What does βάπτω (báptō) mean in the Bible?
G911 means to dip or moisten. In John 13 it appears in the sign of the dipped morsel that Jesus gives to Judas.
Greek · G911
βάπτω
To dip
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βάπτω G911
Pronunciation báptō
What does βάπτω (báptō) mean in the Bible?
G911 means to dip or moisten. In John 13 it appears in the sign of the dipped morsel that Jesus gives to Judas.
Reader summary
Full entry for βάπτω (G911) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G911?
The BSB source-word alignment has 4 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include dipped (2), after I have dipped [it] (1), dip (1).
Where does βάπτω (báptō) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Luke 16:24. Its strongest book concentrations include John (2), Luke (1), Revelation (1).
What This Word Actually Means
G911 means to dip or moisten. In John 13 it appears in the sign of the dipped morsel that Jesus gives to Judas. The word is ordinary table language, but the scene is heavy: Jesus identifies the betrayer within the intimacy of supper. The verb helps readers notice that betrayal is not exposed through spectacle but through a small, concrete action interpreted by Jesus' own words.
It must not be confused with baptism language or made to carry sacramental claims. John focuses on Jesus' knowledge, Judas's responsibility, and the sorrowful nearness of betrayal. Teachers should use the word to slow the scene down, then let the passage's stated meaning govern the claim.
How the Bible Uses It
G911 marks the dipped morsel in John 13. The word is ordinary table language, but Jesus' interpretation makes the action a sign that identifies Judas as the betrayer.
- John.13.26
Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I give this morsel after I have dipped it.” Then He dipped the morsel and gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot.
Jesus identifies the betrayer through the dipped morsel and then gives it to Judas. The word marks an ordinary table action interpreted by Jesus' own words.
Passage context
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 dipped 2× John 13:26, Revelation 19:13
after I have dipped [it] 1× John 13:26
dip 1× Luke 16:24
Show sample aligned rows
Luke 16:24 βάψῃ to dip Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular John 13:26 βάψω to after I have dipped [it] Verb - Future Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular John 13:26 βάψας to dipped Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular Revelation 19:13 βεβαμμένον to dipped Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Neuter Singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Luke 16:24
Aligned rows 4
Books represented 3
Luke 1 John 2 Revelation 1
Source forms
βάψας 1x bapsas John 13:26
βάψῃ 1x bapsē Luke 16:24
βάψω 1x bapsō John 13:26
βεβαμμένον 1x bebammenon Revelation 19:13
Parsing patterns
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular 1x John 13:26
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular 1x Luke 16:24
Verb - Future Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular 1x John 13:26
Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Neuter Singular 1x Revelation 19:13
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Distinguish G911 from baptism vocabulary and keep the focus on John 13's table scene.
- Let Jesus' spoken explanation define the meaning of the dipped morsel.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim G911 teaches baptism theology in John 13.
- Do not claim the dipped morsel causes Judas's betrayal; the passage uses it to identify the betrayer.
Pastoral applicationPassage context
Evidence Summary
Greek word. to dip
Strong's G911
Lexical occurrences 4 verses Greek text appearances 3 times Word forms 3 forms 4 references Verse guides 0 guides
Source Gloss
to dip
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
3 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Luke 16:24 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Active Subjunctive
βάψῃ bayh
I dip, dye
Read verse John 13:26 Verb Aorist Active Participle Nominative Singular Masculine
βάψας bayav
I dip, dye
Read verse Revelation 19:13 Verb Perfect Passive Participle Accusative Singular Neuter
βεβαμμένον bebammenon
I dip, dye
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 3 Aligned forms 4 Tenses Aorist, Future, Perfect Voices Active, Passive
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Tenses
Voices
Subjunctive possibility, probability, or purpose 1×
Aorist Active Luke 16:24 1×
Indicative states a fact or reality 1×
Future Active John 13:26 1×
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 2×
Aorist Active John 13:26 1×
Perfect Passive Rev 19:13 1×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 4 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect
Tense
aorist 2 future 1 perfect 1
Voice
active 3 passive 1
Mood
participle 2 indicative 1 subjunctive 1
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
βάπτω is a primary verb - no further derivation.
For the Preacher and Teacher
John 13 uses G911 in a quiet but weighty action. Jesus says the betrayer is the one to whom He will give the morsel after dipping it, and then He dips and gives it to Judas. The action is ordinary in form, yet solemn because Jesus interprets it in advance. The word should not be confused with baptism language, nor should it be turned into a sacramental claim.
It helps the teacher slow the scene down and see the closeness of betrayal at the table. Jesus knows, speaks, acts, and remains sovereign even as Judas is exposed.
Anchor passage
John.13.26
Doctrinal connections
- John.13.26 - Jesus identifies the betrayer through the dipped morsel and then gives it to Judas. The word marks an ordinary table action interpreted by Jesus' own words.
To dip or moisten is a reviewed display gloss for G911. In this John-focused companion, the local discourse foregrounding data shows 2 John use(s), with tense patterns summarized as Future 1, Aorist 1. Use these grammar signals as support for reading the passage, not as a replacement for context.
From Old to New Testament
The broader Scripture connection should remain modest: table sign and exposed betrayal is visible in the cited passages, while the full theological claim must come from each passage's context rather than from the word alone.
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