5099. tinó

Lexical Summary

tinó: to pay, to recompense

Original Word: τίνω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: tinó
Pronunciation: tee'-no
Phonetic Spelling: (tee'-no)
KJV: be punished with
NASB: pay
Word Origin: [strengthened for a primary tio tee'-o (which is only used as an alternate in certain tenses)]

1. to pay a price, i.e. as a penalty

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

pay

Strengthened for a primary tio (tee'-o) (which is only used as an alternate in certain tenses) to pay a price, i.e. As a penalty -- be punished with.

HELPS Word-studies

5099 tínō (a primitive root, NAS dictionary) – to be punished, having to pay the penal fine attached to the crime (used only in 2 Thes 1:9).

[In the papyri tinō also means "pay the penalty" (P Fay 21.24, ad 134), like "paying the fitting penalty"(MM, 636).]

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
a prim. verb
Definition
to pay, to pay a penalty
NASB Translation
pay (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 5099: τίνω

τίνω: future τίσω; from Homer down; to pay, to recompense: δίκην, to pay penalty, suffer punishment, 2 Thessalonians 1:9 (Plato, Phaedo, p. 81 d.; Theact., p. 177 a.; Aelian v. h. 13, 2; δίκας, id. 1, 24; θωην, Homer, Odyssey 2, 193; ποινας, Pindar Ol. 2, 106; ζημίαν, the Sept. Proverbs 27:12). (Compare: ἀποτίνω.)

Topical Lexicon

Overview

Strong's Greek 5099 appears once in the New Testament, at 2 Thessalonians 1:9. The verb expresses the idea of “paying” or “bearing” the lawful consequence for wrongdoing. In the single New Testament occurrence it is joined with “justice” (dikēn) to describe the dreadful outcome awaiting those who reject the gospel.

Biblical Usage

2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 reads: “in blazing fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the penalty of eternal destruction, separated from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His might.”

The verb translated “will suffer the penalty” is the single occurrence of 5099. In context, Paul comforts persecuted believers (2 Thessalonians 1:4-7) by assuring them that God’s righteousness guarantees two simultaneous realities: relief for the afflicted saints and retributive justice upon their persecutors. The verb underscores that the judgment is not arbitrary; it is a rightful payment owed for rebellion against God.

Old Testament Background

Although Hebrew uses different vocabulary, the conceptual foundation is established in passages such as Numbers 32:23, “be sure your sin will find you out,” and Ezekiel 18:4, “the soul who sins is the one who will die.” The prophets often portray God as both just and gracious, insisting that wrongdoing brings inevitable recompense (Isaiah 59:18; Jeremiah 17:10). Paul’s choice of 5099 in 2 Thessalonians 1:9 resonates with this heritage of divine recompense.

Theological Significance

1. Divine Justice. The term conveys strict equity. God does not overlook evil; He ensures that sin receives its due. This answers the perennial question of how a righteous God responds to persecution and wickedness.
2. Finality. Coupled with “eternal destruction,” the verb points to a definitive, irreversible act. The offender “pays” the debt forever, highlighting the seriousness of rejecting Christ.
3. Contrast with Grace. Scripture teaches that believers are “justified freely by His grace” (Romans 3:24). Christ’s atoning work satisfies the penalty for sin on behalf of His people (1 Peter 2:24). Those outside Christ must pay it themselves (John 3:36), as 2 Thessalonians 1:9 affirms. The word thus accentuates the chasm between salvation and judgment.

Eschatological Dimension

Paul’s focus is future-oriented. The payment of penalty occurs at the revelation of the Lord Jesus “from heaven” (2 Thessalonians 1:7). This aligns with other descriptions of final judgment (Matthew 25:31-46; Revelation 20:11-15) where punishment is portrayed as righteous recompense. The permanence of the sentence (“eternal destruction”) refutes views that reduce eschatological judgment to temporary or corrective measures.

Pastoral and Ministry Applications

• Encouragement to the Persecuted. Knowing that God will exact perfect justice enables believers to endure hostility without yielding to vengeance (Romans 12:19).
• Evangelistic Urgency. The certainty of a penalty underscores the necessity of proclaiming the gospel. If unbelievers must “pay,” the church must plead for reconciliation before the day of reckoning (2 Corinthians 5:20).
• Holiness and Accountability. Even saved sinners recognize that sin carries weight. The vocabulary of divine recompense cultivates reverent fear, leading to sanctified living (Hebrews 12:28-29).

Historical and Patristic Witness

Early Christian writers echo Paul’s use. Ignatius (Epistle to the Ephesians 16) warns of those who “shall bear the penalty” for corrupting teaching. Irenaeus (Against Heresies IV.28.2) cites 2 Thessalonians 1:9 to demonstrate that final punishment is just and eternal. Their citations show continuity of interpretation: God’s justice requires a real, personal recompense for sin.

Related Concepts in Redemption

• Propitiation (Romans 3:25). Christ diverts the righteous wrath believers would otherwise bear.
• Redemption (Ephesians 1:7). Payment imagery shifts from the sinner paying the penalty to Christ paying the ransom.
• Justification (Romans 5:1). Legal satisfaction through faith eliminates any future “payment” for those united to Christ.

Summary

Strong’s 5099 encapsulates the sober truth that sin incurs an obligation which must be settled. In 2 Thessalonians 1:9 Paul employs the term to assure afflicted believers that God Himself will require payment from unrepentant persecutors, doing so in perfect righteousness and finality. The word therefore magnifies both the holiness of God and the glory of the gospel: either Christ bears the penalty, or the sinner does.

Forms and Transliterations

τίσομαι τίσονται τισουσιν τίσουσιν tisousin tísousin

Englishman's Concordance

2 Thessalonians 1:9 V-FIA-3P
GRK: οἵτινες δίκην τίσουσιν ὄλεθρον αἰώνιον
NAS: These will pay the penalty of eternal
INT: who [the] penalty will suffer destruction eternal

Strong's Greek 5099
1 Occurrence

τίσουσιν — 1 Occ.