λύω (G3089) — Greek Lexicon — Scattered Israelites

λύω

lýō

G3089 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

to loose, untie, set free from bonds or restraints; by extension, to break up, destroy, abolish, or dissolve (something bound, united, or constituted). In literal contexts, refers to the physical act of loosing bonds, untying (a sandal, animal), or breaking (chains, seals). In figurative contexts, indicates bringing something to an end, rendering it invalid, or causing a dissolution (such as of laws, oaths, assemblies, or relationships). Also used of melting or liquefying solids.

Semantic Range

to untie (knots, sandals, animals), to loosen (bonds, chains), to release or set free, to dissolve or melt (solids), to break up or destroy (assemblies, households, objects), to nullify or abolish (laws, agreements, works), to end or render invalid

Root / Etymology

From the root λυ-; a primary and inherited Greek verb with Indo-European parallels (cf. Latin solvo, 'I loosen, untie'). The basic sense concerns separation by loosing or breaking bonds.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, λύω appears from Homeric times onward with the principal meaning 'to loosen' (e.g., loosening a horse, untying knots), but it quickly developed metaphorical senses such as 'to free (from captivity),' 'to release,' and 'to bring to an end.' In philosophical or legal contexts (e.g., Plato, Aristotle), λύω is used for the dissolution of agreements, structures, or substances. In the Hellenistic and Koine periods, it further expands to include breaking laws or nullifying commands (e.g., λῦσαι τὸν νόμον, 'to annul the law'), and is frequently used in the Septuagint and New Testament for both literal and figurative acts of setting free or abolishing (e.g., 'to destroy the works of evil,' 'to dissolve a marriage'). English translations such as 'loose,' 'destroy,' 'abolish,' or 'break' do not capture the full semantic breadth, particularly the sense of releasing from compulsion or dissolution of established things.

Translation Consistency

primary "free" 4 occurrences

“Free” is a simple, natural verb that captures the primary and typical senses of λύω — to untie or release from bonds and, by extension, to set aside, dissolve, or render something no longer held (e.g., laws, agreements, assemblies). It works well for both literal (untie, loosen, release) and figurative (abolish, nullify, end) uses and is more contemporary than “loose” while covering the same semantic range.

Alternatives (38 occurrences):

"loosed" (10x) "loose" (5x) "loosen" (2x) "freeing" (2x) "earth" (1x) "having been loosed" (1x) "free, all of you" (1x) "untie" (1x) "untying" (1x) "unloose" (1x) "he/she/it loosens" (1x) "those untying" (1x) "destroy" (1x) "breaking" (1x) "broken" (1x) "unbind" (1x) "having been dissolved" (1x) "released" (1x) "broken up" (1x) "having broken down" (1x) "dissolved" (1x) "might destroy" (1x) "having loosed" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primary verb; to "loosen" (literally or figuratively):--break (up), destroy, dissolve, (un-)loose, melt, put off. Compare ῥήγνυμι.

Root Family

λῠ- (lýō) — to loosen, to release, to untie, to break apart

Root λῠ- to loosen, to release, to untie, to break apart

Word Forms

29 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`G3089-15`	λῦσαι	lusai	`V AOR ACT INF`	to loose	to loosen	to loosen	4
`G3089-19`	λύσατε	lusate	`V AOR ACT IMP 2P PL`	Destroy	Loosen!	Destroy	3
`G3089-27`	λυθῆναι	luthenai	`V AOR PASS INF`	be broken	to be loosed	to be loosed	3
`G3089-10`	λύετε	luete	`V PRS ACT IND 2P PL`	are you untying	you are loosening	you are freeing	2
`G3089-16`	λύσαντες	lusantes	`V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M PL`	loose	having loosed	having freed	2
`G3089-18`	λύσας	lusas	`V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M SG`	broken down	having loosed	having broken down	2
`G3089-20`	λύσῃ	luse	`V AOR ACT SUBJ 3P SG`	breaks	he might loosen	he might destroy	2
`G3089-24`	λῦσον	luson	`V AOR ACT IMP 2P SG`	Loose	Loose!	Loose	2
`G3089-28`	λυθήσεται	luthesetai	`V FUT PASS IND 3P SG`	will be dissolved	will be loosed	will be loosed	2
`G3089-01`	ἔλυε	elue	`V IMPF ACT IND 3P SG`	was breaking	was loosening	was breaking	1
`G3089-02`	ἐλύετο	elueto	`V IMPF PASS IND 3P SG`	was being broken up	was being loosed	was being broken up	1
`G3089-03`	ἔλυσεν	elusen	`V AOR ACT IND 3P SG`	he loosed	he loosened	he released	1
`G3089-04`	ἐλύθη	eluthe	`V AOR PASS IND 3P SG`	was loosed	was loosed	was loosed	1
`G3089-05`	ἐλύθησαν	eluthesan	`V AOR PASS IND 3P PL`	were released	they were loosed	they were loosed	1
`G3089-06`	λελυμένα	lelumena	`V PRF PASS PTCP NOM N PL`	loosed	things having been loosed	having been loosed	1
`G3089-07`	λελυμένον	lelumenon	`V PRF PASS PTCP NOM N SG`	loosed	having been loosed	loosed	1
`G3089-08`	λέλυσαι	lelusai	`V PRF PASS IND 2P SG`	Have you been loosed	you have been loosed	you have been loosed	1
`G3089-09`	λύει	luei	`V PRS ACT IND 3P SG`	loose	he/she/it loosens	he/she/it loosens	1
`G3089-11`	λυομένων	luomenon	`V PRS PASS PTCP GEN N PL`	are being dissolved	of being loosened	being dissolved	1
`G3089-12`	λύοντες	luontes	`V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M PL`	untying	those loosening	untying	1
`G3089-13`	λυόντων	luonton	`V PRS ACT PTCP GEN M PL`	untying	of those loosening	of those untying	1
`G3089-14`	λύουσιν	luousin	`V PRS ACT IND 3P PL`	they untie	they are loosing	they untie	1
`G3089-17`	λύσαντι	lusanti	`V AOR ACT PTCP DAT M SG`	has freed	to the one having loosed	one having loosed	1
`G3089-21`	λύσῃς	luses	`V AOR ACT SUBJ 2P SG`	you loose	you might loosen	earth	1
`G3089-22`	λύσητε	lusete	`V AOR ACT SUBJ 2P PL`	you loose	you (pl) might loosen	you may loose	1
`G3089-23`	λύσω	luso	`V AOR ACT SUBJ 1P SG`	untie	I may loose	I may loose	1
`G3089-25`	λυθῇ	luthe	`V AOR PASS SUBJ 3P SG`	be broken	may be loosed	may be broken	1
`G3089-26`	λυθείσης	lutheises	`V AOR PASS PTCP GEN F SG`	having been broken up	having been loosed	having been dissolved	1
`G3089-29`	λυθήσονται	luthesontai	`V FUT PASS IND 3P PL`	will be dissolved	they will be loosed	will be loosed	1

Occurrences in Scripture

42 occurrences

Filter by SIDANCE:

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`G3089-20`	Matthew 5:19	λύσῃ	luse	`V AOR ACT SUBJ 3P SG`	breaks	he might loosen	he might free
`G3089-21`	Matthew 16:19	λύσῃς	luses	`V AOR ACT SUBJ 2P SG`	you loose	you might loosen	earth
`G3089-07`	Matthew 16:19	λελυμένον	lelumenon	`V PRF PASS PTCP NOM N SG`	loosed	having been loosed	loosed
`G3089-22`	Matthew 18:18	λύσητε	lusete	`V AOR ACT SUBJ 2P PL`	you loose	you (pl) might loosen	you may loose
`G3089-06`	Matthew 18:18	λελυμένα	lelumena	`V PRF PASS PTCP NOM N PL`	loosed	things having been loosed	having been loosed
`G3089-16`	Matthew 21:2	λύσαντες	lusantes	`V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M PL`	loose	having loosed	having freed
`G3089-15`	Mark 1:7	λῦσαι	lusai	`V AOR ACT INF`	to unloose	to loosen	to loosen
`G3089-04`	Mark 7:35	ἐλύθη	eluthe	`V AOR PASS IND 3P SG`	was loosed	was loosed	was loosed
`G3089-19`	Mark 11:2	λύσατε	lusate	`V AOR ACT IMP 2P PL`	untie	Loosen!	Free, all of you!
`G3089-14`	Mark 11:4	λύουσιν	luousin	`V PRS ACT IND 3P PL`	they untie	they are loosing	they untie
`G3089-12`	Mark 11:5	λύοντες	luontes	`V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M PL`	untying	those loosening	untying
`G3089-15`	Luke 3:16	λῦσαι	lusai	`V AOR ACT INF`	to unloose	to loosen	to unloose
`G3089-09`	Luke 13:15	λύει	luei	`V PRS ACT IND 3P SG`	loose	he/she/it loosens	he/she/it loosens
`G3089-27`	Luke 13:16	λυθῆναι	luthenai	`V AOR PASS INF`	to be loosed	to be loosed	to be loosed
`G3089-16`	Luke 19:30	λύσαντες	lusantes	`V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M PL`	loose	having loosed	having freed
`G3089-10`	Luke 19:31	λύετε	luete	`V PRS ACT IND 2P PL`	are you untying	you are loosening	you are freeing
`G3089-13`	Luke 19:33	λυόντων	luonton	`V PRS ACT PTCP GEN M PL`	untying	of those loosening	of those untying
`G3089-10`	Luke 19:33	λύετε	luete	`V PRS ACT IND 2P PL`	are you untying	you are loosening	you are freeing
`G3089-23`	John 1:27	λύσω	luso	`V AOR ACT SUBJ 1P SG`	untie	I may loose	I may loose
`G3089-19`	John 2:19	λύσατε	lusate	`V AOR ACT IMP 2P PL`	Destroy	Loosen!	Destroy
`G3089-01`	John 5:18	ἔλυε	elue	`V IMPF ACT IND 3P SG`	was breaking	was loosening	was breaking
`G3089-25`	John 7:23	λυθῇ	luthe	`V AOR PASS SUBJ 3P SG`	be broken	may be loosed	may be broken
`G3089-27`	John 10:35	λυθῆναι	luthenai	`V AOR PASS INF`	be broken	to be loosed	to be loosed
`G3089-19`	John 11:44	λύσατε	lusate	`V AOR ACT IMP 2P PL`	unbind	Loosen!	Unbind
`G3089-18`	Acts 2:24	λύσας	lusas	`V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M SG`	having loosed	having loosed	having freed
`G3089-24`	Acts 7:33	λῦσον	luson	`V AOR ACT IMP 2P SG`	take off	Loose!	Loose
`G3089-15`	Acts 13:25	λῦσαι	lusai	`V AOR ACT INF`	to loose	to loosen	to loose
`G3089-26`	Acts 13:43	λυθείσης	lutheises	`V AOR PASS PTCP GEN F SG`	having been broken up	having been loosed	having been dissolved
`G3089-03`	Acts 22:30	ἔλυσεν	elusen	`V AOR ACT IND 3P SG`	he loosed	he loosened	he released
`G3089-02`	Acts 27:41	ἐλύετο	elueto	`V IMPF PASS IND 3P SG`	was being broken up	was being loosed	was being broken up
`G3089-08`	1 Corinthians 7:27	λέλυσαι	lelusai	`V PRF PASS IND 2P SG`	Have you been loosed	you have been loosed	you have been loosed
`G3089-18`	Ephesians 2:14	λύσας	lusas	`V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M SG`	broken down	having loosed	having broken down
`G3089-28`	2 Peter 3:10	λυθήσεται	luthesetai	`V FUT PASS IND 3P SG`	will be dissolved	will be loosed	will be loosed
`G3089-11`	2 Peter 3:11	λυομένων	luomenon	`V PRS PASS PTCP GEN N PL`	are being dissolved	of being loosened	being dissolved
`G3089-29`	2 Peter 3:12	λυθήσονται	luthesontai	`V FUT PASS IND 3P PL`	will be dissolved	they will be loosed	will be loosed
`G3089-20`	1 John 3:8	λύσῃ	luse	`V AOR ACT SUBJ 3P SG`	He might destroy	he might loosen	he might destroy
`G3089-17`	Revelation 1:5	λύσαντι	lusanti	`V AOR ACT PTCP DAT M SG`	has freed	to the one having loosed	one having loosed
`G3089-15`	Revelation 5:2	λῦσαι	lusai	`V AOR ACT INF`	to loose	to loosen	to loosen
`G3089-24`	Revelation 9:14	λῦσον	luson	`V AOR ACT IMP 2P SG`	Loose	Loose!	Loose
`G3089-05`	Revelation 9:15	ἐλύθησαν	eluthesan	`V AOR PASS IND 3P PL`	were released	they were loosed	they were loosed
`G3089-27`	Revelation 20:3	λυθῆναι	luthenai	`V AOR PASS INF`	be loosed	to be loosed	to be loosed
`G3089-28`	Revelation 20:7	λυθήσεται	luthesetai	`V FUT PASS IND 3P SG`	will be released	will be loosed	will be loosed

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