σπιλόω
spilóō
G4695 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To stain, soil, or contaminate; primarily used to denote the act of marking, blemishing, or tainting something, whether physically (as in making dirty) or metaphorically (as in moral or ritual defilement). The primary lexical meaning is to cause an object or person to become marked or tainted, with extended use for ethical pollution or corruption.
Semantic Range
to stain (physically), to soil or dirty, to blemish, to mark with a spot, to corrupt or taint morally or ethically, to defile in a non-ritual sense
Root / Etymology
From the noun σπῖλος (spot, stain, blemish) with the verbal ending -όω, forming a causative verb 'to cause to have a spot or stain.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
Attested from Hellenistic Greek onwards, σπιλόω is rare in classical sources but becomes more common in Jewish-Greek and early Christian texts. In the Septuagint and New Testament, it often carries a figurative sense, indicating moral or ritual impurity (as in 'defiling' with wrongdoing or inappropriate behavior). The word contrasts with Greek terms for ritual defilement (such as μιαίνω), leaning toward metaphors from physical marks or stains. English translations commonly render it as 'defile,' 'stain,' or 'blemish'; however, 'defile' can overspecify ritual impurity, whereas σπιλόω often evokes both literal and ethical taint without always specifying ritual status. In Jude 23 και σώζετε ἐκ πυρὸς ἁρπάζοντες, οὓς δὲ ἐλεεῖτε ἐν φόβῳ, μισοῦντες καὶ τὸν ἀπὸ τῆς σαρκὸς σπιλωμένον χιτῶνα, the stain is metaphorical, describing moral corruption. The root contrasts with terms describing intrinsic impurity, as σπιλόω involves an acquired mark or taint from outside action.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from σπίλος; to stain or soil (literally or figuratively):--defile, spot.
Root Family
σπῖλ- (spilóō) — to stain, to spot, to soil, to blemish, to defile
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4695-01 |
ἐσπιλωμένον | espilomenon | V PRF PASS PTCP ACC M SG |
stained | having been stained | having been stained | 1 |
G4695-02 |
σπιλοῦσα | spilousa | V PRS ACT PTCP NOM F SG |
defiles | staining | staining | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 occurrences