πνικτός
pniktós
G4156 substantive adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
Killed by strangulation, especially of animals whose blood has not been drained; refers specifically to an animal that has died by suffocation rather than by ritual slaughter. In a technical or dietary context, the term denotes meat derived from such an animal, which may be considered ritually or ceremonially unfit for consumption.
Semantic Range
strangled (of animals), choked to death, meat from an animal killed by suffocation without bleeding, food prohibited due to improper slaughter according to ritual law
Root / Etymology
From the verb πνίγω (to choke, to strangle, to suffocate) with adjectival suffix -τός, forming a verbal adjective meaning 'having been choked' or 'strangled.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
πνικτός is attested almost exclusively in Hellenistic and Koine sources, especially in Jewish-Greek contexts concerning food regulations. Not used in classical Greek for general strangling but is specialized for dietary or ritual law from the Second Temple period onward. In the Septuagint and New Testament, πνικτός refers to the flesh of animals killed by strangulation or suffocation (without the letting of blood), which was prohibited for consumption in Israelite/Judean law (see Acts 15:20, 29; 21:25). The rendered English term 'things strangled' does not fully capture the technical and ritual associations present in the Greek usage. The prohibition is related to debates about ritual purity, dietary boundaries, and the observance of ancestral customs among Israelite/Judean and non-Israelite communities within the Hellenistic world.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from πνίγω; throttled, i.e. (neuter concretely) an animal choked to death (not bled):--strangled.
Root Family
πνικ- (pniktós) — to choke, to strangle, to suffocate
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4156-01 |
πνικτῶν | pnikton | ADJ.S GEN N PL |
strangled | of strangled animals | from strangled animals | 2 |
G4156-02 |
πνικτοῦ | pniktou | ADJ.S GEN N SG |
strangled | of strangled meat | strangled meat | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4156-02 |
Acts 15:20 | πνικτοῦ | pniktou | ADJ.S GEN N SG |
strangled | of strangled meat | strangled meat |
G4156-01 |
Acts 15:29 | πνικτῶν | pnikton | ADJ.S GEN N PL |
things strangled | of strangled animals | from strangled animals |
G4156-01 |
Acts 21:25 | πνικτὸν | pnikton | ADJ.S ACC N SG |
strangled | of strangled animals | of strangled animals |