Lexical Summary kolazó: To punish, to chastise, to correct Original Word: κολάζω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance punish. From kolos (dwarf); properly, to curtail, i.e. (figuratively) to chastise (or reserve for infliction) -- punish. HELPS Word-studies 2849 kolázō – properly, to dwarf, mutilate (curtail); used of punishing slaves to incapacitate them; hence, to punish (cause agony) to curtail ("dock/check," Abbott-Smith), i.e. in a way that restrains (impedes, restricts). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom kolos (docked) Definition to chastise NASB Translation punish (1), punishment (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 2849: κολαζοκολαζο: present passive participle κολαζόμενος; 1 aorist middle sub. junc. 3 person plural κολάσωνται; (κόλος lopped); in Greek writings: 1. properly, to lop, prune, as trees, wings. 2. to check, curb, restrain. 3. to chastise, correct, punish: so in the N. T.; passive 2 Peter 2:9, and Lachmann in 4; middle to cause to be punished (3Macc. 7:3): Acts 4:21. κoλάζω carries the sense of restraining wrongdoing through punitive correction. The stress lies less on vengeance than on the moral and social necessity of curbing evil and safeguarding community order. In Scripture the verb therefore highlights God’s righteous government and the limitations of human authority in executing judgment. Background in Greek Literature and the Septuagint Classical writers employ κoλάζω for penalties ranging from fines to corporal punishment, almost always with an educational or deterrent motive. The Septuagint adopts the verb to translate Hebrew roots such as עָנַשׁ (ʿānash, “to penalize”) and נָכָה (nākāh, “to strike”), especially in prophetic warnings (for example, Ezekiel 14:10; Jeremiah 10:24; Zechariah 10:2). This intertestamental usage prepares the New Testament reader to hear κoλάζω as a term of divine, covenantal discipline rather than arbitrary cruelty. Occurrences in the New Testament 1. Acts 4:21. The Sanhedrin, “finding no basis to punish them,” releases Peter and John. Here κoλάζω describes the threatened civil penalty against Gospel proclamation. Luke contrasts human attempts at suppression with the unstoppable advance of the Word. Theological Themes Divine justice and patience Discipline of believers Limits of human authority Eschatological restraint Historical Interpretation Early church writers such as Clement of Alexandria distinguished κoλάζω (corrective) from τιμωρέω (vindictive), teaching that God’s penalties aim at moral purification. Patristic homilies on 2 Peter 2:9 often cite Noah’s flood and the destruction of Sodom as paradigms of provisional judgment awaiting ultimate consummation. Practical Ministry Application Preaching Counseling and church discipline Civic engagement Related Biblical Terms παιδεύω – discipline aimed at training (Hebrews 12:7). τιμωρία – vengeance or penalty emphasizing retribution (2 Corinthians 7:11). ἐπιτιμία – official censure, especially excommunication (2 Corinthians 2:6). Summary κoλάζω presents punishment as a measured, purposeful instrument in the hand of both God and, secondarily, legitimate human authorities. Its two New Testament occurrences frame a theology of judgment that is already operative in history yet awaits its fullest display at the day of the Lord. For the church, κoλάζω stands as a sobering reminder to proclaim Christ faithfully, discipline lovingly, and rest in the assurance that ultimate justice is in God’s hands. Englishman's Concordance Acts 4:21 V-ASM-3PGRK: τὸ πῶς κολάσωνται αὐτούς διὰ NAS: no basis on which to punish them) on account KJV: how they might punish them, INT: the how they might punish them on account of 2 Peter 2:9 V-PPM/P-AMP Strong's Greek 2849 |
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