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θάπτω

tháptō

G2290 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To bury a dead body, i.e., to perform the prescribed rites of burial; generally, to inter a corpse in the ground, tomb, or grave. The term primarily denotes the act of placing a dead body in its final resting place, but also encompasses associated funerary customs and rituals related to mourning and honoring the deceased.

Semantic Range

to bury a corpse, to inter, to perform funeral rites, to lay to rest

Root / Etymology

From the root θάπτ-, related to the act of burial or funerary rites. The precise origin is unclear but is attested already in Homeric Greek, where it carries the same basic meaning.

Historical & Contextual Notes

θάπτω is attested from Homeric Greek onward, where it consistently refers to the act of burial or interment. In classical contexts, the word often relates to the carrying out of culturally required funeral rites, which could involve cremation or inhumation, depending on period and locale. In the Hellenistic and Roman periods and in Koine, including the Septuagint and New Testament, θάπτω retains the primary sense of interment, generally involving placing the body in a grave, cave, or tomb; cremation is not typically implied for Judean or early Christian contexts. The word can refer both to the physical act of burying and the broader process of performing funerary rites. In New Testament narratives, θάπτω is used of the burial of significant figures, where the action carries social and religious implications. Standard English translations usually render θάπτω as 'bury,' though this may not fully capture the inclusion of funerary rites and customs inherent in the term in Greek cultures.

Translation Consistency

primary "bury" 4 occurrences

“Bury” is the natural, common English verb that best matches the primary sense—placing a corpse in its final resting place—and covers related funerary actions. It is the most frequent rendering in the P2 data and is more natural than the more formal “inter” while still allowing inflected forms for tense/person.

Alternatives (7 occurrences):
"buried" (6x) "who buried" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primary verb; to celebrate funeral rites, i.e. inter:--bury.

Root Family

θάπτω (thaptō) — to bury, to perform funeral rites, to inter, to lay to rest

Root θάπτ- to bury, to perform funeral rites

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G2290-03 θάψαι thapsai V AOR ACT INF to bury to bury to bury 4
G2290-01 ἐτάφη etaphe V AOR PASS IND 3P SG was buried was buried was buried 3
G2290-02 ἔθαψαν ethapsan V AOR ACT IND 3P PL buried they buried they buried 3
G2290-04 θαψάντων thapsanton V AOR ACT PTCP GEN M PL who have buried of those who buried who buried 1

Occurrences in Scripture

11 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G2290-03 Matthew 8:21 θάψαι thapsai V AOR ACT INF to bury to bury to bury
G2290-03 Matthew 8:22 θάψαι thapsai V AOR ACT INF to bury to bury to bury
G2290-02 Matthew 14:12 ἔθαψαν ethapsan V AOR ACT IND 3P PL buried they buried they buried
G2290-03 Luke 9:59 θάψαι thapsai V AOR ACT INF bury to bury to bury
G2290-03 Luke 9:60 θάψαι thapsai V AOR ACT INF to bury to bury to bury
G2290-01 Luke 16:22 ἐτάφη etaphe V AOR PASS IND 3P SG was buried was buried was buried
G2290-01 Acts 2:29 ἐτάφη etaphe V AOR PASS IND 3P SG was buried was buried was buried
G2290-02 Acts 5:6 ἔθαψαν ethapsan V AOR ACT IND 3P PL buried him they buried they buried
G2290-04 Acts 5:9 θαψάντων thapsanton V AOR ACT PTCP GEN M PL who have buried of those who buried who buried
G2290-02 Acts 5:10 ἔθαψαν ethapsan V AOR ACT IND 3P PL buried they buried they buried
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