ἔπνιγεν
pnígō
took by the throat
to press tightly around the neck, causing restricted breathing or suffocation; to strangle, throttle, or choke. In broader contexts, to suffocate, either by constriction or by other means (such as gasping, drowning, or pressure upon the windpipe). By extension, to suppress, stifle, or crowd out (as in the parable of the sower, describing thorns that choke plants). The core sense is physical restriction of breath, but the term can refer to both literal and figurative suffocation or overwhelming pressure.
Matthew 18:28 · Word #19
Lexicon G4155
| Lemma | πνίγω |
| Transliteration | pnígō |
| Strong's | G4155 |
| Definition | to press tightly around the neck, causing restricted breathing or suffocation; to strangle, throttle, or choke. In broader contexts, to suffocate, either by constriction or by other means (such as gasping, drowning, or pressure upon the windpipe). By extension, to suppress, stifle, or crowd out (as in the parable of the sower, describing thorns that choke plants). The core sense is physical restriction of breath, but the term can refer to both literal and figurative suffocation or overwhelming pressure. |
Morphology V IMPF ACT IND 3P SG
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | V — Verb — An action or state of being |
| Tense | IMPF — Imperfect — Continuous or repeated past action |
| Voice | ACT — Active — The subject performs the action |
| Mood | IND — Indicative — States a fact or reality |
| Person | 3P — 3rd person — The one spoken about ("he/she/it/they") |
| Number | SG — Singular — One |
Common Translation
| Phrase | took by the throat |
| Literal | was-choking |
Lexical Info
| Lemma | πνίγω |
| Strong's | G4155 |
SIBI-P1 Translation G4155-01
was choking
| Morphological Notes | Verb; imperfect tense, active voice, indicative mood, 3rd person singular — denotes ongoing or repeated past action performed by the subject. |
| Rendering Rationale | The imperfect active indicative, third person singular, denotes an ongoing or repeated action in past time. "Was choking" preserves the core sense of restricting breath while reflecting the continuous past aspect of the imperfect. |
View full lexicon entry for G4155 →
SILEX v2
SIBI-P2 (Context-Aware)
was choking
| Same as P1 | Yes |
| Rationale | 'Was choking' accurately conveys the imperfect tense in this context and follows P1. |