What does πνίγω (pnígō) mean in the Bible?
πνίγω (pnígō): Denotes physical choking or suffocation; in passive form can mean drowning or being overwhelmed by water.
Greek · G4155
πνίγω
To choke
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 the Connect page. Screenshots are helpful.
πνίγω G4155
Pronunciation pnígō
What does πνίγω (pnígō) mean in the Bible?
πνίγω (pnígō): Denotes physical choking or suffocation; in passive form can mean drowning or being overwhelmed by water.
Full entry for πνίγω (G4155) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G4155?
The BSB source-word alignment has 3 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include and began to choke [him] (1), choked (1), drowned (1).
Where does πνίγω (pnígō) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 13:7. Its strongest book concentrations include Matthew (2), Mark (1).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It and began to choke [him] 1× Matthew 18:28
choked 1× Matthew 13:7
drowned 1× Mark 5:13
Show sample aligned rows
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Matthew 13:7
Aligned rows 3
Books represented 2
Matthew 2 Mark 1
Source forms
ἔπνιγεν 1x epnigen Matthew 18:28
ἐπνίγοντο 1x epnigonto Mark 5:13
ἔπνιξαν* 1x epnixan Matthew 13:7
Parsing patterns
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural 1x Matthew 13:7
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular 1x Matthew 18:28
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Plural 1x Mark 5:13
Evidence Summary
Greek word. Denotes physical choking or suffocation; in passive form can mean drowning or being overwhelmed by water.
Strong's G4155
Lexical occurrences 3 verses Greek text appearances 2 times Word forms 1 form 3 references Verse guides 0 guides
Source Gloss
to choke
Extended definition Source: STEPBible TBESG + Abbott-Smith
Denotes physical choking or suffocation; in passive form can mean drowning or being overwhelmed by water.
to choke: with accusative, Mat.13:7 (WH, mg.); imperfect (coniative), Mat.18:28; of drowning, pass., Mrk.5:13 (cf. ἀπο-, ἐπι-, συν-πνίγω).
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
2 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Matthew 18:28 Verb Third Person Singular Imperfect Active Indicative
ἔπνιγε, epnigen
I choke, strangle
Read verse Mark 5:13 Verb Third Person Plural Imperfect Passive Indicative
ἐπνίγοντο epnigonto
I choke, strangle
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.
Grammatical Forms
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.
Form groups 1 Aligned forms 3 Tenses Aorist, Imperfect Voices Active, Passive
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Tenses
Voices
Indicative states a fact or reality 3×
Aorist Active Matt 13:7 1×
Imperfect Active Matt 18:28 1×
Imperfect Passive Mark 5:13 1×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 3 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect
Tense
imperfect 2 aorist 1
Voice
active 2 passive 1
Mood
indicative 3
NT Occurrences
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)
Word Origins
πνίγω is built from this root:
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain