προσκόπτω G4350
To stumble, strike against; literally of physical collision, figuratively of spiritual offense or failure
The verb proskopto carries the concrete image of striking one's foot against a stone, an image the devil himself quotes from Psalm 91:12 when tempting Jesus at the pinnacle of the temple (Matt 4:6; Luke 4:11). From this physical root grows a rich figurative usage: Israel 'stumbled' over the stone of offense (Rom 9:32), believers are cautioned not to cause a brother to stumble (Rom 14:21), and walking in spiritual darkness leads to stumbling (John 11:9-10). The multilingual translations helpfully split along this line — Spanish uses 'tropieces' for physical striking but 'tropezaron' for the metaphorical sense.
Senses
1. stumble (metaphorical/spiritual) — To stumble or take offense in a metaphorical or spiritual sense, indicating failure to accept truth, falling into sin, or encountering an obstacle on the path of faith. This is the dominant New Testament usage, appearing five times. In John 11:9-10 Jesus uses the imagery of walking in daylight versus darkness to distinguish those who stumble spiritually from those who walk securely. Romans 9:32 describes Israel stumbling over the 'stone of stumbling' (lithos proskommatos), and 1 Peter 2:8 echoes this with those who stumble because they disobey the word. Romans 14:21 turns the concept ethical: do not cause your brother to stumble. Spanish 'tropezaron/tropiezan' and German 'anstossen' consistently map to figurative collision with an obstacle. 5×
AR["عَثَرُوا","يَعثُرونَ","يَعْثُرُ"]·ben["তারা-ঠোকর-খেল","বাধা-খায়,","হোঁচট-খায়"]·DE["anstossen"]·EN["he-stumbles","stumble","stumbles","they-stumbled"]·FR["heurter"]·heb["נִכְשְׁלוּ","נִכְשָׁל","נִכְשָׁלִים"]·HI["ठोकर-खाई","ठोकर-खाए","ठोकर-खाता","ठोकर-खाता-है","ठोकर-खाते-हैं"]·ID["ia-tersandung","mereka-tersandung","tersandung","tersandung,"]·IT["inciampare","proskoptousin"]·jav["kasandhung","kesandhung","kesandhung,"]·KO["걸려-넘어진다","넘어지지","넘어진다","부딪쳤다","부딪치니"]·PT["Tropeçaram","tropeça,","tropeçam"]·RU["преткнулись","претыкаются","спотыкается"]·ES["tropezaron","tropieza","tropiezan"]·SW["anajikwaa,","anakwaa","hakwai","walijikwaa","wanajikwaa"]·TR["sendelerler","tökezlediler","tökezler"]·urd["وہ-ٹھوکر-گرے","ٹھوکر-کھائے","ٹھوکر-کھاتا","ٹھوکر-کھاتا-ہے","ٹھوکر-کھاتے-ہیں"]
2. strike against (physical) — To strike one thing against another in a literal, physical sense — the foot against a stone, or waves against a house. In Matt 4:6 and Luke 4:11, the devil quotes Psalm 91:12 promising angelic protection 'lest you strike your foot against a stone,' and in Matt 7:27 the floods and winds 'beat against' the house built on sand. Spanish distinguishes this clearly with 'tropieces' (you might trip) and 'golpearon' (they battered), while the French 'heurter' captures the percussive physical impact in both passages. 3×
AR["تَصطَدِمَ","تَصْدِمَ","ضَرَبَتْ"]·ben["ঠোকর-খাও","ঠোক্র-খাও","ধাক্কা-দিয়েছিল"]·DE["προσέκοψαν","προσκόψῃς"]·EN["beat-against","you-strike"]·FR["heurter"]·heb["הִתְנַגְּשׁוּ","תִּגֹּף"]·HI["टकराई","ठोकर-खाए"]·ID["Engkau-membenturkan","menghantam","tersandung"]·IT["inciampare"]·jav["kesandhung","nabrak"]·KO["부딪치리라","부딪히지-않도록","쳤다"]·PT["bateram-contra","tropeces"]·RU["преткнёшься","ударились"]·ES["golpearon","tropieces"]·SW["ugonge","ukajikwaa","zika-ipiga"]·TR["vurdular","çarparın","çarpmayasın"]·urd["ٹکرائیں","ٹھوکر-کھائے"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
προσκόπτω, strike one thing against another, πρὸς λίθον τὸν πόδα LXX+5th c.BC+ __b intransitive, stumble or strike against, τινι Refs 5th c.BC+; π. τῷ ὀφθαλμῷ (i.e. ῥίζῃ κυάμου) Refs 4th c.BC+; of liquid, to be checked by striking against, with dative, Refs 1st c.AD+; πνεῦμα προσκόπτον broken, interrupted breathing, Refs 5th c.BC+ __2 π. τῷ ἄξονι encounter friction at.. , Refs 4th c.BC+ __II…