σφᾰγ-ή G4967
slaughter, killing; violent death, especially of sacrificial victims or those killed in judgment
A noun meaning slaughter, killing, or violent death—particularly of sacrificial animals or those condemned to die. It appears in the Ethiopian eunuch's scroll: 'like a sheep led to slaughter' (Acts 8:32, quoting Isaiah 53:7), Paul quoting 'for your sake we are killed all day long, regarded as sheep for slaughter' (Rom 8:36, from Psalm 44:22), and James condemning the rich: 'you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter' (Jas 5:5). The word evokes sacrificial victims, throats cut, blood poured out—innocence destroyed.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Uniform: English 'slaughter/of slaughter', Spanish 'matadero/de matanza', French 'massacre', German 'Schlachtung'. All three NT uses employ the metaphor of sheep to slaughter: Christ as the suffering servant (Acts 8:32), believers killed for faithfulness (Rom 8:36), and the wealthy unconsciously fattening themselves for divine judgment (Jas 5:5). The imagery is visceral—helpless victims, violent death, blood spilled. 3×
AR["الذَّبحِ", "ذَبْحٍ", "لِلذَّبْحِ"]·ben["জবাইয়ের", "বধের"]·DE["Schlachtung", "σφαγὴν"]·EN["of-slaughter", "slaughter"]·FR["massacre"]·heb["טֶבַח", "שְׁחִיטָה"]·HI["वध", "वध-की", "वध-के"]·ID["penyembelihan", "penyembelihan;", "sembelihan."]·IT["macello", "sphagēs"]·jav["pejah", "penyembelihan", "penyembelèhan;"]·KO["도살-에게", "도살의", "도살의;"]·PT["de-matadouro.", "matadouro"]·RU["заклание", "заклания;"]·ES["de-matanza", "matadero"]·SW["kuchinjwa", "wa-kuchinjwa", "ya-kuchinja"]·TR["kesime", "kesimin"]·urd["ذبح-کی", "ذبح-کی۔", "ذبح؛"]
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
σφᾰγ-ή, ἡ, slaughter; the singular is frequently in Refs 5th c.BC+; ἕστηκε.. μῆλα πρὸς σφαγὰς πυρός ready for the sacrificial fire, Refs 4th c.BC+; πολυθύτους τεύχειν σ. to offer many sacrifices, Refs 5th c.BC+: also in Prose, ὑπὸ σφαγῆς Refs 5th c.BC+; σφαγὰς τῶν γνωρίμων ποιήσαντεςRefs 5th c.BC+ __2 with collateral sense of a wound, αἷμα τῶν ἐμῶν σ. Refs 5th c.BC+; ἐκφυσιῶν.. αἵματος σφαγήν the…