νεκρ-όω G3499
put to death, mortify, make dead or ineffective
To mortify is to put to death or render powerless. Abraham's body was 'as good as dead' (Rom 4:19), yet he believed God's promise. Paul commands, 'Put to death what is earthly in you' (Col 3:5)—mortify sinful desires. Hebrews speaks of Sarah conceiving though she was 'past age,' from one 'as good as dead' (Heb 11:12). The term moves between literal death-state and metaphorical killing of sin. Spanish varies—'ya muerto,' 'haced morir'—between passive state and active command. German 'ertötet' (killed) captures the death-making force.
Senses
1. sense 1 — To make dead, render lifeless, or mortify—either describing a state of deadness or commanding active killing of sin. Romans 4:19 and Hebrews 11:12 use νεκρόω for Abraham's physically 'deadened' reproductive capacity. Colossians 3:5 commands believers to actively 'put to death' earthly passions. The term spans from passive death-state to active mortification. Spanish distinguishes 'ya muerto' (already dead) from 'haced morir' (put to death), while the Greek root covers both passive condition and active killing. 3×
AR["أَميتوا", "المَيِّتَ", "مَمُوتًا"]·ben["তোমরা-মৃত-কর", "মৃতপ্রায়,", "মৃতের-মতো"]·DE["ertoetet"]·EN["having-been-as-good-as-dead", "having-died", "put-to-death"]·FR["mis-à-mort", "mortifier"]·heb["הָמִיתוּ", "כְּמֵת", "מֻמָת"]·HI["मअर-दअलो", "मृत-समान", "मृत-समान,"]·ID["Matikanlah", "hampir-mati,", "yang-mati,"]·IT["mortificare", "nekrōsate", "nenekrōmenou"]·jav["Pejahana", "kados-pejah,", "sampun-kados-pejah"]·KO["좽은-것-같은-이에게서", "죽은", "죽이라"]·PT["Mortificai", "amortecido", "já-amortecido"]·RU["Умертвите", "омертвевшее", "омертвелого"]·ES["Haced-morir", "muerto", "ya-muerto"]·SW["Ueni", "aliye-kama-amekufa", "uliokufa"]·TR["Oldurur", "ölmüş-gibi-olanın", "ölüleşmiş"]·urd["مار-ڈالو", "مردہ-جیسے", "مُردہ-ہوا"]
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
νεκρ-όω, make dead, mortify, μόριόν τι Refs 2nd c.AD+:—passive, νενεκρῶσθαι τὸ μόριον Refs 2nd c.AD+; to be dead, νεκρωθείς Refs; νενεκρωμένος, of the body of Abraham, NT __II metaphorically, mortify, νεκρώσατε τὰ μέλη NT