πορθ-έω G4199
to destroy, ravage, or devastate utterly; often used of violent attacks on communities or institutions
This verb describes violent destruction and devastation, particularly of cities, institutions, or communities. In classical Greek it was used for military ravaging and plundering. The New Testament employs it specifically for Saul's violent persecution of the early church before his conversion. The Spanish, French, and German glosses consistently emphasize the destructive force, while the English participles capture the ongoing and completed aspects of the devastation Paul inflicted on the believing community.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Used exclusively in Acts and Galatians to describe Saul/Paul's pre-conversion campaign of violent persecution against the church. The imperfect tense forms (Acts 9:21, Gal 1:13, 1:23) emphasize the sustained, aggressive nature of his attacks. The multilingual evidence uniformly points to wholesale destruction—not mere harassment but systematic devastation of the Christian community in Jerusalem. The aorist participle in one instance captures the completed devastation that made Paul's later preaching of the faith so astonishing to observers. 3×
AR["أُدَمِّرُها", "كانَ-يُدَمِّرُهُ", "مُخَرِّبُ"]·ben["ধ্বংস-করত।", "ধ্বংস-করতাম", "ধ্বংস-করেছিল"]·DE["πορθήσας", "ἐπόρθει", "ἐπόρθουν"]·EN["I-was-destroying", "having-destroyed", "he-was-destroying"]·FR["détruire", "ἐπόρθει", "ἐπόρθουν"]·heb["הֶחֱרִיב", "הֶחֱרַבְתִּי"]·HI["उजाड़ा", "नअश-करत-थ.", "मैन-नअश-करत-थ"]·ID["aku-merusakkannya", "dia-merusakkan", "yang-membinasakan"]·IT["devastare", "eporthei", "eporthoun"]·jav["dipun-risak.", "kula-ngrisak", "ngrisak"]·KO["파괴한-자-가", "파괴했노라", "파괴했던."]·PT["a-devastava", "devastava", "que-devastava"]·RU["разорявший", "разорял"]·ES["devastaba", "la-devastaba", "que-destruyó"]·SW["aliyeharibu", "aliyoiharibu", "nililiharibu"]·TR["harap-eden", "harap-ediyordu", "harap-ediyordum"]·urd["تباہ-کرتا-تھا", "تباہ-کرنے-والا"]
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
πορθ-έω, collateral form of πέρθω (more used in Prose), destroy, ravage, plunder, πόλεας καὶ τείχεα Refs 8th c.BC+:—passive, πᾶν τὸ ἄστυ ἐπορθέετο Refs 5th c.BC+is carried off, Refs 5th c.BC+ __2 in present and imperfect, sometimes endeavour to destroy, besiege a town, Refs 5th c.BC+ __3 of persons, destroy, ruin, θεοὺς τοὺς ἐγγενεῖς Refs 5th c.BC+: absolutely, do havoc, Refs: especially in…