λύω G3089
To loose, untie, release, dissolve, break, or destroy; from physical unbinding to legal annulment and cosmic dissolution.
Luo is one of those elemental Greek verbs whose physical simplicity — untying a knot — radiates outward into a rich constellation of figurative meanings. At its most literal, it describes untying a donkey's tether (Matt 21:2) or loosing Lazarus from his grave wrappings (John 11:44). But the same word releases a woman from her bond of illness (Luke 13:16), 'breaks' the Sabbath law (John 5:18), 'destroys' the temple (John 2:19), and 'dissolves' the very elements in eschatological fire (2 Pet 3:10-12). Spanish tracks these shifts with precision: desatar for untying, soltar for releasing, quebrantar for law-breaking, destruir for demolishing, and disolver for cosmic dissolution. The binding-and-loosing authority Jesus grants Peter (Matt 16:19) deliberately holds multiple senses in tension — juridical, spiritual, and physical all at once.
5. destroy, tear down a structure — To destroy, tear down, or demolish a structure or system — 4 occurrences. Jesus challenges the authorities: 'Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it' (John 2:19); Christ 'broke down the dividing wall of hostility' (Eph 2:14); the Son of God appeared 'to destroy the works of the devil' (1 John 3:8). Spanish destruir/derribar ('destroy/demolish'), Hindi ढाना/नष्ट करना, and Korean 헐다/멸하다 all deploy demolition vocabulary rather than loosing language. The Ephesians and 1 John passages extend the metaphor cosmically — not a building but an entire order of enmity or evil being torn apart. 4×
AR["أن-يَفُكَّ","اُنْقُضُوا","هَدَمَ","يُبطِلَ"]·ben["খুলতে","ধ্বংস-করেন","ভাঙ্গ","ভেঙে"]·DE["loesen"]·EN["Destroy","He-might-destroy","having-broken-down","to-loose"]·FR["délier"]·heb["הָרְסוּ","הָרַס","יְפַרֵק","לְ-הַתִּיר"]·HI["ढाओ","तोड़ने","तोधकर","नष्ट-करे"]·ID["Dia-menghancurkan","Runtuhkanlah","melepaskan","meruntuhkan,"]·IT["lusai","lusas","lusē","sciogliere"]·jav["Rusaka","ngeculaken","nyirnakaken","sampun-ngrubuhaken,"]·KO["그-가-멸하시도록","풀도록","허무신,","헐라"]·PT["Destruí","de-desatar","derrubou,","destrua"]·RU["Разрушьте","разрушив,","разрушить","снять"]·ES["Destruid","derribando","desatar","destruya"]·SW["Vunjeni","akiuvunja","aziharibu","kuvunja"]·TR["Yıkın","yikan","yok-etsin","çözmeye"]·urd["توڑ-دے","توڑنا","ٹوڑ-کر","ڈھاؤ"]
▼ 5 more senses below
Senses
1. untie, unfasten physically — To physically untie, unbind, or unfasten something that is secured — the core concrete sense with 20 occurrences. Disciples untie a donkey and its colt (Matt 21:2; Mark 11:2-4; Luke 19:30-33); Lazarus is unbound from his grave cloths (John 11:44); Paul's chains fall loose (Acts 16:26). The binding-and-loosing logion of Matt 16:19 and 18:18 sits here formally but radiates into juridical territory. Spanish desatar, German lösen, French délier, and Korean 풀다 all use their primary 'untie' vocabulary, confirming the physical concreteness. The sandal-strap saying of John the Baptist (Mark 1:7; Luke 3:16; John 1:27) — 'I am not worthy to untie his sandals' — is luo at its most tangible. 20×
AR["أَحُلَّ","أَن-أَحُلَّ","إِذْ-حَلَلتُماهُما","اخْلَعْ","انْحَلَّ","تَحُلُّوا","تَحُلّونَ","تَحُلْ","حالّينَ","حَالَّيْنِ","حُلَّاهُ","حُلُّوهُ","حُلّوا","لِأَحُلَّ","مَحْلُولًا","يَحُلَّانِهِ","يَحُلُّ"]·ben["খুলছ","খুলতে","খুলল","খুলি","খুলে","খুলে-দাও","খোল","খোলা","খোলে","খোলো","তারা-খুলছে"]·DE["loesen","löst"]·EN["I-loose","Unbind","are-you-untying","having-been-loosed","having-untied","loosen","they-untie","to-loose","untie","unties","untying","was-loosed","you-loose"]·FR["délier"]·heb["הִתִּירוּ","הַתִּיר","הַתִּירוּ","הֻתַּר","לְהַתִּיר","מַתִּיר","מַתִּירִים","מֻתָּר","שַׁל","תַּתִּיר","תַּתִּירוּ"]·HI["खोल","खोल-हुअ","खोलकर","खोलता","खोलते-हुए","खोलते-हैं","खोलते-हो","खोलने","खोलने-को","खोलूँ","खोले","खोलो","खोलोगे","झुककर"]·ID["Lepaskanlah","aku-melepaskan","engkau-lepaskan","kamu-lepaskan","kamu-melepaskan","lepaskan","lepaskanlah","melepaskan","mereka-melepaskan","terlepas","untuk-membuka"]·IT["sciogliere"]·jav["Nalika-tiyang-tiyang-ngeculaken","Ucul-na","Uculi","kaluwaran","kaweculaken","ngeculake.","ngeculaken","ngluwari","panjenengan-ngeculaken","panjenengan-ngeculaken?","panjenengan-sedaya-ngeculaken","sami-nguculi","sasampunipun-ngeculaken","supados-ngeculaken","ucul","uculana"]·KO["그들이-풀다","푸느냐","푸느냐고","푸는-자들이여","풀기-를","풀기에","풀는-동안","풀라","풀려고","풀려진","풀렸다","풀린-것이","풀면","풀어서","풀어주라"]·PT["Desata","de-desatar","desatando-os","desatar","desatar.","desate","desligado","desligares","solta","soltais","soltando","soltou-se"]·RU["Развяжите","отвяжите","отвязав","отвязывает","отвязываете","отвязывают","отвязывающим","отвязывая","развяжете","развяжешь","развязал","развязанным","развязать","разрешилась","сними"]·ES["Desata","Desatadlo","desata","desatadas","desatadlo","desatado","desatan","desatando","desatar","desatareis","desatares","desate","desatáis","fue-desatada","habiendo-desatado"]·SW["Mfungueni","Vua","fungua","kimefunguliwa","kufungua","kufungua.","mfungueni","mfungui","mkimfungua","mnamfungua","mniletee","nifungue","ukafunguliwa","wakimfungua","wanamfungua","yamefunguliwa"]·TR["Çözün","çözer","çözerek","çözerken","çözersen","çözerseniz","çözeyim","çözmek","çözmeye","çözüldü","çözülmüş","çözün","çözüp","çözüyorlar","çözüyorsunuz","çıkar"]·urd["کھل-گئی","کھلا-ہوا","کھول","کھول-دو","کھول-کر","کھولتا","کھولتے-ہو","کھولتے-ہوئے","کھولتے-ہیں","کھولنے","کھولنے-کے","کھولو","کھولوں","کھولے","کھُلا-ہوا"]
Matt 16:19, Matt 16:19, Matt 18:18, Matt 18:18, Matt 21:2, Mark 1:7, Mark 7:35, Mark 11:2, Mark 11:4, Mark 11:5, Luke 3:16, Luke 13:15 (+8 more)
2. release, set free — To release or set free a person from bonds, illness, or obligation — 9 occurrences where the emphasis shifts from the physical knot to the state of captivity or constraint being ended. Jesus 'frees' the bent-over woman from eighteen years of satanic bondage (Luke 13:16); God 'loosed the pangs of death' in raising Christ (Acts 2:24); Paul asks whether one is 'released' from a wife (1 Cor 7:27). The Revelation 1:5 variant reading ('loosed us from our sins') carries substitutionary weight. Spanish soltar/liberar and Korean 놓아주다 ('let go') select liberation vocabulary here rather than untying language, confirming a distinct semantic frame. The transition from physical binding to personal liberation is cross-linguistically robust. 9×
AR["أَطْلِقْ","أَنْ يُحَلَّ","أَنْ-تُحَلَّ","أُطْلِقَتْ","حَالًّا","حَلَّهُ","سَيُحَلُّ","مَحْلولٌ","مُحَرِّرِنا"]·ben["খোল","খোলা-হল","তিনি-খুললেন","মুক্ত-আছ","মুক্ত-করা","মুক্ত-করিয়া","মুক্ত-হবে","মুক্তকারীকে"]·DE["loesen","löst"]·EN["Release","having-freed","having-loosed","he-released","to-be-loosed","to-be-released","were-released","will-be-released","you-have-been-released"]·FR["délier"]·heb["הִתִּיר","הַ-מְשַׁחְרֵר","הַתֵּר","הֻתְּרוּ","יִשָּׁחֵר","לְ-הִשְׁתַּחְרֵר","לְהִשָּׁחֵר","מֻתָּר","שִׁחְרֵר"]·HI["-पीड़ाएँ","खोल-दे","खोला","खोले-गए","छुड़ाने-वाले-को","छुड़ाया-जाना","छूटा-है","छोड़ा-जाएगा","छोड़ा-जाना"]·ID["Kamu-terlepas","Lepaskanlah","akan-dilepaskan","dilepaskan","dilepaskanlah","melepaskan"]·IT["eluthēsan","lusanti","luson","luthēnai","luthēsetai","sciogliere"]·jav["Uculna","dipun-uculaken","dipunuculaken","ingkang-ngluwari","kalepasaken","nguculi","nyuwak","panjenengan-ucul"]·KO["그가-풀어주었다","그리고","풀려나야","풀려날-것이다","풀려났으니","풀려야-할","풀렸느냐","풀어라","풀어주신-분"]·PT["Estás-livre","Solta","foram-soltos","que-libertou","ser-solta","ser-solto","será-solto","tendo-soltado"]·RU["Освободи","Развязан-ты","будет-освобождён","были-освобождены","быть-освобождену","быть-освобождённой","освободившему","освободил","разрешив"]·ES["Desata","fueron-desatados","habiendo-desatado","habiendo-liberado","lo-soltó","ser-desatada","ser-soltado","será-suelto","¿Has-sido-desatado"]·SW["Je,-umefunguliwa-na-mke?","Wafungue","afunguliwe","akivunja","alimfungua","aliyetuokoa","atafunguliwa","kufunguliwa","wakafunguliwa"]·TR["kurtaran","Çöz","çözdü","çözerek","çözüldü","çözülecek","çözülmek","çözülmesi","çözülmüş müsün"]·urd["آزاد-کرنے-والے","اُس-نے-کھولا","چھوٹا-ہوا-ہے","کھول-دیے-گئے","کھول-دے","کھول-کر","کھولا-جائے-گا","کھولا-جانا","کھولنا"]
3. dissolve, melt away — To dissolve, melt away, or disintegrate — 4 occurrences clustered in eschatological contexts. In 2 Peter 3:10-12, the heavens 'will be dissolved' with fire and the elements will 'melt with fervent heat'; in Acts 27:41 the ship's stern 'was breaking up' under the waves. Spanish disolver and the participial 'being dissolved' mark the irreversible, entropic character of this sense. German auflösen ('to dissolve') and Korean 녹다/풀어지다 distinguish dissolution from mere unbinding. The cosmic scale of the 2 Peter passages — the entire created order unraveling — pushes luo to its semantic extreme. 4×
AR["انْحَلَّتْ","سَتَنحَلُّ","مُنحَلَّةً"]·ben["খুলিতেছিল","মুক্ত-হওয়া","মুক্ত-হবে"]·DE["loesen","löst"]·EN["being-dissolved","was-being-broken-up","will-be-dissolved"]·FR["délier"]·heb["הִתְפָּרְקָה","יִתְפָּרְקוּ","מִתְפָּרְקִים"]·HI["गल-जाएँगे","गलने-वाले-होने-पर","टूटताथा"]·ID["akan-hancur,","hancur","hancur,"]·IT["luomenōn","luthēsetai","luthēsontai","sciogliere"]·jav["badhé-kalebur,","dipécah","kalebur,"]·KO["부서졌다","풀리리라,","풀리면,"]·PT["era-desfeita","sendo-dissolvidas","serão-dissolvidos"]·RU["разрушалась","разрушатся","расторгаемому"]·ES["se-rompía","serán-disueltos","siendo-disueltas"]·SW["ilivunjwa","vikifumuliwa","vitafumuliwa","zitafumuliwa"]·TR["çözülecek","çözülünce","çözülüyordu"]·urd["ٹوٹ-رہی-تھی","پگھلتے-ہوئے،","پگھلیں-گے،"]
4. break, violate law or Scripture — To break, violate, or annul a law, commandment, or Scripture — 4 occurrences in the Gospels where luo enters the juridical-normative domain. Jesus warns that whoever 'breaks' one of the least commandments will be called least in the kingdom (Matt 5:19); he is accused of 'breaking' the Sabbath (John 5:18); he argues that Scripture 'cannot be broken' (John 10:35). Spanish quebrantar ('to shatter/violate') is the consistent choice, clearly distinct from desatar. Korean 어기다 ('to violate') and German brechen ('to break a rule') confirm that this is not physical loosing but authoritative annulment — the dissolution of a binding norm rather than a binding rope. 4×
AR["أَن-يُنقَض","كَانَ-يَنْقُضُ","نَقَضَ","يُنْقَضَ"]·ben["ভাঙছিলেন","ভাঙা-যেতে","ভাঙা-হয়","লঙ্ঘন-করে"]·DE["loesen","löst"]·EN["be-broken","breaks","to-be-broken","was-breaking"]·FR["délier"]·heb["הֵפֵר","יָפֵר","לְ-הִשָׁבֵר","תֻּפַּר"]·HI["टूटना","टूटे","तोड़ता-था","तोड़े"]·ID["Ia-melanggar","dibatalkan","dilanggar","melanggar"]·IT["sciogliere"]·jav["Panjenenganipun-mbatal","dipun-risak","nerak"]·KO["깨뜨려지기를","깨지지","어기면","폈다"]·PT["quebrar","seja-quebrada","ser-anulada"]·RU["нарушал","нарушен","нарушит","нарушиться"]·ES["quebrante","rompía","sea-quebrantada","ser-quebrantada"]·SW["alivunja","atavunja","kuvunjwa","vunjwe"]·TR["bozulmaya","bozulsun","bozuyordu","çözerse"]·urd["-ال","توڑے","ٹوٹنا","ٹوٹے"]
6. sense 6 — A singular transitional use at Acts 13:43 — 'when the synagogue had broken up' (or 'was dismissed'), describing the dispersal of an assembly after a meeting. Spanish disuelta ('dissolved/dismissed') and English 'broken up' treat the congregation as a gathered unity that is now 'loosed' back into its individual members. This assembly-dissolution sense is well attested in secular Greek (Thucydides, Josephus) but occurs only once in the New Testament, sitting at the boundary between physical dispersal and institutional adjournment. 1×
AR["انفَضَّتْ"]·ben["ছাড়ার"]·DE["löst"]·EN["having-broken-up"]·FR["délier"]·heb["נִפְרְדָה"]·HI["छूटने-पर"]·ID["bubar"]·IT["sciogliere"]·jav["Bibar"]·KO["파하자"]·PT["Tendo-se-dissolvido"]·RU["По-окончании"]·ES["disuelta"]·SW["ikiisha"]·TR["çözülmüş"]·urd["اٹھنے-کے-بعد"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
λύω, poetry imperative λῦθι Refs 5th c.BC+future λύσω [ῡ] Refs 8th c.BC+: aorist ἔλῡσα Refs: perfect λέλῠκα Refs 5th c.BC+, etc.:— passive, perfect λέλῠμαι Refs 8th c.BC+, etc.: pluperfect ἐλελύμην [ῠ] Refs 8th c.BC+, etc.: aorist ἐλύθην, Epic dialect λύθην [ῠ] Refs 5th c.BC+: future λῠθήσομαι Refs 5th c.BC+aorist passive λύμην [ῠ] Refs 8th c.BC+; λύτο [ῠRefs; λύντο Refs: also 3rd.pers. singular…