πνίγ-ω G4155
to choke, to strangle, to suffocate; to deprive of breath or life by constriction
This verb means to choke, throttle, or strangle—to cut off breath. In Jesus' parable, thorns grew up and 'choked' the seed (Matt 13:7). In Matthew's parable of the unforgiving servant, the man grabs his fellow servant and begins to 'choke' him, demanding repayment (Matt 18:28). When demons drove the swine into the sea, they 'were drowned' (Mark 5:13). The word vividly depicts suffocation, whether by throttling, drowning, or being crowded out by thorns—physical or spiritual asphyxiation.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Cross-linguistic evidence emphasizes suffocation: English 'choked/was-choking/were-drowned', Spanish 'las-ahogaron/le-ahogaba/se-ahogaban', French 'étouffer', German preserves Greek forms ἐπνίγοντο/ἔπνιγεν/ἔπνιξαν. The lexicon defines it as 'choke, throttle, strangle' with passive meaning 'to be choked, stifled'. Matt 13:7 describes thorns choking plants. Matt 18:28 depicts a man throttling his debtor. Mark 5:13 describes demon-possessed swine drowning. All three involve cutting off life by constriction, whether botanical crowding, manual strangling, or drowning. 3×
AR["خَنَقَتهَا", "غَرِقَتْ", "كَانَ-يَخْنُقُهُ"]·ben["গলা-টিপছিল", "চেপে-ফেলল", "ডুবে-মরল"]·DE["ἐπνίγοντο", "ἔπνιγεν", "ἔπνιξαν"]·EN["choked", "was-choking", "were-drowned"]·FR["étouffer"]·heb["חָנְקוּ", "חָנַק", "טָבְעוּ"]·HI["गल-दबत-थ", "दबअ-दियअ"]·ID["mati-lemas", "mencekik"]·IT["epnigen", "epnigonto", "epnixan"]·jav["kelelep", "nyekek", "nyekik"]·KO["목-조르며", "익사하고-있었다", "질식시켰다"]·PT["afogavam-se", "sufocaram"]·RU["душил", "заглушили", "утонули"]·ES["las-ahogaron", "le-ahogaba", "se-ahogaban"]·SW["alimsonga", "ilisonga", "walizama"]·TR["boğdular", "boğuluyorlardı", "boğuyordu"]·urd["دبا-دیا", "ڈوبتے-تھے", "گلا-گھونٹ-رہا-تھا"]
Related Senses
H4421 1. war, battle, armed conflict (319×)H0341 1. enemy, adversary, foe (284×)H3898a 1. Nifal: to fight, wage war (167×)H2026 1. kill, slay (active) (146×)H2451 1. wisdom, discernment (146×)H5483b 1. horse (the animal) (138×)H0006 1. to perish, be destroyed (105×)H7843 1. Hifil: destroy, annihilate (83×)H2491a 1. slain, fatally pierced (74×)H6862c 1. adversary, enemy, foe (69×)H8045 1. destroy, exterminate (69×)G0615 1. kill, put to death (60×)H6571b 1. horseman, cavalryman (52×)H8077a 1. desolation, waste (abstract state) (52×)G4678 1. of wisdom (51×)G4717 1. crucify, fasten to a cross (46×)H2763a 1. utterly destroy (Hifil active) (44×)G0622 1. perish, be destroyed (intransitive) (41×)H0006 2. to destroy, annihilate (Piel) (38×)H8074 1. be desolate, lie waste (36×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
πνίγ-ω [ῑ], Refs 5th c.BC+: imperfect ἔπνῑγον Refs 5th c.BC+future πνίξω (ἀπο-) Refs 5th c.BC+; Doric dialect 2nd pers. plural future πνιξεῖσθε Refs 5th c.BC+aorist ἔπνιξα, imperative πνῖξον, Refs 5th c.BC+:—passive, future πνῐγήσομαι Refs 5th c.BC+aorist ἐπνίχθην (ἀπ-) Refs 2nd c.AD+; but ἐπνίγην [ῐ] Refs 5th c.BC+perfect πέπνιγμαι, see #11.—The simple verb is less frequently than the compound…