καυτηριάζω
kautēriázō
G2743 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To burn or sear with a hot instrument, to brand. In extended or figurative usage: to render insensitive, callous, or morally unresponsive, as if by cauterization.
Semantic Range
to cauterize (medically), to sear, to brand with a hot iron, to render callous or insensitive (figurative, especially of conscience or moral sense)
Root / Etymology
Derived from the noun καυτήρ (cauter, branding iron, from καίω 'to burn'). The verb καυτηριάζω is a denominative formation meaning 'to burn with a cauterizing iron.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Greek, καυτηριάζω originally referred to the medical practice of cauterization—applying a heated instrument to tissue as a therapeutic measure to stop bleeding or treat wounds. By the Hellenistic and Roman periods, the word was also used in metaphorical senses, describing emotional or moral insensitivity, as if thoughts or consciences were hardened by a literal searing. In the New Testament (notably in 1 Timothy 4:2), the metaphor is employed to describe consciences made unresponsive through repeated wrongdoing, emphasizing lasting moral callousness rather than temporary numbness. Common English versions often translate the figurative use narrowly as 'seared,' but this may not capture the deliberate and irreversible effect implied by the Greek. The imagery highlights not only pain and loss of sensitivity but also the mark or brand left behind, making the state permanent. Compared with related Greek terms (πυρόω 'to burn, purify by fire'; στιγματίζω 'to brand, mark'), καυτηριάζω emphasizes the lasting, destructive change in sensitivity. Its usage in the Septuagint is rare or absent; in non-biblical Koine sources, it retains both its literal and figurative applications.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from a derivative of καίω; to brand ("cauterize"), i.e. (by implication) to render unsensitive (figuratively):--sear with a hot iron.
Root Family
καυτηριάζω (kautēriazō) — to cauterize, to burn with a hot iron, to brand, to render callous
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2743-01 |
κεκαυστηριασμένων | kekausteriasmenon | V PRF PASS PTCP GEN M PL |
seared | of those having been cauterized | of those having been cauterized | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2743-01 |
1 Timothy 4:2 | κεκαυστηριασμένων | kekausteriasmenon | V PRF PASS PTCP GEN M PL |
seared | of those having been cauterized | of those having been cauterized |