"to fence in; by impl. to obstruct, stop, close up, Heb. 11:33; met. to silence, put to silence, Rom. 3:19; 2 Cor. 11:10*"
Definition and meaning
to fence in; by impl. to obstruct, stop, close up, Heb. 11:33; met. to silence, put to silence, Rom. 3:19; 2 Cor. 11:10*
In the original Greek the word is written: φράσσω
Historical context
Paul wrote Romans from Corinth, one of the most important commercial cities in the empire. Rome had a Jewish population of around 50,000. The letter addresses real tensions between Jewish believers with centuries of Torah tradition and Gentile believers with no such background. Emperor Nero was on the throne. Within ten years he would execute both Paul and Peter.
The people who first heard this word were not reading a book — they were living through empires, oppression, exile, and covenant. Every word carried the weight of that reality. Understanding it changes how you read Scripture.
Scripture references
These are the most notable occurrences of phrasso (G5420) across the King James Bible.
Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
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Common questions
Strong's G5420 (phrasso) is a Greek word that means: to fence in; by impl. to obstruct, stop, close up, Heb. 11:33; met. to silence, put to silence, Rom. 3:19; 2 Cor. 11:10* It appears 2 times in the King James Bible.
The word phrasso (G5420) appears 2 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G5420 is phrasso, a Greek word defined as: to fence in; by impl. to obstruct, stop, close up, Heb. 11:33; met. to silence, put to silence, Rom. 3:19; 2 Cor. 11:10*. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
phrasso is a Greek word found in the New Testament.