βλασφημ-έω G0987
To blaspheme, speak irreverently against God; to slander or revile; passive: to be spoken against
The verb βλασφημέω covers the entire range of injurious speech from the human to the divine. In its primary New Testament usage, it describes speaking against God or sacred things with contempt — the charge leveled at Jesus when he forgave sins (Mark 2:7) and at the crowd mocking him on the cross (Matt 27:39). Paul warns that poor conduct among believers causes God's name to 'be blasphemed among the Gentiles' (Rom 2:24), showing the passive dimension. James 2:7 extends the word to slandering the 'noble name' invoked over believers, revealing a horizontal, person-directed use alongside the dominant vertical one.
Senses
1. blaspheme, speak irreverently — Active blasphemy against God or sacred things — speaking with contempt, defiance, or irreverence toward the divine. This is the dominant sense, covering 26 of 35 occurrences. The Pharisees accuse Jesus of blasphemy at Matt 9:3 and Matt 26:65; passersby blaspheme at the cross (Matt 27:39); and Jesus teaches that blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven (Mark 3:28-29). Spanish 'blasfema,' French 'blasphèment,' and German 'lästern' uniformly render this theological sense. 26×
amh["ይሳደባሉ"]·AR["تُجَدِّف","جَدَّفوا","جَدَّفَ","جَدَّفُوا","جَدَّفُوا-عَلَيْهِ","كانَ-يُجَدِّفُ","كَانُوا-يُجَدِّفُونَ-عَلَيْهِ","لِيُجَدِّفَ","مُجَدِّفينَ","مُجَدِّفِينَ-عَلَى","يجدفون","يُجَدِّفا","يُجَدِّفونَ","يُجَدِّفُ"]·ben["তুমি-নিন্দা-কর","নিন্দা-করছিল","নিন্দা-করছিলেন","নিন্দা-করছে","নিন্দা-করতে","নিন্দা-করতে।","নিন্দা-করল","নিন্দা-করলে","নিন্দা-করার","নিন্দা-করে","নিন্দা-করে!","নিন্দাকারী","ἐβλασφήμει-নিন্দা-করছিল"]·ces["rouhají-se","se-rouhají"]·dan["bespotter.","bespotter;"]·DE["laestern","lästern","lästern-sie","lästert"]·ell["βλασφημούσιν.","βλασφημούσιν·"]·EN["You-blaspheme","blaspheme","blasphemed","blasphemes","blaspheming","he-blasphemes","they-blaspheme","they-blasphemed","to-blaspheme","was-blaspheming","were-blaspheming"]·FR["blasphèment.","blasphèment;","blasphémer"]·guj["નિંદા-કરે-છે.","નિંદા-કરે-છે;"]·hat["blasfeme"]·hau["suna-zagin"]·heb["גִּדְּפ-וּ","גִּדְּפוּ","חִלֵּל","לְ-גַדֵּף","לְגַדֵּף","מְגַדְּפִים","מְגַדֵּף","מגדפים"]·HI["उन्होंने-निन्दा-की","निंदा-करना","निन्दअ-करन","निन्दा-करता-था","निन्दा-करता-है","निन्दा-करता-है!","निन्दा-करते-थे","निन्दा-करते-हुए","निन्दा-करते-हैं","निन्दा-करते-हैं।","निन्दा-करने-पर","निन्दा-करनेवाले"]·hun["káromolják","káromolnak"]·ID["Engkau-menghujat","Ia-menghujat!","menghujat","menghujat,","menghujat;","mereka-menghujat","untuk-menghujat"]·IT["bestemmiano","bestemmiare"]·jav["Nyepatani,","kang-ngala-ala,","ngala-ala","nyacad","nyelateni","nyenyamah","nyenyamah!","nyenyamah,","nyenyamah.","nyenyamah;","sami-ngala-ala,","sami-nyenyamah"]·JA["冒瀆している"]·KO["모독하기를.","모독하는-자들도","모독하는-자들이라","모독하려고","모독하며","모독하며,","모독하며;","모독하므로","모독하였다","모독하였으니","모독한다!","모독했다","모욕하느니라","모욕하며","신성모독한다","신성모독한다고"]·mar["निंदा-करतात;","निंदा-करतात।"]·mya["သရော်ပြောဆိုကြ"]·nld["lasteren","zij-lasteren"]·nor["spotter"]·pnb["کفر-بولدے"]·pol["bluźnią"]·PT["Blasfema!","Blasfemas","blasfema","blasfemam","blasfemando","blasfemando,","blasfemando.","blasfemar","blasfemaram","blasfemavam","para-blasfemar"]·ron["hulesc;","le-hulesc."]·RU["Богохульствуешь,","богохульствует","злословили","злословя,","хулил","хулили","хулить","хуля","хулят","хулящие","хулящих"]·ES["Blasfema","Blasfemas","blasfema","blasfemaba","blasfemaban","blasfeman","blasfeman.","blasfemando","blasfemar","blasfemaron","de-blasfemar"]·SW["Unakufuru","akamburi","anakufuru!","kufuru","kumtukana","wakalitukana","wakamtukana","wakikufuru","wakikufuru.","wakimkufuru","wakimtukana","wakiwatukana","walimtukana","wanakufuru","wanaomkufuru"]·swe["hädar"]·tam["தூஷிக்கிறார்கள்"]·tel["దూషించుచున్నారు"]·tgl["nilalait"]·TH["ดูหมิ่น"]·TR["Küfrediyorsun","Küfür-ediyor!","küfreden","küfrederek","küfrederken","küfrediyor","küfrediyordu","küfrediyorlardı","küfretmek","küfrettiler","küfür-ediyorlar.","küfür-ediyorlar;","küfür-ediyorlardı"]·ukr["ганьблять"]·urd["بُرا-بھلا-کہتے-ہوئے،","کفر-بکا","کفر-بکتا-ہے","کفر-بکتے-تھے","کفر-بکتے-ہوئے","کفر-بکتے-ہوئے،","کفر-بکتے-ہوئے؛","کفر-بکتے-ہیں","کفر-بکنا۔","کفر-بکنے","کفر-کرتا-ہے","کُفر-بکتے","کُفر-بکتے-تھے","کُفر-بکنے-والے"]·VI["họ-phạm-thượng","phạm-thượng"]·yor["wọ́n-ń-sọ̀rọ̀-búburú-sí.","wọ́n-ń-sọ̀rọ̀-búburú-sí;"]·yue["褻瀆"]·ZH["亵渎"]
Matt 9:3, Matt 26:65, Matt 27:39, Mark 2:7, Mark 3:28, Mark 3:29, Mark 15:29, Luke 12:10, Luke 22:65, Luke 23:39, John 10:36, Acts 13:45 (+14 more)
2. be blasphemed, be spoken against — The passive and middle-passive voice: to be blasphemed, to be spoken evil of, to have one's reputation maligned. Paul quotes Isaiah in Romans 2:24 — God's name 'is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.' At 1 Timothy 6:1 the concern is that 'the name of God and the teaching may not be blasphemed.' The passive construction shifts the subject from the speaker to the one defamed, a distinction clearly marked in all target languages by passive verb forms. 8×
AR["تُجَدَّفَ","سَيُجَدَّفُ","نُجَدَّفُ","يُجَدَّفَ-عَلَيهِما","يُجَدَّفُ","يُجَدَّفُ-عَلَيَّ","يُجَدَّفْ"]·ben["আমরা-নিন্দিত-হই,","আমি-নিন্দিত-হই,","নিন্দিত-হবে","নিন্দিত-হয়","নিন্দিত-হয়।","নিন্দিত-হোক,"]·DE["laestern"]·EN["am-I-spoken-evil-of","be-blasphemed","is-blasphemed","let-be-blasphemed","may-be-blasphemed","we-are-blasphemed","will-be-blasphemed"]·FR["blasphémer"]·heb["יְחֻלַּל","יְחֻלָּל","יְחֻלָּל.","מְגֻדָּף","מְגֻדָּפִים-אֲנַחְנוּ","מְחֻלָּל","מְחֻלָּל-אֲנִי"]·HI["निन्द-हो.","निन्दअ-हो","निन्दा-किया-जाता-है","निन्दा-किये-जाते-हैं","निन्दा-की-जाती-है","निन्दा-होती-है","निन्दित-हो","निन्दित-होगा"]·ID["akan-dihujat.","aku-difitnah","dihujat","dihujat,","dihujat.","kami-difitnah,"]·IT["bestemmiare"]·jav["badhé-dipun-wada.","dipun-gorohaken,","dipun-nyenyamah.","dipun-wada.","dipunwewada","kang-dipunala-ala,","kita-dipunwewada,","kula-dipun-ala,"]·KO["모독-받느니라","모독-받는대로","모독당하게-하라.","모독받게","모독받으나","모독받지","모욕당하리라.","비방받느냐"]·PT["seja-blasfemada.","seja-blasfemado","seja-blasfemado,","será-blasfemado","somos-blasfemados","sou-blasfemado,","é-blasfemado","é-blasfemado,"]·RU["-пусть-хулится","будет-хулиться","нас-хулят","хулилось","хулится","хулится,","хулюсь,"]·ES["es-blasfemado","sea-blasfemada","sea-blasfemado","será-blasfemado","somos-blasfemados","soy-blasfemado"]·SW["anakufuriwa","itanenwa-vibaya","linatukanwa","ninenwe-vibaya,","tukanwe","tukanwe,","tunatukanwa"]·TR["iftira-ediliyoruz","kuefrediliyor","kötü söyleniyor","kötülemesin","kötülenecek","kötülenmesin","küfredilir","küfür-edilsin."]·urd["بدنام-کیا-جائے-گا۔","بدنام-ہو","بدنام-ہوتا-ہوں","بدنامی-ہو۔","برا-بھلا-کہا-جاتا-ہے","برا-کہا-جائے","کفر-بکی-جاتی-ہے،","ہم-پر-بہتان-لگایا-جاتا-ہے"]
3. revile, slander a person — Reviling or slandering a person rather than God — using βλασφημέω with a human object. James 2:7 asks, 'Do they not blaspheme the noble name by which you were called?' Here the 'noble name' may bridge divine and human reference, but the direct object is not God himself but the honorable name borne by believers. This interpersonal slander sense connects to the classical Greek usage documented by LSJ, where βλασφημέω meant 'to speak ill of someone.' 1×
AR["يُجَدِّفونَ"]·ben["নিন্দা-করে"]·DE["laestern"]·EN["blaspheme"]·FR["blasphémer"]·heb["מְגַדְּפִים"]·HI["निन्दा-करते-हैं"]·ID["menghujat"]·IT["bestemmiare"]·jav["ngala-ala"]·KO["비방하느냐"]·PT["blasfemam"]·RU["хулят"]·ES["blasfeman"]·SW["wanalikufuru"]·TR["küfreder"]·urd["کفر-بکتے-ہیں"]
Related Senses
H0559 1. say, speak, tell (5297×)G3004 1. say, tell, speak (2226×)H1696 1. speak, say, tell (Piel) (1105×)H7121 1. call, summon, name (575×)H6680 1. command, order, charge (483×)H6030b 1. answer, respond, reply (289×)G2980 1. speak, talk (277×)H5046 1. Hifil: to tell, report (237×)G0611 1. answer or respond verbally (232×)H1288 1. Piel: bless, invoke blessing (227×)H7650 1. swear, take an oath (Niphal) (154×)H3789 1. Qal passive participle: written, recorded (112×)H1984b 1. praise, laud (Piel) (111×)H7592 1. ask, inquire, question (96×)H3034 1. give thanks, praise (Hifil) (94×)G1321 1. teach, instruct actively (92×)H3789 2. Qal active: write, compose (89×)G1125 1. to write, compose (a letter or document) (84×)H5046 2. Hifil: to declare, proclaim (79×)H7892a 1. song, musical composition (78×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
βλασφημ-έω, perfect βεβλασφήμηκα Refs 4th c.BC+:—speak profanely of sacred things, εἰς θεούς Refs 5th c.BC+; offer rash prayers, Refs; β. κατά τινος utter imprecations against, Refs 4th c.BC+ __2 speak ill or to the prejudice of one, slander, περὶ τῆς ἐμῆς διατριβῆς NT+5th c.BC+ O.:—passive, to have evil spoken of one, βεβλασφημημένους NT+1st c.AD+ __3 speak impiously or irreverently of God, blaspheme, εἰς τὸν Κύριον LXX+NT; εἰς τὰ θεῖα Vett.LXX+NT