ἀποκτείνω G0615
To kill or put to death; in passive forms, to be killed, slain, or martyred.
One of the New Testament's primary verbs for lethal violence, apokteinō covers the full spectrum from murder to judicial execution to prophetic martyrdom. Jesus warned disciples not to fear those who kill the body (Matt 10:28), and He repeatedly predicted that He would be killed and rise again (Matt 17:23; Mark 8:31). The passive forms carry particular theological weight in the Passion predictions and in Revelation's depiction of faithful witnesses slain for their testimony. Translations across languages consistently distinguish active killing from passive being-killed: Spanish 'matar/ser muerto,' German 'töten/getötet werden.'
1. kill, put to death — To cause the death of a person or animal by violent, judicial, or hostile action — the active sense of killing or slaying. This dominant sense (60 occurrences) encompasses murder, execution, and prophetic violence. Multilingual glosses uniformly use active killing verbs: Spanish 'matar/mataron,' French 'tuer,' German 'töten.' Key passages include Jesus' teaching on fearless witness (Matt 10:28), the vineyard tenants killing the owner's servants (Matt 21:35), and Herod's desire to kill John the Baptist (Matt 14:5). 60×
AR["أَن-تَقتُلوا","أَنْ تَقْتُلَهُ","أَنْ-يَقْتُلُوهُ","سَيَقتُلونَكُم","قَتَلوا","قَتَلوهُ","قَتَلوهُمْ","قَتَلُوا","لِتَقْتُلُوا","لِيَقْتُلَ","لِيَقْتُلُوا","يَقْتُلُونَهُ"]·ben["অতএব","তারা-মেরে-ফেলল","তারা-হত্যা-করবে","মারতে","মারবে","মেরে-ফেলতে","হত্যা-করল","হত্যা-করেছিল"]·DE["toeten","tötet"]·EN["killed","they-killed","they-will-kill","to-kill","will-kill"]·FR["tuer"]·heb["הָרְגוּ","וְ-","יַהַרְגוּ","לְהָרְגוֹ","לַהֲרֹג"]·HI["उसे","मअरेनगे","मार-डालना","मार-डाला","मार-डाले","मारना?","मारने-को","मारने-को,","मारने-को?","मारने-को।","मारेंगे"]·ID["akan-membunuh","membunuh","membunuh,","mereka-bunuh","mereka-membunuh","untuk-membunuh"]·IT["uccidere"]·jav["badhé-mej ahi","badhé-mejahi","mejahi","mejahi,","mejahi.","mejahi?","sami-mejahi","tiyang-tiyang-mejahi."]·KO["죽였고","죽였다","죽이기를,","죽이려고","죽일-것이다"]·PT["matar","matar,","mataram","mataram,","mataram.","o-matarão"]·RU["убили","убили,","убили.","убить","убить,","убьют"]·ES["matar","mataron","matarán","os-matarán"]·SW["-","kukuua","kumuua","kuniua","mmoja","ninyi","wakamwua","wakati","walimuua","waliwaua","watamuua"]·TR["öldürdü","öldürdüler","öldürecekler","öldürmek","öldürmeyi"]·urd["قتل-کرنا","قتل-کیا","مار-ڈالا","مار-ڈالنا","مار-ڈالیں-گے","مارنے-کو","ماریں-گے","کیونکہ"]
Matt 10:28, Matt 10:28, Matt 14:5, Matt 17:23, Matt 21:35, Matt 21:38, Matt 21:39, Matt 22:6, Matt 23:37, Matt 24:9, Matt 26:4, Mark 6:19 (+38 more)
▼ 1 more sense below
Senses
2. be killed, be put to death — To suffer death at another's hands — the passive experience of being slain, executed, or martyred. Across 14 occurrences, the passive forms carry deep christological and martyrological significance. Spanish distinguishes this clearly as 'ser muerto/fue muerto.' The triple Passion prediction in the Synoptics uses this form: 'the Son of Man must be killed' (Mark 8:31; 9:31; Luke 9:22), and Revelation honors Antipas as a faithful witness 'who was killed among you' (Rev 2:13). 14×
AR["أَن-يُقتَلَ","قُتِلوا","قُتِلَ","مَقْتُولًا","يُقتَلونَ","يُقْتَلَ","يُقْتَلُوا"]·ben["নিহত-হওক","নিহত-হওয়ার","নিহত-হতে","নিহত-হবে","নিহত-হল","নিহত-হলেন","মারা-গিয়ে","মারা-গিয়েছিল","মারা-গেল","মারা-যেতে","মৃত্যুবরণ-করতে","হত্যা-হবে"]·DE["toeten","tötet"]·EN["be-killed","being-killed","to-be-killed","was-killed","were-killed"]·FR["tuer"]·heb["בְּהֵהָרְגוֹ","יוּמְתוּ","לְהֵהָרֵג","לִ-הֵהָרֵג","לָמוּת","נֶהֱרַג","נֶהֶרְגוּ"]·HI["मअर-जअन","मार-डाला-गया","मार-डाले-जाएं।","मारा-जाकर","मारा-जाना","मारा-जाना।","मारे-गए","मारे-जाने"]·ID["dibunuh","dibunuh.","setelah-dibunuh","terbunuh","terbunuhlah","untuk-dibunuh,"]·IT["uccidere"]·jav["dipun-pejahi","dipun-pejahi,","dipun-seda","dipunpejahi","dipunpejahi,","sasampunipun-dipun-pejahi"]·KO["좽임-을-당하게","좽임-을-당하기","좽임-을-당하니","좽임당할","죽임-당하고","죽임-당했다","죽임-을-당하기","죽임-을-당하였으니","죽임당했다","죽임을-당하고","죽임을-당하다"]·PT["foi-morta","foi-morto","foram-mortos","morto","sejam-mortos","ser-morto","ser-mortos"]·RU["был-убит","были-убиты","были-убиты.","быть-убит.","быть-убитым","быть-убитым,","быть-убитым.","быть-убитыми","убитый"]·ES["de-ser-muerto","fue-muerto","fueron-muertos","habiendo-sido-matado","sean-muertos","ser-matado","ser-muerto","ser-muertos"]·SW["akiuawa","aliuawa","auawe.","hawakuuawa","kuuawa","wakauawa","waliuawa","watakaouawa","wauawe"]·TR["öldürüldü","öldürüldüler","öldürülmek","öldürülmesi","öldürülmesi,","öldürülsünler","öldürülunce"]·urd["قتل-کیا-جانا","قتل-کیے-جائیں","قتل-کیے-گئے","قتل-ہونا","مارا-جا-کر","مارا-جانا","مارا-گیا","مارے-جانا","مارے-گئے"]
Related Senses
H4421 1. war, battle, armed conflict (319×)H0341 1. enemy, adversary, foe (284×)H3898a 1. Nifal: to fight, wage war (167×)H2026 1. kill, slay (active) (146×)H2451 1. wisdom, discernment (146×)H5483b 1. horse (the animal) (138×)H0006 1. to perish, be destroyed (105×)H7843 1. Hifil: destroy, annihilate (83×)H2491a 1. slain, fatally pierced (74×)H6862c 1. adversary, enemy, foe (69×)H8045 1. destroy, exterminate (69×)H6571b 1. horseman, cavalryman (52×)H8077a 1. desolation, waste (abstract state) (52×)G4678 1. of wisdom (51×)G4717 1. crucify, fasten to a cross (46×)H2763a 1. utterly destroy (Hifil active) (44×)G0622 1. perish, be destroyed (intransitive) (41×)H0006 2. to destroy, annihilate (Piel) (38×)H8074 1. be desolate, lie waste (36×)G2190 1. enemy / hostile one (32×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἀποκτείνω (later -κτέννω (which see): -κταίνωNTfuture -κτενῶ, Ionic dialect -κτενέωRefs 5th c.BC+: aorist 1 ἀπέκτειναRefs 8th c.BC+: perfect ἀπέκτοναRefs 5th c.BC+; pluperfect 3rd.pers.plural -εκτόνεσανRefs, Ionic dialect 3rd.pers.singular -εκτόνεεLXX+5th c.BC+: aorist 2 -έκτᾰνονRefs 8th c.BC+, poetry 1st pers.plural ἀπέκταμενRefs 8th c.BC+, infinitive -κτάμεναι, -κτάμεν, Refs 8th c.BC+:—passive,…