πνικ-τός G4156
strangled, choked to death; meat from animals killed by strangulation without draining the blood
This adjective describes something strangled or killed by choking, particularly referring to meat from animals not properly slaughtered (i.e., with blood undrained). The Jerusalem council's decree to Gentile believers includes abstaining from food offered to idols, from blood, and from 'what is strangled' (Acts 15:20, 29; 21:25). Jewish law required blood to be drained in slaughter; eating 'strangled' meat violated this principle. The prohibition respects Jewish conscience and maintains unity in the early mixed church.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Multilingual glosses consistently indicate strangled meat: English 'strangled/strangled-things', Spanish 'ahogado/de-estrangulados/estrangulado', French 'asphyxié', German preserves Greek forms πνικτοῦ/πνικτὸν/πνικτῶν. The lexicon defines it as 'strangled' (from πνίγω 'choke') with reference to meat, and notes a secondary meaning of 'air-tight' or 'baked/stewed'. All three NT uses (Acts 15:20, 29; 21:25) are in the Jerusalem council's decree forbidding Gentiles from eating strangled meat (animals not properly slaughtered with blood drained). 3×
AR["الْمَخْنُوقَ", "مَخنوقِ"]·ben["গলাটিপে", "শ্বাসরুদ্ধ-প্রাণীর"]·DE["πνικτοῦ", "πνικτὸν", "πνικτῶν"]·EN["strangled", "strangled-things"]·FR["asphyxié"]·heb["הַ-", "הַנֶּחְנָק", "וְ-"]·HI["गला-घोंटे-से", "गला-घोंटे-हुए-से"]·ID["yang-dicekik"]·IT["soffocato"]·jav["ingkang-dicekik,", "kang-dicekik"]·KO["목-매어-죽인-것과", "목-메어-죽인-것과", "목-졸라-죽인-것과"]·PT["de-estrangulados,", "estrangulado,", "sufocado,"]·RU["удавленины", "удавленины,"]·ES["ahogado", "de-estrangulados", "estrangulado"]·SW["kilichonyongwa", "vilivyonyongwa"]·TR["boğulmuşlardan", "boğulmuştan", "boğulmuşun"]·urd["گلا-گھونٹ", "گلا-گھونٹا-ہوا"]
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
πνικ-τός, ή, όν, strangled, NT __2 air-tight, Refs 2nd c.BC+ adverb -τῶςRefs __II baked or stewed Refs 5th c.BC+