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μάρτυς

mártys

G3144 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A person who bears witness or gives testimony to what they have seen, heard, or experienced; in judicial or formal settings, an eyewitness or attesting party. In extended or figurative senses, one who affirms or publicly upholds a claim, often in the face of opposition; in later usage, especially post-New Testament, one who bears testimony to a belief, sometimes to the point of suffering or death (martyr).

Semantic Range

legal witness, eyewitness, attesting party, one giving formal testimony, one who affirms a claim, testifier to beliefs or truths, martyr (in later usage)

Root / Etymology

Root uncertain; possibly pre-Greek or an isolated formation without a clear verbal cognate in classical Greek. The word μαρτυς appears independently in early Greek without a clearly attested verb of origin; later connected with the verb μαρτυρέω (to bear witness), which is formally derived from μάρτυς.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, μαρτυς primarily denoted an eyewitness or person giving formal testimony in a legal context. The function was usually legal or at least formal: someone called on to attest to events or facts. In the Septuagint, μαρτυς translates Hebrew עֵד (ʻēd), maintaining the judicial-context meaning of one who testifies truthfully in legal matters. In the New Testament, the judicial sense remains dominant in narrative and legal settings (e.g., witnesses in trials: Acts 7:58; Matt 26:60-61). The word also acquires a figurative or extended sense: someone who attests to a truth, claim, or revelation (e.g., Acts 1:8, 'you will be my witnesses'). It is in post-New Testament Christian usage (2nd century CE and beyond) that μαρτυς specializes to mean 'one who bears witness to the point of death' (martyr), a meaning not clearly established in most New Testament and LXX contexts. English translations as 'martyr' reflect later theological developments, but in Koine usage the primary sense remains 'witness' (eyewitness or attesting party). The semantic development from 'legal witness' to 'testifier in the face of suffering' is a fundamental shift in later Christian literature. The related verb μαρτυρέω ('to bear witness') illustrates a transition from legal to existential or confessional senses.

Translation Consistency

primary "witness" 34 occurrences

Most common and natural English equivalent in the P2 renderings and fits the primary sense: a legal/eyewitness or one who bears testimony. 'Witness' works as both noun and verb, covers ordinary attesting use and the extended/figurative sense (including later 'martyr' as one who bears witness even to death), and will read naturally across contexts.

✓ All renderings match approved senses

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of uncertain affinity; a witness (literally (judicially) or figuratively (genitive case)); by analogy, a "martyr":-- martyr, record, witness.

Root Family

μάρτυς (martys) — witness, testifier, attesting party

Root μαρτυ- to witness, to testify, to bear witness

Word Forms

8 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G3144-04 μαρτύρων marturon N GEN M PL witnesses of witnesses of witnesses 9
G3144-03 μάρτυρες martures N NOM M PL witnesses witnesses witnesses 9
G3144-06 μάρτυς martus N NOM M SG witness witness witness 8
G3144-01 μάρτυρα martura N ACC M SG a witness a witness a witness 3
G3144-08 μάρτυσιν martusin N DAT M PL witnesses to witnesses witnesses 2
G3144-02 μάρτυρας marturas N ACC M PL witnesses witnesses witnesses 1
G3144-05 μάρτυρός marturos N GEN M SG martyr/witness of a witness witness 1
G3144-07 μάρτυσι martusi N DAT M PL witnesses to witnesses to witnesses 1

Occurrences in Scripture

34 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G3144-04 Matthew 18:16 μαρτύρων marturon N GEN M PL witnesses of witnesses of witnesses
G3144-04 Matthew 26:65 μαρτύρων marturon N GEN M PL of witnesses of witnesses of witnesses
G3144-04 Mark 14:63 μαρτύρων marturon N GEN M PL of witnesses of witnesses of witnesses
G3144-03 Luke 24:48 μάρτυρες martures N NOM M PL witnesses witnesses witnesses
G3144-03 Acts 1:8 μάρτυρες martures N NOM M PL witnesses witnesses witnesses
G3144-01 Acts 1:22 μάρτυρα martura N ACC M SG a witness a witness a witness
G3144-03 Acts 2:32 μάρτυρες martures N NOM M PL witnesses witnesses witnesses
G3144-03 Acts 3:15 μάρτυρές martures N NOM M PL witnesses witnesses witnesses
G3144-03 Acts 5:32 μάρτυρες martures N NOM M PL witnesses witnesses witnesses
G3144-02 Acts 6:13 μάρτυρας marturas N ACC M PL witnesses witnesses witnesses
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