νεκρόω
nekróō
G3499 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To put to death, cause to become dead or lifeless (physically); in figurative contexts, to render inactive, to deprive of power or vitality, to subdue or suppress (especially desires or impulses). Primary lexical meaning involves making something dead, whether literally (causing death) or figuratively (rendering powerless or ineffective). Used figuratively in the New Testament to describe the deliberate suppression or control of sinful impulses or bodily desires.
Semantic Range
to put to death (literally); to render dead, to kill; to make powerless; to deprive of vital power, to mortify, to subdue or suppress (especially bodily desires or sinful impulses)
Root / Etymology
Formed from the adjective νεκρός (dead, lifeless) with the verb-forming suffix -όω, indicating 'to make like a dead thing.' No evidence of non-Greek borrowing; consistent with standard Koine verb formation.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Greek, νεκρόω appears with the literal sense 'to put to death' or 'to kill,' though attested rarely compared to other verbs for killing. In the Koine period, particularly in the Pauline letters (e.g., Romans 8:13; Colossians 3:5), the verb is used almost exclusively in a metaphorical or ethical sense: to mortify or subdue bodily impulses, sinful tendencies, or earthly inclinations. In these New Testament contexts, standard English translations historically use terms like 'mortify,' 'put to death,' or 'subdue.' The use of 'mortify' reflects the Latin Vulgate tradition and may not capture the sense of deliberate, active suppression present in the Greek. The verb does not carry specific religious or sacrificial meaning—but emphasizes an active, ongoing process. Unlike θνῄσκω ('to die'), which denotes the event of becoming dead, and ἀποκτείνω ('to kill'), which denotes the act of killing, νεκρόω focuses on rendering powerless or nullifying the effective life of something, particularly in moral exhortation.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from νεκρός; to deaden, i.e. (figuratively) to subdue:--be dead, mortify.
Root Family
νεκρόω (nekróō) — to make dead, to render lifeless, to deprive of power
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3499-02 |
νενεκρωμένον | nenekromenon | V PRF PASS PTCP ACC N SG |
as good as dead | having been made lifeless | having been made lifeless | 1 |
G3499-01 |
νεκρώσατε | nekrosate | V AOR ACT IMP 2P PL |
Put to death | Put to death | Put to death | 1 |
G3499-03 |
νενεκρωμένου | nenekromenou | V PRF PASS PTCP GEN M SG |
as good as dead | of one having been made dead | of one having been made dead | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3499-02 |
Romans 4:19 | νενεκρωμένον | nenekromenon | V PRF PASS PTCP ACC N SG |
as good as dead | having been made lifeless | having been made lifeless |
G3499-01 |
Colossians 3:5 | νεκρώσατε | nekrosate | V AOR ACT IMP 2P PL |
Put to death | Put to death | Put to death |
G3499-03 |
Hebrews 11:12 | νενεκρωμένου | nenekromenou | V PRF PASS PTCP GEN M SG |
as good as dead | of one having been made dead | of one having been made dead |