"to stifle, suffocate, choke, Mk. 5:13; to seize by the throat, Mk. 13:17; 18:28*"
Definition and meaning
to stifle, suffocate, choke, Mk. 5:13; to seize by the throat, Mk. 13:17; 18:28*
In the original Greek the word is written: πνίγω
Historical context
Rome had controlled Judea since 63 BC. Herod the Great rebuilt the Temple into one of the most magnificent structures in the ancient world — and simultaneously murdered members of his own family. The common people paid multiple layers of taxation and were politically powerless. Into that world a carpenter from Galilee began teaching that the kingdom of God had arrived.
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 pnigo (G4155) across the King James Bible.
But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.
And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea,(they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea.
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Common questions
Strong's G4155 (pnigo) is a Greek word that means: to stifle, suffocate, choke, Mk. 5:13; to seize by the throat, Mk. 13:17; 18:28* It appears 2 times in the King James Bible.
The word pnigo (G4155) appears 2 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G4155 is pnigo, a Greek word defined as: to stifle, suffocate, choke, Mk. 5:13; to seize by the throat, Mk. 13:17; 18:28*. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
pnigo is a Greek word found in the New Testament.