μασσάομαι G3145
μασάομαι — to chew, gnaw, or bite, especially with the teeth
This verb appears in Revelation 16:10, describing people gnawing their tongues in anguish during the fifth bowl judgment. The middle voice form emphasizes the reflexive action — they chewed their own tongues. This graphic detail portrays extreme pain causing involuntary physical response, yet John notes they still refused to repent. The image evokes both literal physiological reaction to torment and metaphorical self-inflicted suffering. Despite such intense judgment meant to provoke repentance, hardened hearts persist in blasphemy rather than turning to God.
Senses
1. sense 1 — The imperfect middle/passive third plural 'they were gnawing' describes ongoing action during the plague. The cross-linguistic evidence (Spanish 'mordían,' French 'mâcher') confirms the visceral physicality of this judgment response, an involuntary reaction to suffering that paradoxically coexists with willful persistence in rebellion against God. 1×
AR["عَضّوا"]·ben["চিবাচ্ছিল"]·DE["kauen"]·EN["they-gnawed"]·FR["mâcher"]·heb["נָשְׁכוּ"]·HI["वे-चबा-रहे-थे"]·ID["mereka-menggigit"]·IT["emasōnto"]·jav["nyakoti"]·KO["씀었으니"]·PT["mordiam"]·RU["кусали"]·ES["mordían"]·SW["walijitafuna"]·TR["çiğniyorlardı"]·urd["چباتے-تھے"]
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
μασσάομαι, μασί-σσημα, μασί-σσησις, μασι-σσητήρ, incorrectly written for μασάομαι, etc. μάσσεται, see at {μαίομαι}.