Bible Word Study
πυγμή
pygmē · the fist
πυγμή
the fist
Definition
The Greek word πυγμή (pygmē) literally means 'the fist' or 'clenched hand.' In its sole New Testament occurrence in Mark 7:3, it is used in the phrase 'washing their hands with a fist,' which is debated by scholars. Some interpret this literally as a ritual hand-washing involving a clenched hand, while others argue it functions as an adverbial phrase meaning 'diligently' or 'thoroughly,' describing the intensity of the washing. The word itself, however, retains its core physical meaning of the closed hand.
Biblical Usage
πυγμή is used only once in the New Testament, in Mark 7:3. It appears in the context of a Pharisaic tradition of ritual hand-washing before eating. The phrase 'νίψωνται τὰς χεῖρας πυγμῇ' (niptsōntai tas cheiras pygmē) describes the manner of this washing. Its singular usage makes it a unique and context-specific term within the Gospel narrative.
Etymology
Derived from the Greek word πύξ (pyx), meaning 'with the fist.' It is related to the verb πύσσομαι (pyssomai), 'to fold' or 'to double up,' reflecting the action of clenching the hand. The word is the direct source for the English unit of measurement 'pugil' (related to the length of the forearm from elbow to knuckles) and is connected to 'pugilism' (boxing).
Semantic Range
In Mark 7:3, πυγμή is central to understanding a Jewish ritual purity practice. The Pharisees and some Jews washed their hands 'with a fist' (πυγμῇ) before meals. This likely refers to a specific ceremonial washing, perhaps involving pouring water over clenched hands or washing up to the wrist. The practice highlighted human tradition (Mark 7:8) and external ritual, which Jesus contrasted with the internal purity of the heart. Understanding this cultural context is key to the confrontation in Mark 7:1-23. χείρ (cheir, G5495) — The general word for 'hand'; πυγμή specifies the hand in a clenched state.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Dodson Greek-English Lexicon, supplemented by STEPBible TBESG data (CC BY 4.0). Concordance and morphology data are derived from the interlinear Bible.
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]