Biblical Lexicon

πῐέζω G4084

V-APA-NMS | 12× in 2 senses

To seize or apprehend a person by force; also to catch fish or game.

In the New Testament this verb almost always carries the force of seizing or arresting someone, appearing prominently in John's Gospel where the authorities repeatedly try to lay hands on Jesus (John 7:30, 32, 44; 8:20; 10:39). The Spanish consistently renders it with prender or apresar, underscoring the legal-hostile overtone. In its secondary sense the word returns to its older, more concrete meaning of catching fish, as when the disciples haul in their catch at the Sea of Tiberias (John 21:3, 10). Both senses share the core idea of seizing something that resists or eludes the grasp.

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Senses

1. seize, arrest, apprehend — To seize, arrest, or apprehend a person, typically in contexts of hostile or legal action. This is the dominant NT usage, concentrated in John's Gospel where Jewish authorities attempt to arrest Jesus. The Spanish apresar/prender and German ergreifen/greifen confirm the forceful, adversarial nuance. Key passages: John 7:30, 7:32, 10:39. 10×

PHYSICAL_ACTION › Attachment › Seizing and Snatching

AR["أَن-يَقبِضوا", "قَابِضًا", "قَبَضَ", "قُبِضَ", "لِيَقْبِضَ", "لِيَقْبِضُوا", "مُمْسِكًا", "يَقْبِضُوا"]·ben["গ্রেপ্তার-করেন", "ধরতে", "ধরল-না", "ধরা-পড়ল", "ধরে", "ধরে-তারা"]·DE["ergreift", "greifen"]·EN["having-seized", "seized", "they-might-seize", "to-seize", "was-seized"]·FR["saisir"]·heb["אָחַז", "יִתְפְּסוּ", "לִ-תְפֹשׂ", "לִתְפֹּס", "נִתְפְּשָׂה", "שֶׁיִתְפְּסוּ", "תָּפַס"]·HI["पकड़कर", "पकड़ना", "पकड़ने", "पकड़ने-को,", "पकड़ा", "पकड़ा-गया", "पकड़ें"]·ID["ditangkap", "memegang", "menangkap", "untuk-menangkap"]·IT["afferrare", "arrestare", "epiasthē"]·jav["dipun-cepeng", "nyekel,", "nyepeng", "nyepeng,", "piyambakipun-sedaya-nyepeng"]·KO["붙잡으려고", "잡아", "잡아서", "잡으려고", "잡지-않았다", "잡혔다"]·PT["foi-presa", "o-prendeu", "para-prender-me", "prender", "prendessem", "tendo-o-agarrado"]·RU["взяв", "схватил", "схватили", "схватить", "схватить,", "схвачен"]·ES["fue-apresada", "habiendo-tomado", "para-prender", "prendan", "prender", "prendiendo", "prendieran", "prendió"]·SW["akakamatwa", "akimkamata,", "akimshika", "alimkamata", "kumkamata", "kunishika", "wamkamate"]·TR["tutmadı", "tutmayı", "tutsunlar", "tutuklasınlar", "tutuklayan", "yakalamak", "yakalandı", "yakalayıp"]·urd["پکڑ-کر", "پکڑا-نہیں", "پکڑا-گیا", "پکڑنا", "پکڑنے-کو", "پکڑیں"]

John 7:30, John 7:32, John 7:44, John 8:20, John 10:39, John 11:57, Acts 3:7, Acts 12:4, 2 Cor 11:32, Rev 19:20

2. catch (fish or game) — To catch fish or game, a concrete application of the root idea of seizing something that eludes one's grasp. Found exclusively in the post-resurrection fishing narrative (John 21:3, 10), where the Spanish pescaron ('they fished') and English 'caught' highlight the shift from legal arrest to physical capture of animals. 2×

PHYSICAL_ACTION › Attachment › Seizing and Snatching

AR["أَمْسَكوا", "أَمْسَكْتُمْ"]·ben["ধরলেন", "ধরেছ"]·DE["greifen"]·EN["they-caught", "you-caught"]·FR["saisir"]·heb["תְּפַשְׂתֶּם", "תָּפְשׂוּ"]·HI["पकड़ा", "पकड़ीं"]·ID["kamu-tangkap", "menangkap"]·IT["arrestare"]·jav["nyepeng", "panjenengan-panjenengan-nyepeng"]·KO["잡았다"]·PT["pegaram", "pegastes"]·RU["поймали"]·ES["pescaron"]·SW["hawakupata", "mmepata"]·TR["tuttular", "tuttunuz"]·urd["پکڑا", "پکڑیں"]

John 21:3, John 21:10

BDB / Lexicon Reference

πῐέζω, imperfect ἐπίεζον, Epic dialect πίεζον Refs 8th c.BC+: future πιέσω Refs 4th c.BC+; Epic dialect πιέσσω Refs 4th c.AD+: aorist ἐπίεσα Refs 5th c.BC+ (but subjunctive πιέξῃς Refs 5th c.BC+, infinitive πιέξαι Refs 4th c.BC+participle πιέξας (variant{πιάξας}) Refs 2nd c.BC+: perfect πεπίεκα Refs 2nd c.BC+:—passive, future πιεσθήσομαι Refs 2nd c.AD+ (δια-), Heliod cited in Refs 4th c.AD+:…