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συναποθνήσκω

synapothnḗskō

G4880 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To die together with someone; to experience death in company or in association with another. In some contexts, used figuratively to indicate undergoing suffering, punishment, or a metaphorical 'death' in solidarity or identification with someone else. The basic sense is to die at the same time or as part of the same event, while in Hellenistic and early Christian usage it can also extend to participation in another's fate or destiny, especially in religious or symbolic contexts.

Semantic Range

to die together with, to die in company with, to experience death in association with someone else, to participate in another's death (literally or figuratively), to share in suffering or fate

Root / Etymology

Compound from the preposition σύν ('with, together with') and the verb ἀποθνήσκω ('to die, to die off').

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical and earlier Hellenistic Greek, συναποθνήσκω primarily refers to literally dying together, either in battle or by execution. In the New Testament and early Christian literature, the term takes on both its literal sense (e.g., the idea of dying with Christ) and a figurative sense, meaning to share in Christ's death or to be united with someone in the experience of death (as in Romans 6:8; 2 Timothy 2:11). The metaphorical use reflects the development of participatory language in early Christian thought concerning salvation, identification, or solidarity. Standard English translations often render it as 'die with' or 'die together with,' but may not capture the full nuance of participatory or symbolic death present in some contexts. It is distinguished from similar compounds such as συναπόλλυμαι ('to perish together') by emphasizing the act of dying (rather than destruction more generally) and the dimension of close association in the action.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from σύν and ἀποθνήσκω; to decease (literally) in company with, or (figuratively), similarly to:--be dead (die) with.

Root Family

συναποθνῄσκω (synapothnēskō) — to die, to die together with, to share death

Root ἀποθνῄσκω, σύν to die, to be with

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G4880-02 συναποθανεῖν sunapothanein V AOR ACT INF to die together to die together with to die together with 2
G4880-01 συναπεθάνομεν sunapethanomen V AOR ACT IND 1P PL we died with Him we died together with we died together with 1

Occurrences in Scripture

3 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G4880-02 Mark 14:31 συναποθανεῖν sunapothanein V AOR ACT INF to die with to die together with to die together with
G4880-02 2 Corinthians 7:3 συναποθανεῖν sunapothanein V AOR ACT INF to die together to die together with to die together with
G4880-01 2 Timothy 2:11 συναπεθάνομεν sunapethanomen V AOR ACT IND 1P PL we died with Him we died together with we died together with
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