ἐξυπνίζω

I wake out of sleep

Definition

The verb ἐξυπνίζω means to wake someone out of sleep, specifically to rouse them from a state of slumber. It is used literally in the New Testament to describe the act of waking a person from natural sleep. In its sole biblical occurrence in John 11:11, Jesus uses it metaphorically to describe the resurrection of Lazarus, referring to death as a sleep from which Lazarus will be awakened. This usage connects the literal act of waking with the profound spiritual reality of resurrection from the dead.

Biblical Usage

This word is used only once in the New Testament, in John 11:11. Jesus tells his disciples, 'Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going so that I may awaken him out of sleep (ἐξυπνίσω αὐτόν).' The context is Jesus' announcement of his intention to raise Lazarus from the dead, employing sleep as a common metaphor for death. The usage is therefore both literal in its root meaning and heavily theological in its immediate application.

Etymology

Derived from the preposition ἐξ (ex), meaning 'out of' or 'from,' combined with the verb ὑπνίζω (hypnizō), a less common verb related to ὕπνος (hypnos, 'sleep'). The compound form ἐξυπνίζω thus literally means 'to wake out of sleep.' It emphasizes the transition from a state of sleep to a state of being awake, highlighting the point of departure.

Semantic Range

This word is theologically significant because Jesus chooses it to describe his act of raising Lazarus. By using a term for waking from natural sleep, Jesus frames death not as a final end, but as a temporary state from which one can be roused. This reinforces the New Testament teaching of resurrection and prefigures Jesus' own resurrection. Understanding this Greek term enriches the reading of John 11 by clarifying the intentional metaphor that connects ordinary human experience with the extraordinary power of Christ over death.

In the ancient Greco-Roman world, sleep was a common metaphor for death, found in both secular literature and Jewish thought (e.g., Daniel 12:2). This cultural understanding made Jesus' statement immediately comprehensible to his disciples, though they initially misunderstood it literally (John 11:12-13). The metaphor softened the harsh reality of death, presenting it as a rest from which one could be awakened.

ἐγείρω (egeirō, G1453) — A more general verb for 'to raise' or 'to awaken,' used very frequently for both literal waking and resurrection. διεγείρω (diegeirō, G1326) — Means 'to arouse thoroughly' or 'to wake up,' often used in contexts of stirring someone to action.

Word Details

Scripture References