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θύω

thýō

G2380 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To offer a ritual sacrifice, especially by slaughtering an animal (often as a religious or cultic act); in neutral contexts, to slaughter or kill an animal (particularly for a festival meal or communal consumption). The primary lexical sense is performing a sacrificial rite, but the verb may also refer more generally to the act of killing, especially in a ceremonial or communal context.

Semantic Range

to offer a sacrifice (to a deity); to slaughter an animal in a cultic or ritual context; to kill (an animal) for a feast or festival; to immolate (by fire or other means); to perform a sacrificial ritual

Root / Etymology

From the root θῡ-, which is related to blowing, steaming, or producing smoke, referencing the burning of offerings and the rising of smoke as typical in sacrificial rituals. Associated with the primitive act of making something go up in smoke as an offering to a deity. Not directly related to modern 'sacrifice' in all cases, as the core sense is ritual slaughter or making an offering that produces smoke.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, θύω primarily denoted the act of offering a sacrifice to a deity, typically involving slaughter and burning. It could describe both animal and (less commonly) vegetable offerings. In Hellenistic and Koine Greek, as found in the Septuagint and the New Testament, θύω is used for both Israelite sacrificial rituals (e.g., bringing offerings in the Temple) and Greco-Roman pagan sacrifices. The term can also refer to more general ritual slaughter during public festivals or communal feasts. In some passages (e.g., Lk 15:23), θύω can simply mean 'to kill (an animal) for a feast' without explicit cultic overtones, yet it still bears a nuance of ritual or special occasion. Standard English translations such as 'to sacrifice,' 'to slay,' or 'to kill' do not always convey the precise nature of the act, especially where ritual participation, community, or festival is implied. Distinct from related verbs such as σφάζω ('to slaughter, slay') which is more generic and lacks the ritual connotation. English translation as 'sacrifice' often narrows the sense to religious meaning, but θύω is broader in contexts of communal or festive killing. The verb's earliest attestation is in Homeric Greek, always in the context of ritual offerings. In the Septuagint and New Testament, θύω frequently translates Hebrew זָבַח (zāvaḥ), 'to slaughter for sacrifice,' but also overlaps with other ritual terms.

Translation Consistency

primary "sacrifice" 12 occurrences

θύω primarily means to perform a ritual offering—often by slaughtering an animal or immolating it—so the natural, consistent English verb is "sacrifice." This covers both the cultic act of offering to a deity and the more general sense of killing an animal for ritual or communal purposes.

Alternatives (2 occurrences):
"having been slaughtered" (1x) "might slay" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primary verb; properly, to rush (breathe hard, blow, smoke), i.e. (by implication) to sacrifice (properly, by fire, but genitive case); by extension to immolate (slaughter for any purpose):--kill, (do) sacrifice, slay.

Root Family

θύω (thyō) — to sacrifice, to slaughter ritually, to make an offering

Root θῡ- to sacrifice, to slaughter (ritually), to make an offering

Word Forms

11 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G2380-06 θύειν thuein V PRS ACT INF offering sacrifice to offer a ritual sacrifice to sacrifice as a ritual offering 2
G2380-08 θύουσιν thuousin V PRS ACT IND 3P PL they sacrifice they are sacrificing they are sacrificing 2
G2380-11 θῦσον thuson V AOR ACT IMP 2P SG kill offer as a sacrifice offer as a sacrifice 2
G2380-02 ἔθυσας ethusas V AOR ACT IND 2P SG you-killed you sacrificed you sacrificed 1
G2380-10 θύσῃ thuse V AOR ACT SUBJ 3P SG slay he/she/it might offer a sacrifice he might slay 1
G2380-04 ἐτύθη etuthe V AOR PASS IND 3P SG has been sacrificed was ritually sacrificed was ritually sacrificed 1
G2380-05 τεθυμένα tethumena V PRF PASS PTCP NOM N PL have been killed things having been sacrificed having been slaughtered 1
G2380-03 ἔθυσεν ethusen V AOR ACT IND 3P SG has killed he sacrificed he sacrificed 1
G2380-01 ἔθυον ethuon V IMPF ACT IND 3P PL they killed they were sacrificing they were sacrificing 1
G2380-07 θύεσθαι thuesthai V PRS PASS INF to be sacrificed to be sacrificed to be sacrificed 1

Occurrences in Scripture

14 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G2380-05 Matthew 22:4 τεθυμένα tethumena V PRF PASS PTCP NOM N PL have been killed things having been sacrificed having been slaughtered
G2380-01 Mark 14:12 ἔθυον ethuon V IMPF ACT IND 3P PL they killed they were sacrificing they were sacrificing
G2380-09 Luke 15:23 θύσατε thusate V AOR ACT IMP 2P PL kill Sacrifice! sacrifice
G2380-03 Luke 15:27 ἔθυσεν ethusen V AOR ACT IND 3P SG has killed he sacrificed he sacrificed
G2380-02 Luke 15:30 ἔθυσας ethusas V AOR ACT IND 2P SG you-killed you sacrificed you sacrificed
G2380-07 Luke 22:7 θύεσθαι thuesthai V PRS PASS INF to be sacrificed to be sacrificed to be sacrificed
G2380-10 John 10:10 θύσῃ thuse V AOR ACT SUBJ 3P SG slay he/she/it might offer a sacrifice he might slay
G2380-11 Acts 10:13 θῦσον thuson V AOR ACT IMP 2P SG kill offer as a sacrifice offer as a sacrifice
G2380-11 Acts 11:7 θῦσον thuson V AOR ACT IMP 2P SG slay offer as a sacrifice offer as a sacrifice
G2380-06 Acts 14:13 θύειν thuein V PRS ACT INF to-offer-sacrifice to offer a ritual sacrifice to sacrifice as a ritual offering
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