τίλλω G5089
to pluck, pull out; specifically to pluck grain heads or pull out hair
The verb describes the action of pulling or plucking out, whether hair (in grief or distress) or grain heads (for eating). The New Testament uses it exclusively for the disciples' action of plucking grain on the Sabbath, an act that sparked controversy about Sabbath observance. Rabbinic law counted this as a form of harvesting, forbidden on the Sabbath, though the disciples likely saw it as permissible casual eating. The incident became a test case for Jesus' teaching on the Sabbath being made for humanity, not the reverse.
Senses
1. sense 1 — All three instances describe the same controversy across the synoptic Gospels: Matthew 12:1, Mark 2:23, and Luke 6:1 each narrate the disciples plucking (tillō) heads of grain as they walked through fields on the Sabbath. The Pharisees challenged this as unlawful Sabbath work, prompting Jesus' response about David eating the showbread and his declaration that "the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath." The multilingual glosses consistently focus on the pulling/plucking action: Spanish arrancar, French arracher, German abreissen. The specific agricultural context (grain heads) distinguishes this from general plucking. 3×
AR["كانَ-يَقطِفونَ", "يَقطِفُونَ", "يَقْطِفونَ"]·ben["ছিঁড়ছিল", "ছিঁড়ছিলেন", "ছিঁড়তে"]·DE["abreissen", "τίλλειν", "ἔτιλλον"]·EN["plucking", "to-pluck", "were-plucking"]·FR["arracher"]·heb["לִקְטֹף", "קָטְפוּ", "תּוֹלְשִׁים"]·HI["तोड़ते-थे", "तोदन", "बालें"]·ID["memetik"]·IT["etillon", "tillein", "tillontes"]·jav["methik", "methiki", "nyabut"]·KO["난았다", "뜺어", "뽑으며"]·PT["colhendo"]·RU["срывали", "срывать", "срывая"]·ES["a-arrancar", "arrancaban", "arrancando"]·SW["kuvunja", "wakivunja", "walivunja"]·TR["kopararak", "koparıp", "koparıyorlardı"]·urd["توڑتے-تھے", "توڑتے-ہوئے", "توڑنا"]
Related Senses
G0846 1. third-person pronoun reference (5552×)H???? 1. (4670×)H6213a 1. do, perform, act (2383×)G4160 1. do, act, perform (473×)H5221 1. Hifil: to strike in battle, smite enemies (362×)H0899b 1. garment, article of clothing (216×)H6213a 2. make, construct, fabricate (148×)H3772 1. cut a covenant / make a pact (97×)H5060 1. touch physically (Qal) (96×)H3615 1. complete a task (Piel) (85×)H3772 2. cut off / destroy (Hifil causative) (81×)H3920 1. capture, seize (Qal) (76×)H???? 12. (76×)H3772 3. be cut off / be eliminated (Niphal) (74×)H6213a 3. be done, be made (Niphal) (73×)G4160 2. make, construct, create (62×)H3847 1. Qal: put on, wear (60×)H8210 1. pour out (liquid/libation) (59×)G2440 1. garment or clothing (general) (54×)H4191 4. kill / put to death (Hifil causative) (50×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
τίλλω, Refs 8th c.BC+future τῐλῶ (ἀπο-) Refs 5th c.BC+: aorist ἔτῑλα Refs 5th c.BC+: perfect τέτιλκα Refs 3rd c.BC+:—middle, Epic dialect imperfect τιλλέσθην Refs 8th c.BC+future τῐλοῦμαι (παρα-) Refs 4th c.BC+:—passive, aorist ἐτίλθην Refs 5th c.BC+aorist ἐτίλην [ῐLXX; 3rd.pers. singular imperative τιλήτωι Refs 3rd c.AD+; participle τειλείς (i.e. τιλ-) Refs 3rd c.AD+: perfect τέτιλμαι LXX+6th…