συμπνίγω G4846
To choke, crowd around so as to press or suffocate; used of thorns choking seed and crowds pressing a person.
Literally meaning to squeeze together until breath is cut off, this verb appears almost exclusively in Jesus' parable of the sower and its interpretations. Thorns grow up and 'choke' the seed, preventing it from bearing fruit (Matt 13:22; Mark 4:7, 19; Luke 8:14). Luke also uses it for the physical pressing of the crowd around Jesus (Luke 8:42). The Spanish 'ahogar' (to drown or suffocate) vividly communicates the life-extinguishing force of the image, whether literal crowding or the figurative smothering of the word by worldly cares.
Senses
1. sense 1 — To choke or press closely so as to suffocate growth or movement. In the Synoptic parables, thorns 'choke' the sown word, a powerful image for how anxieties and riches smother spiritual fruitfulness (Matt 13:22; Mark 4:7, 19; Luke 8:14). Luke 8:42 extends the physical sense to a crowd pressing in on Jesus so tightly he could barely move. Spanish 'ahogar' and French 'étouffer' both emphasize the suffocating, life-suppressing force. The single sense covers both literal crowding and figurative spiritual choking. 5×
AR["تَخْنُقُ", "خَنَقَهُ", "زاحَمَتهُ", "يَختَنِقونَ", "يَخنُقُ"]·ben["চাপছিল", "চেপে-ফেলে", "শ্বাসরুদ্ধ-হয়", "শ্বাসরোধ-করল", "শ্বাসরোধ-করে"]·DE["ersticken", "συμπνίγει", "συμπνίγονται", "συνέπνιγον"]·EN["are-choked", "choke", "choked", "chokes", "were-pressing-upon"]·FR["étouffer"]·heb["חָנְקוּ", "חוֹנְקוֹת", "חוֹנֶקֶת", "לָחֲצוּ", "נֶחְנָקִים"]·HI["और", "दबअ-देतअ-है", "दबा-दिया", "दबाती-थी", "दबे-जाते-हैं"]·ID["dicekik", "mencekik", "menghimpit"]·IT["soffocare"]·jav["dipun-sekek", "nyedhaki", "nyekek", "nyelaki"]·KO["누르고-있었다", "막히고", "질식시킨다", "함께-누르며-막는다", "함께-누르며-막았다"]·PT["o-apertavam", "sufoca", "sufocam", "sufocaram", "são-sufocados"]·RU["заглушает", "заглушают", "заглушаются", "заглушили", "теснили"]·ES["ahogan", "ahogaron", "lo-apretaban", "son-ahogados"]·SW["ikaisonga", "unasonga", "walimsonga", "wanasongwa", "zinalisonga"]·TR["boğar", "boğdu", "boğulurlar,", "boğuyorlar", "sıkıştırıyorlardı"]·urd["دب-جاتے-ہیں", "دبا-دیا", "دبا-دیتا-ہے", "دبا-دیتی-ہیں", "دبایا"]
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
συμπνίγω [ῑ], press closely, of crowds, τινα NT; σ. τὸ σπέρμα choke it, NT:—passive, δένδρα συμπνιγόμενα Refs 4th c.BC+; οἱ ἄνθρακες συμπνίγονται are damped down, Refs 5th c.BC+ __2 in passive, to be drowned, of the Gadarene swine, Refs 3rd c.AD+