ταρταρόω

I thrust down to Tartarus

Definition

The verb ταρταρόω (tartaroō) means to cast down into Tartarus, a term derived from Greek mythology referring to a deep abyss of punishment. In its sole New Testament occurrence in 2 Peter 2:4, it describes God's action of judging sinful angels by confining them in gloomy dungeons to await final judgment. The word conveys a severe, irreversible divine judgment, emphasizing the certainty and dreadfulness of God's punishment for rebellion. While similar to concepts like Gehenna or Hades, Tartarus in this context specifically denotes a place of imprisonment for supernatural beings, not humans.

Biblical Usage

This word is used only once in the New Testament, in 2 Peter 2:4. It appears in a context warning against false teachers, where Peter cites examples of God's past judgments to underscore the certainty of future judgment. The usage is highly specific: it describes the fate of angels who sinned, being cast into Tartarus and held in chains of darkness. This singular usage serves a rhetorical purpose, using a vivid, culturally understood concept of ultimate confinement to highlight the seriousness of divine retribution.

Etymology

The verb ταρταρόω (tartaroō) is derived directly from the noun Τάρταρος (Tartaros), the name in Greek mythology for a deep, gloomy abyss below Hades where the Titans were imprisoned. It is a verbal form meaning 'to cast into Tartarus.' The word entered Jewish and early Christian thought as a borrowed concept to describe a place of divine punishment for supernatural beings, reflecting the Hellenistic cultural environment of the New Testament era.

Semantic Range

This word is theologically significant as it underscores the reality and severity of God's judgment, even upon powerful spiritual beings. It reinforces the biblical theme that rebellion against God—whether by humans or angels—invites decisive punishment. Understanding this Greek term enriches reading by connecting 2 Peter's argument to a vivid, contemporary image of imprisonment, thereby emphasizing the inescapability of divine justice and the importance of heeding biblical warnings.

In the original Greco-Roman cultural setting, Tartarus was a well-known mythological concept: the deepest part of the underworld, a prison for defeated gods and a place of torment. By using this term, the author of 2 Peter employs a familiar, powerful image from his audience's cultural milieu to communicate the severity of God's judgment. This differs from a modern understanding that might lack this immediate mythological resonance, but the core idea of a divinely ordained place of confinement for the wicked remains clear.

βάλλω εἰς τὴν γέενναν (ballō eis tēn geennan, various) — Refers to casting into Gehenna, a place of final punishment often associated with human sinners. ἀβύσσος (abyssos, G12) — The abyss or bottomless pit, a place of confinement for demons (Luke 8:31, Revelation 9:1).

Word Details

Scripture References