φον-εύω G5407
phoneuō -- to murder, to commit unlawful killing; the verb behind the Sixth Commandment prohibition
The verb phoneuō ('commit murder') denotes the unlawful, deliberate taking of human life, distinguished in Greek moral thought from lawful killing in war (apokteinō being the broader term). Its New Testament profile is shaped by the Decalogue: 'You shall not murder' (Matt 5:21; 19:18; Mark 10:19; Luke 18:20; Rom 13:9; James 2:11). Jesus deepens the commandment in the Sermon on the Mount, declaring that anger itself makes one 'liable to judgment' just as the murderer is (Matt 5:21-22). James deploys it in sharp social critique -- 'You murder and covet' (James 4:2) -- and 'you have condemned and murdered the righteous person' (James 5:6). The word thus spans legal prohibition, moral intensification, and prophetic accusation. Spanish matar, French tuer, and German toeten render it as a single sense throughout.
Senses
1. commit murder — To commit unlawful murder, the verb of the Sixth Commandment. Cited in Decalogue quotations (Matt 5:21; 19:18; Rom 13:9; James 2:11), deepened by Jesus to include anger (Matt 5:21-22), and wielded as prophetic indictment by James (James 4:2; 5:6). Spanish matar, French tuer, and German toeten treat all occurrences as one undivided sense of unlawful killing. 12×
AR["تَقتُل", "تَقتُلونَ", "تَقتُلُ", "تَقتُلْ", "تَقْتُلْ", "قَتَلتُم", "قَتَلتُموهُ", "قَتَلَةِ", "يَقْتُلْ"]·ben["তোমরা-হত্যা-করেছিলে", "হত্যা-কর", "হত্যা-করবে", "হত্যা-করবে,", "হত্যা-করবে;", "হত্যা-করে,", "হত্যা-করেছো", "হত্যা-করো", "হত্যাকারীদের"]·DE["toeten", "φονευσάντων", "φονεύσεις", "φονεύσῃ", "φονεύσῃς", "ἐφονεύσατε"]·EN["having-murdered", "murders", "you-murder", "you-murdered", "you-shall-murder", "you-will-murder"]·FR["tuer"]·heb["יִרְצָח", "רְצַחְתֶּם", "רוֹצְחִים", "רוֹצְחֵי", "רוֹצֵחַ", "תִּרְצַח", "תִּרְצָח"]·HI["मार-डाला", "हत्य-करेग", "हत्या-कर", "हत्या-करते-हो", "हत्या-करनेवालों", "हत्या-करे", "हत्या-करेगा", "हत्या-करो", "हत्या-किया"]·ID["kamu-bunuh", "kamu-membunuh", "kamu-membunuh,", "membunuh", "membunuh,", "membunuh.", "yang-membunuh"]·IT["ephoneusate", "phoneueis", "phoneuete", "phoneusēs", "uccidere"]·jav["Panjenengan-mboten-badhé-melik,", "ingkang-mejahi", "mejahi", "mejahi.", "mejahi;", "mrejaya", "panjenengan-mejahi,", "panjenengan-pejahi"]·KO["살인하고", "살인하라", "살인하면", "살인하지", "살인하지-말라", "살인하지-말라.", "죽였다", "죽였다,", "죽인-자들-의"]·PT["matais", "matar", "matareis,", "matarás", "matarás;", "matas", "mates"]·RU["вы-убили,", "не-", "убиваете", "убиваешь", "убивай", "убивай.", "убивших", "убий;", "убили", "убьёт"]·ES["matarás", "matas", "matasteis", "mate", "mates", "matáis", "que-mataron"]·SW["-", "Usiibe", "atakayeua", "kati-ya", "mmemuua", "mnaua", "ue", "ue,", "unaua", "uue"]·TR["adam-öldüreceksin", "adam-öldürürsen", "öldür", "öldürdünüz", "öldüreceksin", "öldürenlerin", "öldürme", "öldürürse", "öldürürsünüz"]·urd["تم-نے-مارا", "خون-کرتے", "خون-کرو۔", "قتل-کر", "قتل-کرتے-ہو", "قتل-کرنا", "قتل-کرے", "قتل-کرے-گا", "قتل-کیا٬", "مارنے-والوں-کے"]
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
φον-εύω, murder, kill, τινα Refs 5th c.BC+; with double accusative, [φόνον] φ. τινά Refs 5th c.BC+:—passive, to be slain, Refs 5th c.BC+ __2 of an animal, ἐὰν.. ζῷον.. τι φονεύσῃ τινά Refs 5th c.BC+ __3 stain with blood, φασγάνῳ δέρην Refs 5th c.BC+