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ἀποκτείνω

apokteínō

G615 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To put to death, to kill, typically in a deliberate, decisive, or direct manner. The verb often indicates the act of causing the death of a person or animal, whether in a judicial, hostile, or violent context. It can also refer, less commonly, to destroying or annihilating more generally (in a figurative sense).

Semantic Range

to put to death, to kill outright, to slay, to execute, to cause to die, (figuratively) to destroy, to exterminate

Root / Etymology

From ἀπό ('from, away from') + κτείνω ('to kill, slay'). The compound reinforces the finality or completeness of the action ('to put completely to death'). κτείνω is an inherited Greek verb attested from Homeric Greek onward; the prepositional prefix ἀπό intensifies the meaning to indicate total or decisive action.

Historical & Contextual Notes

ἀποκτείνω is a compound verb used widely in Koine Greek, including the Septuagint and New Testament, to denote deliberate acts of killing, whether legitimate (e.g., executions), hostile (e.g., murders), or in the context of sacrifices or judicial punishments. In the New Testament, it is often used of capital punishment, martyrdom, or acts of violence by authorities or hostile individuals. Its figurative extension to 'destroy' occurs primarily in apocalyptically or metaphorically charged contexts. Classical Greek used the simplex κτείνω with largely the same sense, but the compound ἀποκτείνω becomes markedly more common in later and Koine usage, perhaps reflecting Semitic influence from Hebrew הרג or מות in translation Greek. English versions often render the term 'kill' or 'put to death'; however, 'put to death' more specifically captures the decisive, completed nature implied in the Greek. ἀποκτείνω can be contrasted with φονεύω ('to murder, to assassinate'), which more specifically denotes unlawful killing. In the Septuagint, ἀποκτείνω frequently translates Hebrew מות (to die, to put to death), often in legal or narrative settings.

Translation Consistency

primary "kill" 44 occurrences

‘Kill’ is the natural, common English verb that best captures the typical sense of ἀποκτείνω — to put someone or something to death, slay, or execute. It covers both literal and the less common figurative senses (destroy, exterminate) and yields natural renderings in all persons/tenses. Using ‘kill’ is clearer and less ambiguous than the frequent P2 rendering ‘put’ (as in ‘put to death’), which is too generic.

Alternatives (6 occurrences):
"put to death" (3x) "those putting to death" (1x) "having been put to death" (1x) "having put to death" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from ἀπό and (to slay); to kill outright; figuratively, to destroy:--put to death, kill, slay.

Root Family

κτείνω (apokteínō) — to kill, to put to death, to slay

Root κτείνω to kill, to put to death, to slay

Word Forms

23 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G615-09 ἀποκτεῖναι apokteinai V AOR ACT INF to kill to put to death to kill 16
G615-03 ἀπέκτειναν apekteinan V AOR ACT IND 3P PL killed they put to death they killed 10
G615-14 ἀποκτείνωσιν apokteinosin V AOR ACT SUBJ 3P PL kill they might put to death they might kill 8
G615-23 ἀποκτενοῦσιν apoktenousin V FUT ACT IND 3P PL they will kill they will put to death they will kill 6
G615-07 ἀποκτανθῆναι apoktanthenai V AOR PASS INF to be killed to be put to death to be killed 5
G615-02 ἀπεκτάνθησαν apektanthesan V AOR PASS IND 3P PL were killed they were put to death they were killed 4
G615-12 ἀποκτείνωμεν apokteinomen V AOR ACT SUBJ 1P PL let us kill let us put to death let us kill 4
G615-16 ἀποκτενεῖ apoktenei V FUT ACT IND 3P SG he will kill he will put to death he will put to death 3
G615-05 ἀπέκτεινεν apekteinen V AOR ACT IND 3P SG killed he put to death he killed 2
G615-11 ἀποκτείνας apokteinas V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M SG kills having put to death having put to death 2

Occurrences in Scripture

74 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G615-21 Matthew 10:28 ἀποκτεννόντων apoktennonton V PRS ACT PTCP GEN M PL killing of those putting to death of those putting to death
G615-09 Matthew 10:28 ἀποκτεῖναι apokteinai V AOR ACT INF to kill to put to death to kill
G615-09 Matthew 14:5 ἀποκτεῖναι apokteinai V AOR ACT INF to kill to put to death to kill
G615-07 Matthew 16:21 ἀποκτανθῆναι apoktanthenai V AOR PASS INF to be killed to be put to death to be killed
G615-23 Matthew 17:23 ἀποκτενοῦσιν apoktenousin V FUT ACT IND 3P PL they will kill they will put to death they will kill
G615-03 Matthew 21:35 ἀπέκτειναν apekteinan V AOR ACT IND 3P PL killed they put to death they killed
G615-12 Matthew 21:38 ἀποκτείνωμεν apokteinomen V AOR ACT SUBJ 1P PL let-us-kill let us put to death let us kill
G615-03 Matthew 21:39 ἀπέκτειναν apekteinan V AOR ACT IND 3P PL killed they put to death they killed
G615-03 Matthew 22:6 ἀπέκτειναν apekteinan V AOR ACT IND 3P PL killed they put to death they killed
G615-17 Matthew 23:34 ἀποκτενεῖτε apokteneite V FUT ACT IND 2P PL you will kill you will put to death you will put to death
G615-15 Matthew 23:37 ἀποκτείνουσα apokteinousa V PRS ACT PTCP VOC F SG killing O one putting to death O woman who is killing
G615-23 Matthew 24:9 ἀποκτενοῦσιν apoktenousin V FUT ACT IND 3P PL they will kill they will put to death they will kill
G615-14 Matthew 26:4 ἀποκτείνωσιν apokteinosin V AOR ACT SUBJ 3P PL kill they might put to death they might kill
G615-09 Mark 3:4 ἀποκτεῖναι apokteinai V AOR ACT INF to kill to put to death to kill
G615-09 Mark 6:19 ἀποκτεῖναι apokteinai V AOR ACT INF to kill to put to death to kill
G615-07 Mark 8:31 ἀποκτανθῆναι apoktanthenai V AOR PASS INF to be killed to be put to death to be killed
G615-23 Mark 9:31 ἀποκτενοῦσιν apoktenousin V FUT ACT IND 3P PL they will kill they will put to death they will kill
G615-06 Mark 9:31 ἀποκτανθεὶς apoktantheis V AOR PASS PTCP NOM M SG having been killed having been put to death having been put to death
G615-23 Mark 10:34 ἀποκτενοῦσιν apoktenousin V FUT ACT IND 3P PL they will kill him they will put to death they will kill
G615-03 Mark 12:5 ἀπέκτειναν apekteinan V AOR ACT IND 3P PL they killed they put to death they killed
G615-20 Mark 12:5 ἀποκτέννοντες apoktennontes V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M PL killing those putting to death those killing
G615-12 Mark 12:7 ἀποκτείνωμεν apokteinomen V AOR ACT SUBJ 1P PL let us kill let us put to death let us kill
G615-03 Mark 12:8 ἀπέκτειναν apekteinan V AOR ACT IND 3P PL they killed they put to death they killed
G615-14 Mark 14:1 ἀποκτείνωσιν apokteinosin V AOR ACT SUBJ 3P PL kill they might put to death they might kill
G615-07 Luke 9:22 ἀποκτανθῆναι apoktanthenai V AOR PASS INF be slain to be put to death to be killed
G615-03 Luke 11:47 ἀπέκτειναν apekteinan V AOR ACT IND 3P PL killed they put to death they killed
G615-03 Luke 11:48 ἀπέκτειναν apekteinan V AOR ACT IND 3P PL killed they put to death they killed
G615-23 Luke 11:49 ἀποκτενοῦσιν apoktenousin V FUT ACT IND 3P PL they will kill they will put to death they will kill
G615-13 Luke 12:4 ἀποκτεινόντων apokteinonton V PRS ACT PTCP GEN M PL who kill of those killing of those killing
G615-09 Luke 12:5 ἀποκτεῖναι apokteinai V AOR ACT INF he has killed to put to death to kill
G615-05 Luke 13:4 ἀπέκτεινεν apekteinen V AOR ACT IND 3P SG killed he put to death he killed
G615-09 Luke 13:31 ἀποκτεῖναι apokteinai V AOR ACT INF to kill to put to death to kill
G615-15 Luke 13:34 ἀποκτείνουσα apokteinousa V PRS ACT PTCP VOC F SG killing O one putting to death O woman who is killing
G615-23 Luke 18:33 ἀποκτενοῦσιν apoktenousin V FUT ACT IND 3P PL they will kill they will put to death they will kill
G615-12 Luke 20:14 ἀποκτείνωμεν apokteinomen V AOR ACT SUBJ 1P PL let us kill let us put to death let us kill
G615-03 Luke 20:15 ἀπέκτειναν apekteinan V AOR ACT IND 3P PL they killed they put to death they killed
G615-09 John 5:18 ἀποκτεῖναι apokteinai V AOR ACT INF to kill to put to death to kill
G615-09 John 7:1 ἀποκτεῖναι apokteinai V AOR ACT INF to kill to put to death to kill
G615-09 John 7:19 ἀποκτεῖναι apokteinai V AOR ACT INF to kill to put to death to kill
G615-09 John 7:20 ἀποκτεῖναι apokteinai V AOR ACT INF to kill to put to death to kill
G615-09 John 7:25 ἀποκτεῖναι apokteinai V AOR ACT INF to kill to put to death to kill
G615-16 John 8:22 ἀποκτενεῖ apoktenei V FUT ACT IND 3P SG he will kill he will put to death he will put to death
G615-09 John 8:37 ἀποκτεῖναι apokteinai V AOR ACT INF to kill to put to death to kill
G615-09 John 8:40 ἀποκτεῖναι apokteinai V AOR ACT INF to kill to put to death to kill
G615-14 John 11:53 ἀποκτείνωσιν apokteinosin V AOR ACT SUBJ 3P PL they might kill they might put to death they might kill
G615-14 John 12:10 ἀποκτείνωσιν apokteinosin V AOR ACT SUBJ 3P PL they might put to death they might put to death they might kill
G615-11 John 16:2 ἀποκτείνας apokteinas V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M SG kills having put to death having put to death
G615-09 John 18:31 ἀποκτεῖναι apokteinai V AOR ACT INF to put to death to put to death to kill
G615-04 Acts 3:15 ἀπεκτείνατε apekteinate V AOR ACT IND 2P PL you killed you put to death you put to death
G615-03 Acts 7:52 ἀπέκτειναν apekteinan V AOR ACT IND 3P PL they killed they put to death they killed
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