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Greek · G5407 · unreviewed

φονεύω

To be a murderer (of)

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φονεύω G5407
Pronunciation phoneúō

What does φονεύω (phoneúō) mean in the Bible?

φονεύω (phoneúō) is a Greek word meaning "to be a murderer (of)". φονεύω (φονεύς), [in LXX chiefly for רָצַח ;] to kill, murder.

Full entry for φονεύω (G5407) · Browse the biblical lexicon

Meaning

to be a murderer (of)
Extended definition

Deliberate killing with malice, not accidental death; core commandment against murder in moral law

(φονεύς), [in LXX chiefly for רָצַח ;] to kill, murder. absol., Mat.5:21, Jas.4:2; μὴ (οὐ) φονεύσῃς (-εις), Mat.5:21 19:18, Mrk.10:19, Luk.18:20, Rom.13:9, Jas.2:11 (all from Exo.20:13-14); with accusative, Mat.23:31, 35, Jas.5:6.

Source: STEPBible TBESG + Abbott-Smith
Grammatical Forms

How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.

Tenses
Future Aorist Present
Voices
Active
Indicative states a fact or reality 7×
Future Active Matt 5:21 · Matt 19:18 · Rom 13:9 3×
Aorist Active Matt 23:35 · Jas 5:6 2×
Present Active Jas 2:11 · Jas 4:2 2×
Subjunctive possibility, probability, or purpose 4×
Aorist Active Mark 10:19 · Luke 18:20 · Jas 2:11 · Matt 5:21 4×
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 1×
Aorist Active Matt 23:31 1×
12 total occurrences across all forms in the biblical text Morphology: MorphGNT SBLGNT — CC BY-SA 3.0
Discourse Aspect

How this verb appears across 11 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).

Aspect
completed 1 ongoing 2 prospective 3 subjunctive 4 participle 1
Tense
aorist 6 future 3 present 2
Voice
active 11
Mood
indicative 6 subjunctive 4 participle 1
NT Occurrences
Matthew 5:21 φονεύσεις future active indicative prospective Matthew 5:21 φονεύσῃ aorist active subjunctive subjunctive Matthew 19:18 φονεύσεις future active indicative prospective Matthew 23:31 φονευσάντων aorist active participle participle Matthew 23:35 ἐφονεύσατε aorist active indicative completed Mark 10:19 φονεύσῃς aorist active subjunctive subjunctive Luke 18:20 φονεύσῃς aorist active subjunctive subjunctive Romans 13:9 φονεύσεις future active indicative prospective James 2:11 φονεύσῃς aorist active subjunctive subjunctive James 2:11 φονεύεις present active indicative ongoing James 4:2 φονεύετε present active indicative ongoing

Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.

Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)

Word Pictures (Robertson)

A.T. Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) discusses this term in the following chapters. Open any chapter and go to the Word Pictures tab to read his verse-by-verse commentary.

Matthew 19 — Marriage from Creation, Children Received, Riches Renounced, and the Reward of Following Christ Romans 13 — Submission to Governing Authorities, Love as the Fulfillment of the Law, and Life in the Light of the Coming Day

A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) — public domain

Sources

MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain

Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0

Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0

STEPBible Data — CC BY 4.0

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