πτῶμα G4430
A dead body, corpse, or carcass; a fallen body left lifeless on the ground.
Derived from the verb 'piptō' (to fall), this noun literally means 'that which has fallen' and came to denote a corpse or carcass. In the New Testament it appears in both singular and plural forms, always referring to a dead human body. It describes John the Baptist's body claimed by his disciples (Matt 14:12; Mark 6:29), the corpse of Jesus requested by Joseph of Arimathea (Mark 15:45), and the two witnesses left unburied in Revelation 11:8-9. The proverbial saying about vultures gathering 'where the corpse is' (Matt 24:28) uses it with grim imagery. Translations across languages are strikingly uniform: Spanish 'cadáver,' French 'cadavre,' German 'Leichnam.'
Senses
1. corpse, dead body — A lifeless human body, a corpse or carcass. The etymological connection to 'piptō' (to fall) is preserved in the word's literal sense of a 'fallen body,' though in NT usage the focus is entirely on death rather than the manner of falling. All major translations converge on a single equivalent: Spanish 'cadáver,' French 'cadavre,' German 'Leichnam.' It covers both dignified burial contexts like the retrieval of John the Baptist's body (Matt 14:12; Mark 6:29) and scenes of desolation such as the unburied witnesses in Revelation 11:8-9. 7×
AR["الجُثَّةَ", "الجُثَّةُ", "جُثَثَهُم", "جُثَّةَ", "جُثَّتَهُ", "جُثَّتَهُم", "جُثَّتُهُم"]·ben["দেহ", "মৃতদেহ", "মৃতদেহগুলো"]·DE["Leichnam", "πτῶμα"]·EN["body", "corpse", "corpses"]·FR["cadavre"]·heb["גְּוִיָּה", "גּוּפָה", "פְּגָרִים", "פֶּגֶר"]·HI["और", "लाश", "लाशों", "शरिर"]·ID["bangkai", "jenazah", "mayat", "mayat-mayat"]·IT["ptoma", "ptōma", "ptōmata"]·jav["bathang", "layon,", "layon-layonipun", "layonipun"]·KO["시체가", "시체들을", "시체를"]·PT["cadáver", "cadáveres", "corpo"]·RU["тело", "труп", "трупы"]·ES["cadáver", "cadáveres", "cuerpo"]·SW["huko", "maiti", "mwili"]·TR["cesedi", "cesedini", "cesetlerini", "leş"]·urd["لاش", "لاشوں"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
πτῶμα, ατος, τό, (πίπτω) fall, πεσεῖν.. πτώματ᾽ οὐκ ἀνασχετά Refs 5th c.BC+; ἡ πόλις οὐκ ἂν ἔπεσε τοιοῦτον π. Refs 5th c.BC+ __b fall in wrestling, Refs 3rd c.BC+: metaphorically, booby-trap, π. φιλοσόφων ἀπαλαιστρότατον Refs 1st c.BC+; lapse, blunder, Refs 2nd c.AD+ __2 metaphorically, misfortune, calamity, τά γ᾽ ἐκ θεῶν πτώματα calamities sent by the gods, Refs 5th c.BC+ __3 plural, injuries…