καυσ-όω G2741
to burn with intense heat, to be consumed by fire
This verb (from καῦμα + suffix) describes being burned or scorched with intense heat, always appearing in passive form in the NT. Peter uses it twice in his second epistle (3:10, 12) to describe the eschatological destruction of the heavens and elements by fire—they will be 'burned up' or 'dissolved by burning.' The repetition in quick succession emphasizes the thoroughness of this fiery judgment. The medical usage ('suffer from fever') doesn't appear in biblical texts, where the focus is on cosmic conflagration rather than bodily affliction.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Both occurrences are in 2 Peter 3, describing the day of the Lord's fiery judgment. In verse 10, the elements will be 'burned up' (καυσούμενα λυθήσεται), and in verse 12, the elements 'being burned will be dissolved' (καυσούμενα λύεται). The multilingual evidence shows participial forms: Spanish 'siendo quemados,' English 'being burned,' German 'verbrannt werden.' The passive voice across all languages emphasizes that creation undergoes this burning rather than actively burning. 2×
AR["مُحتَرِقَةً"]·ben["পুড়ে-যাওয়া"]·DE["verbrannt-werden"]·EN["being-burned"]·FR["καυσούμενα"]·heb["נִבְעָרִים"]·HI["जलते-हुए", "तपते-हुए"]·ID["kepanasan,", "terbakar"]·IT["kausoumena"]·jav["kobong", "kobong,"]·KO["타며", "타며,"]·PT["ardendo"]·RU["сгорающие"]·ES["siendo-quemados"]·SW["vikiwaka-moto"]·TR["yakılarak"]·urd["تپتے-ہوئے،", "جلتے-ہوئے"]
Related Senses
H4325 1. water, waters (582×)H6965b 1. Qal: to rise, arise, get up (432×)H2091 1. gold (the metal) (389×)H0068 1. stone, rock (material/object) (267×)H5178a 1. bronze/copper as metal (131×)H6083 1. dust, dry earth, soil (108×)H8313 1. burn, set fire to (94×)H2734 1. anger was kindled (82×)G5204 1. water (80×)H2822 1. darkness, absence of light (80×)G5457 1. light (illumination) (71×)G0450 1. rise, stand up (physical) (69×)H6965b 2. Qal: to stand firm, endure, be valid (50×)H6999a 2. burn sacrifice on altar (Hifil) (45×)H5553 1. rock, cliff (physical feature) (43×)H6965b 4. Hifil: to establish, confirm (covenant/kingdom/word) (40×)H1197a 1. burn, be on fire (39×)H4306 1. rain, showers (38×)H1653 1. rain, precipitation (34×)G4655 1. darkness (30×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
καυσ-όω, heat, Refs 2nd c.AD+:—passive, burn with intense heat, NT: generally, to be burnt, Refs __II suffer from καῦσος (A) 1, Refs 1st c.AD+