ἐφοβοῦντο
ephobounto
they feared
from φόβος; to frighten, i.e. (passively) to be alarmed; by analogy, to be in awe of, i.e. revere:--be (+ sore) afraid, fear (exceedingly), reverence.
Mark 11:18 · Word #13
Lexicon G5399
| Lemma | φοβέω |
| Transliteration | phobéō |
| Strong's | G5399 |
| In-context | they feared |
| Literal | they-were-fearing |
Morphology V IMPF MID IND 3P PL
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | V — Verb — An action or state of being |
| Tense | IMPF — Imperfect — Continuous or repeated past action |
| Voice | MID — Middle — The subject acts on itself or in its own interest |
| Mood | IND — Indicative — States a fact or reality |
| Person | 3P — 3rd person — The one spoken about ("he/she/it/they") |
| Number | PL — Plural — More than one |
Lexical Info
| Lemma | φοβέω |
| Strong's | G5399 |
SIBI-P1 G5399-05
they were fearing (for themselves)
| Root | φοβέω (phobeō) |
| Core Meanings | to fear, to frighten, to be alarmed, to stand in awe, to revere |
| Semantic Range | to be afraid, to experience alarm, to fear harm, to stand in awe, to show reverence, to shrink back in dread |
| Conceptual Significance | φοβέω expresses both terror and reverential awe in biblical literature. It can denote fearful reaction to danger or divine manifestation, but also covenantal reverence toward God. The middle imperfect often portrays an ongoing state of fear in response to divine power, revelation, or extraordinary events. |
| Morphological Notes | Verb; imperfect tense (past ongoing), indicative mood, middle voice; third person plural. The middle form highlights personal participation or inward response to fear. |
| Rendering Rationale | The imperfect tense conveys ongoing or repeated past action, rendered as "were fearing." The middle voice reflects personal involvement or self-regarding response, hence "for themselves," preserving the reflexive nuance inherent in the form. This keeps the connection to the root idea of fear (φόβος) while accurately reflecting third person plural. |
AI-generated (openai/gpt-5.2-chat-latest)
Words from Root φοβέω (to fear, to frighten, to be alarmed, to stand in awe, to revere)
| SILEX Code | Transliteration | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
G5399-01 |
ephobeito | he/she was fearing for himself/herself |
G5399-02 |
ephobethe | he was fear-struck |
G5399-03 |
ephobethesan | they were struck with fear |
Word Usage (95 occurrences of G5399)
| Location | Form | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew 1:20 | φοβηθῇς | phobethes | fear |
| Matthew 2:22 | ἐφοβήθη | ephobethe | he was afraid |
| Matthew 9:8 | ἐφοβήθησαν | ephobethesan |