πτύω G4429
to spit, spit out; to expel saliva from the mouth
This verb means to spit or expel saliva from the mouth. Classical usage included both literal spitting and metaphorical expressions of contempt. The New Testament uses it exclusively in healing narratives where Jesus uses saliva as part of the healing process. Rather than contempt, the biblical usage associates spitting with Jesus' compassionate healing power.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Describes Jesus spitting as part of healing actions. Mark 7:33 states that Jesus 'spat and touched his tongue' when healing the deaf man. Mark 8:23 records Jesus healing a blind man: 'having spat on his eyes and laid his hands on him.' John 9:6 describes similar action: 'having said these things, he spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva.' The Spanish 'escupió/habiendo-escupido' and French 'cracher' are straightforward physical descriptions. Jesus' use of saliva in healing was culturally significant—in an era when saliva was thought to have medicinal properties, Jesus transforms a common substance into an instrument of divine healing. 3×
AR["بَصَقَ", "تَفَلَ"]·ben["তিনি-থুতু-দিলেন", "থুথু-দিয়ে"]·DE["speien"]·EN["he-spat", "spitting"]·FR["cracher"]·heb["יָרַק"]·HI["थूककर", "थूका"]·ID["meludah", "setelah-meludah"]·IT["eptusen", "ptusas"]·jav["ngidu", "sasampunipun-ngidoni", "sasampunipun-ngidoni,"]·KO["침-뱉고", "침을-뱉으셨다"]·PT["cuspindo", "cuspiu"]·RU["плюнув", "плюнул"]·ES["escupió", "habiendo-escupido"]·SW["akitema-mate", "alitema-mate"]·TR["tükürdü", "tükürüp"]·urd["تھوک-کر", "تھوکا"]
Related Senses
H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)H8085 1. Qal: hear, perceive aurally (921×)H0859a 1. you (2nd person masculine singular pronoun) (743×)H0398 1. eat (consume food) (697×)H4191 1. die (Qal: natural/general death) (645×)G3708 1. see, perceive visually (419×)G0191 1. hear, perceive sound (360×)H???? 3. (352×)G3708 2. behold, look (exclamatory) (256×)H7272 1. foot (body part) (236×)H8354 1. drink, consume liquid (209×)H3205 1. Qal active: bear/give birth (female subject) (204×)H3205 2. Qal active: beget/father (male subject) (198×)H2421 1. Qal: live, be alive (177×)H8085 2. Qal: listen, heed, pay attention (172×)H2416a 1. alive, living (state/attribute) (146×)H2416e 1. life, lifespan, lifetime (145×)G2198 1. be alive, have life (133×)H8193 1. lip, lips (body part) (123×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
πτύω, Refs 8th c.BC+future πτύσω [ῠ] Refs 5th c.BC+; πτύσομαι Refsaorist ἔπτῠσαRefs 5th c.BC+: perfect ἔπτῠκα Refs 2nd c.AD+ —passive, future πτυσθήσομαι (ἀνα-) NT: aorist ἐπτύσθην Refs 5th c.BC+: aorist 2 participle πτυέντα Refs. [ῡ in present and imperfect; later Epic dialect have ῠ in imperfect before a short syllable, Refs 4th c.AD+, but mostly in compounds, (ἀνα-) Refs 3rd c.BC+; ῠ always in…