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μολύνω

molýnō

G3435 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To stain, soil, or make dirty, both literally with physical filth and figuratively in the sense of moral or religious contamination. In specific contexts, especially in the Hellenistic and early Christian periods, often used to denote profaning or desecrating something considered pure or sacred, whether that be a person, object, or community. The semantic range extends from literal soiling to figurative defilement, especially in ritual or moral contexts.

Semantic Range

to stain (literally), to soil, to make dirty, to desecrate, to defile or profane (ritually or morally), to corrupt

Root / Etymology

Formed from the root μολυ-; traditionally compared with or derived from μέλας (‘black, dark’), though the precise evolution is debated. The idea is of making something 'dark' or 'stained.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

Attested from classical Greek (e.g. Herodotus) primarily in the sense of soiling or dirtying physically. By the Hellenistic period, and especially in the Septuagint and New Testament, μολύνω acquires strong figurative associations with moral, ritual, or spiritual defilement—e.g., ‘defiling oneself’ by idolatry or contact with what is ritually impure. In the New Testament (e.g., Revelation 3:4), it is used for moral corruption (‘soiling garments’ as a metaphor for moral stain). The nuance of ritual or moral contamination parallels—though is not perfectly synonymous with—terms such as μιαίνω (to pollute, more often of bloodguilt or sacrilege) and κοινόω (to make common or profane, often used for ritual impurity). English translations like 'defile' generally convey the intended sense in most biblical contexts, but may obscure the word’s broader potential for literal as well as figurative meaning. In Greek literature and inscriptions, the verb can refer to any form of desecration—moral, ritual, or even legal.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

probably from μέλας; to soil (figuratively):--defile.

Root Family

μολυ- (molýnō) — to stain, to soil, to make impure

Root μολυ- to stain, to soil, to make impure

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G3435-01 ἐμόλυναν emolunan V AOR ACT IND 3P PL have defiled they stained they stained 1
G3435-02 ἐμολύνθησαν emolunthesan V AOR PASS IND 3P PL were defiled they were stained were defiled 1
G3435-03 μολύνεται molunetai V PRS PASS IND 3P SG is defiled is being defiled is defiled 1

Occurrences in Scripture

3 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G3435-03 1 Corinthians 8:7 μολύνεται molunetai V PRS PASS IND 3P SG is defiled is being defiled is defiled
G3435-01 Revelation 3:4 ἐμόλυναν emolunan V AOR ACT IND 3P PL have defiled they stained they stained
G3435-02 Revelation 14:4 ἐμολύνθησαν emolunthesan V AOR PASS IND 3P PL were defiled they were stained were defiled
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