βρυγ-μός G1030
Gnashing; the grinding or clenching of teeth, expressing anguish, rage, or despair.
Refers specifically to the gnashing or grinding of teeth, almost always appearing in the fixed phrase 'weeping and gnashing of teeth' in Jesus' parables of judgment. This vivid expression conveys the anguish and fury of those excluded from the kingdom. It occurs seven times, six in Matthew and once in Luke, forming one of the most recognizable refrains in the Synoptic tradition. The cross-linguistic unanimity is striking: Spanish 'crujir,' French 'grincement,' and German 'Knirschen' all preserve the specific dental grinding imagery rather than generalizing to mere suffering.
Senses
1. sense 1 — The act of gnashing or grinding the teeth, expressing extreme anguish, rage, or despair. Appears exclusively in the formulaic phrase 'weeping and gnashing of teeth' (ho klauthmos kai ho brygmos ton odonton), which Jesus uses to depict the torment of those cast into outer darkness or the furnace of fire (Matt 8:12; 13:42, 50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30; Luke 13:28). Every target language renders it with a term specifically denoting tooth-grinding (Spanish 'crujir,' German 'Knirschen,' French 'grincement'), confirming this is not generalized suffering language but a concrete, visceral image of dental clenching. 7×
AR["صَريرُ", "صَرِيرُ"]·ben["দাঁত-কড়মড়", "দাঁত-কড়মড়ানি", "দাঁত-কিটকিটি", "দাঁতে-ঘর্ষণ", "দাঁতের-কিটকিট"]·DE["Knirschen"]·EN["gnashing"]·FR["grincement"]·heb["חֲרִיקַת"]·HI["दअन्त-पेएस्नअ", "पीसना"]·ID["kertak", "kertakan"]·IT["stridore"]·jav["kereking", "keroting", "kerut-untu", "krot-krot"]·KO["갈음", "이-갈음-이", "이-갈음이", "이를-갊이"]·PT["ranger"]·RU["скрежет"]·ES["crujir"]·SW["kusaga", "kwa-"]·TR["gıcırdama", "gıcırdaması", "gıcırdatma", "gıcırdatması", "gıcırdatılması"]·urd["پیسنا"]
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
βρυγ-μός, ὁ, biting, [prev. work = 2nd c.BC: Nicander Epicus “Theriaca”] 716 (plural, variant{βρυχμός}); gobbling, Refs 5th c.BC+; chattering, shivering, Refs 5th c.BC+; β. ὀδόντων gnashing of teeth, NT __II roaring of a lion, LXX