좽다", "좽든지", "좽었으니", "좽으면", "죽는니라", "죽도록", "죽었노라", "죽었노라,", "죽었으니"]·PT["morremos", "morremos,", "morremos.", "morrestes", "morri", "morri."]·RU["живём", "умер", "умереть", "умерли", "умираем", "умрём"]·ES["morimos", "morí", "morísteis", "muramos"]·SW["mlikufa", "nilikufa", "tufe", "tulikufa", "tunakufa", "tunakufa,", "tunakufa."]·TR["oldunuz", "öldük", "öldüm", "ölelim", "ölüyorsak", "ölüyoruz"]·urd["تم-مر-گئے", "مر-گیا", "مر-گیا۔", "مرتے-ہیں", "مریں", "ہم-مرے"]
Related Senses
H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)H8085 1. Qal: hear, perceive aurally (921×)H0859a 1. you (2nd person masculine singular pronoun) (743×)H0398 1. eat (consume food) (697×)H4191 1. die (Qal: natural/general death) (645×)G3708 1. see, perceive visually (419×)G0191 1. hear, perceive sound (360×)H???? 3. (352×)G3708 2. behold, look (exclamatory) (256×)H7272 1. foot (body part) (236×)H8354 1. drink, consume liquid (209×)H3205 1. Qal active: bear/give birth (female subject) (204×)H3205 2. Qal active: beget/father (male subject) (198×)H2421 1. Qal: live, be alive (177×)H8085 2. Qal: listen, heed, pay attention (172×)H2416a 1. alive, living (state/attribute) (146×)H2416e 1. life, lifespan, lifetime (145×)G2198 1. be alive, have life (133×)H8193 1. lip, lips (body part) (123×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἀποθνήσκω, future -θᾰνοῦμαι, Ionic dialect -θανέομαι or -εῦμαιRefs 5th c.BC+ —strengthened for θνῄσκω, die, Refs 8th c.BC+; in Comedy texts and Prose the usual form of the present; σεῦ ἀποτεθνηῶτοςRefs 8th c.BC+; νόσῳRefs 5th c.BC+; to be ready to die, of laughter, etc., Refs 5th c.BC+ __II serving as passive of ἀποκτείνω, to be put to death, slain, ὑπό τινοςRefs 5th c.BC+; especially by judicial sentence, ἀποθανεῖν ὑπὸ τῆς πόλεωςRefs 5th c.BC+ __III renounce, νόμῳNT