τυμπανίζω
tympanízō
G5178 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To subject someone to public punishment by stretching them out and beating with sticks or rods, often in a manner associated with severe torment or execution. In some contexts, refers specifically to the act of torturing or killing by beating, typically while the person is bound or stretched as on a frame or rack.
Semantic Range
to beat or punish by flogging on a frame or rack, to subject to public corporal punishment, to torture or execute by beating, to afflict (with reference to a drum-like instrument); to torture (generalized)
Root / Etymology
Derived from τύμπανον (tympanon, 'drum, tambourine'), from τύπτω ('to strike, beat'), referring figuratively to an instrument or frame on which a person is stretched and beaten. The verb thus means 'to punish or kill by striking (as on a drum),' with reference to the shape or function of the instrument.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The verb τυμπανίζω is rare in classical Greek, with most attestations appearing in later Hellenistic and early Christian writings. In Jewish and Christian martyr literature, the term is used to describe a form of execution by beating—often understood as being stretched over an instrument called a τύμπανον and then flogged or beaten to death. Not found in non-literary papyri, making it a technical or literary term rather than a common word for punishment. In the Septuagint (e.g., 2 Maccabees 6:19, 6:28), it refers to a specific mode of martyrdom under persecution. New Testament usage reflects a similar context. The standard translation 'torture' captures the cruelty of the act but loses the imagery of the instrument alluded to in the Greek. Modern translations often simplify or generalize the form of punishment, missing the original's grisly connotations.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from a derivative of τύπτω (meaning a drum, "tympanum"); to stretch on an instrument of torture resembling a drum, and thus beat to death:--torture.
Root Family
τυμπανίζω (tympanizō) — to beat as on a drum, to strike, to torture by beating
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G5178-01 |
ἐτυμπανίσθησαν | etumpanisthesan | V AOR PASS IND 3P PL |
were tortured | they were beaten on a rack | they were beaten on a rack | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G5178-01 |
Hebrews 11:35 | ἐτυμπανίσθησαν | etumpanisthesan | V AOR PASS IND 3P PL |
were tortured | they were beaten on a rack | they were beaten on a rack |