φονεύω
phoneúō
G5407 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
to commit intentional homicide; to kill a person unlawfully and with malice, especially to commit murder. The primary meaning is the deliberate, unauthorized taking of human life, usually in the sense of criminal or wrongful killing. In extended contexts, the term may carry legal or moral connotations of murder as distinguished from killing in war, judicial execution, or accidental death.
Semantic Range
to murder, commit intentional homicide, kill unlawfully, slay (with criminal intent), be a murderer
Root / Etymology
From the noun φονεύς (murderer, slayer), itself formed from the root φον- (killing, murder).
Historical & Contextual Notes
In Classical Greek, φονεύω is relatively rare, as other verbs like ἀποκτείνω or κτείνω (to kill) were more common. φονεύω emphasizes unlawful or intentional murder rather than killing in general, corresponding to homicide with a criminal or malicious intent. In the Septuagint, φονεύω frequently translates Hebrew רָצַח (rāṣaḥ), which denotes murder or manslaughter, reflecting the legal distinction between premeditated killing and other kinds of death. In the New Testament, φονεύω is most often used in legal or ethical contexts, such as in quotations of the Decalogue ("You shall not murder," Matthew 5:21), and refers specifically to murder rather than general killing. English Bible translations sometimes render φονεύω as 'kill' (e.g., in the Ten Commandments), although the more precise meaning is 'murder.' This distinction can be important in theological and ethical debates over the scope of the prohibition. Contrasts with ἀποκτείνω, which can denote killing in a broader sense, not necessarily with criminal intent.
Translation Consistency
The primary sense is deliberate, unlawful taking of human life; "murder" is the natural, specific English verb that captures criminal/malicious killing and matches the majority of existing renderings. It avoids the broader, neutral "kill" and provides consistent, clear wording for all forms of G5407.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from φονεύς; to be a murderer (of):--kill, do murder, slay.
Root Family
φονεύω (phoneuō) — to murder, to commit intentional homicide, to slay unlawfully
Word Forms
7 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G5407-07 |
φονεύσῃς | phoneuses | V AOR ACT SUBJ 2P SG |
murder | you might murder | you might murder | 3 |
G5407-06 |
φονεύσεις | phoneuseis | V FUT ACT IND 2P SG |
you shall murder | you will murder | you will murder | 3 |
G5407-01 |
ἐφονεύσατε | ephoneusate | V AOR ACT IND 2P PL |
you have murdered | you murdered | you murdered | 2 |
G5407-03 |
φονεύετε | phoneuete | V PRS ACT IND 2P PL |
you murder | you are murdering | you are murdering | 1 |
G5407-02 |
φονεύεις | phoneueis | V PRS ACT IND 2P SG |
you murder | you are murdering | you are murdering | 1 |
G5407-05 |
φονεύσῃ | phoneuse | V AOR ACT SUBJ 3P SG |
murders | he/she might murder | he/she might murder | 1 |
G5407-04 |
φονευσάντων | phoneusanton | V AOR ACT PTCP GEN M PL |
who murdered | of those having murdered | murderers | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
12 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G5407-06 |
Matthew 5:21 | φονεύσεις | phoneuseis | V FUT ACT IND 2P SG |
you shall murder | you will murder | you will murder |
G5407-05 |
Matthew 5:21 | φονεύσῃ | phoneuse | V AOR ACT SUBJ 3P SG |
murders | he/she might murder | he/she might murder |
G5407-06 |
Matthew 19:18 | φονεύσεις | phoneuseis | V FUT ACT IND 2P SG |
you shall murder | you will murder | you will murder |
G5407-04 |
Matthew 23:31 | φονευσάντων | phoneusanton | V AOR ACT PTCP GEN M PL |
who murdered | of those having murdered | murderers |
G5407-01 |
Matthew 23:35 | ἐφονεύσατε | ephoneusate | V AOR ACT IND 2P PL |
you murdered | you murdered | you murdered |
G5407-07 |
Mark 10:19 | φονεύσῃς | phoneuses | V AOR ACT SUBJ 2P SG |
murder | you might murder | you might murder |
G5407-07 |
Luke 18:20 | φονεύσῃς | phoneuses | V AOR ACT SUBJ 2P SG |
murder | you might murder | you might murder |
G5407-06 |
Romans 13:9 | φονεύσεις | phoneuseis | V FUT ACT IND 2P SG |
murder | you will murder | you will murder |
G5407-07 |
James 2:11 | φονεύσῃς | phoneuses | V AOR ACT SUBJ 2P SG |
murder | you might murder | you might murder |
G5407-02 |
James 2:11 | φονεύεις | phoneueis | V PRS ACT IND 2P SG |
you murder | you are murdering | you are murdering |