Lexical Summary thériomacheó: To fight with wild beasts Original Word: θηριομαχέω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance fight with wild beasts. From a compound of therion and machomai; to be a beast-fighter (in the gladiatorial show), i.e. (figuratively) to encounter (furious men) -- fight with wild beasts. see GREEK therion see GREEK machomai NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom thérion and machomai Definition to fight with wild beasts NASB Translation fought with wild beasts (1), wild beasts (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 2341: θηριομαχέωθηριομαχέω, θηριομάχω: 1 aorist ἐθηριομάχησα; (θηριομαχος); to fight with wild beasts (Diodorus 3, 43, 7; Artemidorus Daldianus, oneir. 2, 54; 5, 49); εἰ ἐθηριομάχησα ἐν Ἐφέσῳ, 1 Corinthians 15:32 — these words some take literally, supposing that Paul was condemned to fight with wild beasts; others explain them tropically of a fierce contest with brutal and ferocious men (so θηριομάχειν in Ignatius ad Rom. 5 [ET] (etc.); ὁιοις θηρίοις μαχομεθα says Pompey, in the Appendix, bell. 104:2,61; see θηρίον). The former opinion encounters the objection that Paul would not have omitted this most terrible of all perils from the catalog in 2 Corinthians 11:23ff Topical Lexicon Overview Strong’s Greek 2341 appears only once in the New Testament, in 1 Corinthians 15:32. Paul employs the image of “fighting wild beasts” to underscore the futility of suffering for Christ if the resurrection were not a historical reality. The verb evokes an arena scene in which a combatant contends with ferocious animals, highlighting extreme peril and sacrificial resolve. Historical Background in the Greco-Roman World Public spectacles that pitted humans against beasts were common in major imperial cities. Gladiatorial games, venationes, and executions ad bestias provided entertainment and judicial punishment. Prisoners, slaves, and perceived threats to civic order—among them Christians—were sometimes exposed to lions, leopards, or bulls. By the mid-first century, Ephesus possessed a theater capable of hosting such events. Paul’s wording therefore resonated with an audience familiar with the roar of arenas and the lethal danger they represented. Paul’s Usage in 1 Corinthians 15:32 “If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for human motives, what did it profit me? If the dead are not raised, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.’” Interpretation revolves around whether Paul describes a literal encounter or a figurative struggle: 1. Literal view: Paul may have been condemned to the arena during his Ephesian ministry. Ancient tradition records believers who survived miraculous confrontations (compare Daniel 6; also note 2 Timothy 4:17, “the Lord…saved me from the mouth of the lion”). Either reading reinforces Paul’s central argument: he endured life-threatening ordeals because he was convinced of the physical resurrection of the dead. Implications for Christian Suffering and Witness The verb pictures ultimate hostility against the Gospel. Paul ties such suffering directly to the hope of bodily resurrection, teaching that: • Present trials gain eternal weight (2 Corinthians 4:17). Typological and Scriptural Connections • Old Testament saints confronted beasts by faith: David with lions (1 Samuel 17:34-37), Daniel in the den (Daniel 6:22). Church History and Early Martyrdom Second-century accounts (Ignatius, Polycarp, the Martyrs of Lyon) attest to believers thrown to beasts for refusing idolatry. The apostolic allusion in 1 Corinthians 15:32 provided precedent and encouragement: faithful witness may meet bloody opposition, yet resurrection triumphs. Practical Ministry Applications 1. Encourage believers under persecution: suffering is never purposeless; it testifies to future glory. Summary The solitary New Testament occurrence of Strong’s Greek 2341 conveys the highest stakes of discipleship. Whether Paul survived an arena or used vivid metaphor, the term crystallizes his message: because Christ has been raised, believers can confront the fiercest opposition with steadfast hope, knowing that “your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58). Forms and Transliterations εθηριομαχησα εθηριομάχησα ἐθηριομάχησα etheriomachesa etheriomáchesa ethēriomachēsa ethēriomáchēsaLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |
    |