φονεύω

I murder

Definition

The verb φονεύω means to murder, kill, or commit homicide. It specifically denotes the unlawful and intentional taking of human life, as distinguished from killing in war or by legal execution. In the New Testament, it consistently refers to the act of murder as a grave sin, most famously in the commandment 'You shall not murder' (οὐ φονεύσεις) cited in passages like Matthew 5:21, 19:18, and Romans 13:9. The word is also used to describe the murder of the prophets (Matthew 23:31, 35) and is listed among serious moral transgressions.

Biblical Usage

φονεύω is used in the New Testament primarily in ethical and legal contexts, often in lists of commandments or vices. It appears in the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) where Jesus quotes or discusses the Law, and in the epistles (Romans, James) in moral exhortations. For example, it is part of the Decalogue citations in Mark 10:19 and Luke 18:20, and James 2:11 uses it to argue for the unity of the Law. Its usage is uniformly negative, condemning the act as a violation of God's command.

Etymology

Derived from the Greek noun φόνος (phonos, G5408), meaning 'murder' or 'slaughter.' The verb form φονεύω literally means 'to be a murderer' or 'to commit murder.' It is part of a word family that emphasizes the act of killing, particularly with malicious intent.

Semantic Range

This word is theologically significant as it translates the sixth commandment ('You shall not murder') in the Septuagint and New Testament, grounding the sanctity of human life in God's law. Understanding φονεύω clarifies that Jesus' teaching in Matthew 5:21-22 intensifies this command to include the heart attitude of anger, not just the physical act. It relates to key doctrines of sin, law, and ethics, highlighting that murder violates the fundamental principle of loving one's neighbor (Romans 13:9).

In the first-century Greco-Roman and Jewish contexts, murder was universally condemned as a serious crime. However, the Jewish understanding, informed by the Torah, viewed it not only as a social offense but as a sin against God and a violation of the divine image in humans (Genesis 9:6). The Greek term φονεύω carried this weight of moral and religious transgression, differing from more neutral terms for killing.

ἀποκτείνω (apokteinō, G615) — a more general term for 'kill' or 'put to death,' which can include execution or slaying without the specific connotation of unlawful murder. θύω (thyō, G2380) — primarily means 'to sacrifice' or 'slaughter' in a ritual or violent context, not specifically for murder.

Word Details

Scripture References