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ἐκμυκτηρίζω

ekmyktērízō

G1592 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To express contempt by openly mocking or ridiculing; to deride, to sneer at, typically in an overt, dismissive manner. Used to convey the act of demonstrating scorn through facial gestures, especially wrinkling or raising the nose.

Semantic Range

to sneer at, to mock, to treat with open contempt, to deride, to ridicule demonstratively

Root / Etymology

From the prefix ἐκ- (out of) and μυκτηρίζω (to mock, to deride by nose-gesture, from μύκτηρ, 'nostril'). The verb intensified by the prefix conveys a sense of thorough or overt derision.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, μυκτηρίζω referred to deriding someone through a gesture involving the nose, akin to 'snubbing' or making a face to show disdain. The prefix ἐκ- intensifies the action, suggesting an emphatic or public demonstration of scorn. In the New Testament (e.g., Luke 16:14), ἐκμυκτηρίζω describes overt mockery by listeners in response to a statement regarded as foolish or objectionable. The gesture-symbolism (wrinkling or raising the nose) was culturally recognizable as a sign of contempt. Standard English translations like 'mock', 'sneer at', or 'deride' capture the contempt but flatten the vivid physical imagery of the original. The verb is rare in both the Septuagint and early Koine literature, retaining its classical nuance of demonstrative ridicule rather than private or subtle mockery.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from ἐκ and μυκτηρίζω; to sneer outright at:--deride.

Root Family

μυκτηρ- (ekmyktērízō) — to sneer, to deride, to mock (with facial gesture)

Root μυκτηρ- to sneer, to deride, to mock (with facial gesture)

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G1592-01 ἐξεμυκτήριζον exemukterizon V IMPF ACT IND 3P PL derided they were openly sneering they were openly sneering 2

Occurrences in Scripture

2 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G1592-01 Luke 16:14 ἐξεμυκτήριζον exemukterizon V IMPF ACT IND 3P PL were scoffing they were openly sneering they were openly sneering
G1592-01 Luke 23:35 ἐξεμυκτήριζον exemukterizon V IMPF ACT IND 3P PL derided they were openly sneering they were openly sneering
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