To beat up
Reading a lexicon entry
What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
Strong's number: The Strong's code (H- or G-) is the standard reference number for this word. It connects this entry to chapter and passage language tabs.
Where it appears: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
This lexicon entry is part of our ongoing editorial review. If you notice missing content, unclear wording, or a possible correction, please send us a note through theConnect page. Screenshots are helpful.
Dero means to strike, beat, or flog, and its New Testament uses consistently name serious physical violence rather than a mild touch. The verb appears in Jesus' parables when tenants beat a landowner's servants, in warnings that disciples will be beaten for their witness, in the abuse of Jesus during His hearing, and in accounts of apostles punished by authorities.
Reader summary
Full entry for δέρω (G1194) · Open the biblical lexicon
Dero means to strike, beat, or flog, and its New Testament uses consistently name serious physical violence rather than a mild touch. The verb appears in Jesus' parables when tenants beat a landowner's servants, in warnings that disciples will be beaten for their witness, in the abuse of Jesus during His hearing, and in accounts of apostles punished by.
The BSB source-word alignment has 15 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include They beat (3), will be beaten with (2), [and] beat [Him] (1), and had them flogged (1), beat (1).
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 21:35. Its strongest book concentrations include Luke (5), Acts (3), Mark (3), 1 Corinthians (1).
Dero means to strike, beat, or flog, and its New Testament uses consistently name serious physical violence rather than a mild touch. The verb appears in Jesus' parables when tenants beat a landowner's servants, in warnings that disciples will be beaten for their witness, in the abuse of Jesus during His hearing, and in accounts of apostles punished by authorities.
Context determines whether the blow belongs to a parable, persecution, unlawful treatment, or an image of accountability. The word never makes violence righteous merely because a powerful person inflicts it. Jesus answers the officer's blow by appealing to truth and evidence, while Paul names an unlawful public beating rather than hiding it. Dero therefore helps teachers speak honestly about suffering, injustice, endurance, and witness without sanctifying abuse or commanding harmed people to remain silent.
Dero gathers New Testament scenes of beating and flogging, from violent tenants and persecuting councils to the abuse of Jesus and the unlawful punishment of His witnesses.
But the tenants seized his servants. They beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.
In Jesus' vineyard parable, beating one servant belongs to an escalating rejection of the owner's messengers.
So be on your guard. You will be delivered over to the councils and beaten in the synagogues. On My account you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them.
Jesus prepares disciples for bodily persecution while identifying their appearance before rulers as an occasion for witness.
The men who were holding Jesus began to mock Him and beat Him.
The beating of Jesus is joined to mockery while He is held, exposing the cruelty surrounding His unjust suffering.
Jesus replied, “If I said something wrong, testify as to what was wrong. But if I spoke correctly, why did you strike Me?”
Jesus neither retaliates nor calls the blow acceptable; He exposes its injustice by appealing to truthful testimony.
At this, they yielded to Gamaliel. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and released them.
The apostles are flogged and commanded to silence, yet the surrounding narrative shows their continued public witness to Jesus.
But Paul said to the officers, “They beat us publicly without a trial and threw us into prison, even though we are Roman citizens. And now do they want to send us away secretly? Absolutely not! Let them come themselves and escort us out!”
Paul names the beating as unlawful and requires public accountability, showing that faithful suffering does not forbid a truthful appeal to justice.
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders ItA compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
Greek word. Violent beating or flogging; literally to flay skin, metaphorically severe physical punishment in persecution contexts.
Violent beating or flogging; literally to flay skin, metaphorically severe physical punishment in persecution contexts.
Textus Receptus witness, full corpusGreek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
15 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
I flay, flog, scourge, beat
Read verseI flay, flog, scourge, beat
Read verseI flay, flog, scourge, beat
Read verseI flay, flog, scourge, beat
Read verseI flay, flog, scourge, beat
Read verseI flay, flog, scourge, beat
Read verseI flay, flog, scourge, beat
Read verseI flay, flog, scourge, beat
Read verseI flay, flog, scourge, beat
Read verseI flay, flog, scourge, beat
Read verseI flay, flog, scourge, beat
Read verseI flay, flog, scourge, beat
Read verseI flay, flog, scourge, beat
Read verseI flay, flog, scourge, beat
Read verseI flay, flog, scourge, beat
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
How this verb appears across 13 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.
Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Showing 1 selected witness from 15 lexical occurrence verses.
δέρω is a primary verb - no further derivation.
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Dero forces teaching about persecution to remain concrete. The New Testament does not describe a vague feeling of opposition; it records bodies struck, servants rejected, Jesus mocked, apostles flogged, and Roman citizens beaten without trial. Jesus' response in John 18 is especially important: He refuses retaliation, but He also questions the blow and calls for evidence.
Paul likewise names the Philippian beating as unlawful and seeks public accountability. Christian endurance therefore cannot be reduced to passive acceptance of every abusive act. Disciples may suffer for Christ, forgive enemies, and refuse vengeance while still telling the truth, seeking protection, using lawful recourse, and defending others from harm. The word names violence honestly so that pastoral application can do the same.
John.18.23
Dero denotes forceful physical striking and can be rendered beat or flog according to the setting. The verb identifies the violent action, but syntax and narrative context determine the agent, victim, legal setting, and theological significance. It should not be softened into generic opposition or expanded to every kind of suffering.
The prophets often endured rejection from those who refused God's word, and Jesus gathers that pattern into His vineyard parable before bearing unjust violence Himself. Acts then shows His witnesses suffering for His name. The canonical movement does not praise cruelty; it exposes resistance to God's messengers and displays faithful testimony under pressure. Final justice belongs to God, while His people are called to truth, endurance, mercy, and responsible protection of the vulnerable.