ῥαπίζω
rhapízō
G4474 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To strike with the palm of the hand, to slap; specifically, to deliver a blow with an open hand, as distinct from a punch or strike with a fist or weapon. In extended contexts, may indicate a shameful or humiliating act of striking, especially in insult or contempt, as opposed to a simple act of violence.
Semantic Range
to slap with the palm, to strike with an open hand, to deliver a blow as an insult or humiliation, to hit with a flat object, to administer a punitive or contemptuous slap
Root / Etymology
From ῥάπισμα (a slap), which is a derivative of ῥάπις (a rod, stick, staff, or switch). Related to the action of striking with a flat object or the open hand. The basic sense is 'to strike with something flat,' and this usage came to be specialized as 'to slap (with the palm)' in Koine and later Greek. The ultimate etymology of ῥάπις is uncertain.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In Classical Greek, ῥαπίζω could mean to strike with a stick or rod (ῥάπις), but by the Hellenistic and Koine periods, its usage had shifted predominantly to 'slap' or 'strike with the palm.' In the New Testament, the term carries connotations not just of physical violence, but also of public insult or humiliation—especially in juridical or confrontational settings. For example, in Matthew 26:67 and John 18:22, ῥαπίζω is used of striking Jesus with the palm, an act calculated to shame or humiliate. The distinction from τύπτω ('to strike, beat, hit'), which is a more general word for striking with any part of the body or an object, makes ῥαπίζω more specific for a slap or open-hand blow. Standard English translations like 'to smite' or 'to strike' may obscure the sense of an open-handed slap versus a fist. In extra-biblical Koine sources, the word retains this sense of a slap, typically understood as an affront or disciplinary action (sometimes even as a legal penalty for contempt).
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from a derivative of a primary (to let fall, "rap"); to slap:--smite (with the palm of the hand). Compare τύπτω.
Root Family
ῥαπίζω (rhapizō) — to slap, to strike with the palm, to hit with a flat object
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4474-01 |
ἐράπισαν | erapisan | V AOR ACT IND 3P PL |
they slapped | 1 | |
G4474-02 |
ῥαπίζει | rapizei | V PRS ACT IND 3P SG |
he/she slaps | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4474-02 |
Matthew 5:39 | ῥαπίζει | rapizei | V PRS ACT IND 3P SG |
he/she slaps | |
G4474-01 |
Matthew 26:67 | ἐράπισαν | erapisan | V AOR ACT IND 3P PL |
they slapped |