Original Word: φονεύς
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: phoneus
Pronunciation: fo-NEUS
Phonetic Spelling: (fon-yooce')
Definition: a murderer.
Meaning: A murderer; one who unlawfully kills another human being with premeditated malice.

Word Origin: Derived from the Greek verb φονεύω (phoneuō), meaning "to murder" or "to kill."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: • H7523 רָצַח (ratsach): To murder, slay, kill. This Hebrew term is often used in the Old Testament to describe the act of murder, paralleling the Greek φονεύς in its moral and legal implications.
• H2026 הָרַג (harag): To kill, slay. While broader in scope, this term can also refer to unlawful killing, depending on the context.

The entry for φονεύς highlights the biblical condemnation of murder as a violation of God's commandment and the inherent value of human life. The New Testament usage reinforces the continuity of this moral principle from the Old Testament, emphasizing the need for repentance and transformation through Christ.

Usage: The term φονεύς is used in the New Testament to describe individuals who commit murder. It is often used in a moral and legal context to denote the gravity of the act of taking another's life.

Context: • The Greek word φονεύς appears in several New Testament passages, emphasizing the serious nature of murder as a sin and a crime. In the Berean Standard Bible, it is translated as "murderer."
• In Matthew 22:7, the term is used in a parable where a king sends his armies to destroy the murderers and burn their city, illustrating divine judgment against those who commit such acts.
• In Acts 3:14, Peter accuses the people of choosing a murderer (Barabbas) over the Holy and Righteous One, highlighting the moral blindness and injustice of the crowd.
• In 1 Peter 4:15, believers are admonished not to suffer as murderers, among other sins, indicating that such actions are incompatible with the Christian life.
• The term is also used in Revelation 21:8, where murderers are listed among those who will face the second death in the lake of fire, underscoring the eternal consequences of unrepentant sin.
• The concept of murder is deeply rooted in the biblical understanding of the sanctity of life, as established in the Old Testament, where the taking of innocent life is strictly prohibited (Exodus 20:13).

Cognate: 5406 phoneús – a murderer, committing unjustified, intentional homicide. See 5407 (phoneuō).

Word Origin
from phonos
Definition
a murderer
NASB Translation
murderer (3), murderers (4).

STRONGS NT 5406: φονεύς

φονεύς, φονεως, ὁ (φόνος), from Homer down, a murderer, a homicide: Matthew 22:7; Acts 7:52; Acts 28:4; 1 Peter 4:15; Revelation 21:8; Revelation 22:15; ἀνήρ φονεύς (cf. ἀνήρ, 3), Acts 3:14. [SYNONYMS: φονεύς any murderer — the genus of which σικάριος the assassin is a species; while ἀνθρωποκτόνος (which see) has in the N. T. a special emphasis. Trench, § lxxxiii.]

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

murderer.

From phonos; a murderer (always of criminal (or at least intentional) homicide; which anthropoktonos does not necessarily imply; while sikarios is a special term for a public bandit) -- murderer.

see GREEK phonos

see GREEK anthropoktonos

see GREEK sikarios

Forms and Transliterations

φονεα φονέα φονεις φονείς φονεῖς φονευς φονεύς φονεὺς φονευσι φονεύσι φονεῦσι φονεῦσιν φονευταί φονευτή φονευτήν φονευτής φονευτου φονευτού phonea phonéa phoneis phoneîs phoneus phoneús phoneùs phoneusin phoneûsin

Links

Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts