θάνατος
thanatos
death
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
ExploredThe Greek word θάνατος (thanatos) is defined as "death." It is a noun that appears 120 times in the Bible, indicating its significant importance in the text. The frequency of its occurrence suggests that death is a recurring theme in the biblical narrative. The word θάνατος is used in a variety of contexts, including the physical death of individuals, the spiritual death of sinners, and the ultimate fate of humanity. Its range of usage is broad, encompassing both literal and figurative meanings. In some cases, θάνατος is used to describe the end of physical life, while in others it is used to convey the idea of spiritual separation from God. The significance of θάνατος lies in its association with the human condition. The word highlights the inevitability of death and the consequences of sin, which is a central theme in the biblical narrative. The frequency and variety of its usage emphasize the importance of understanding and grappling with the concept of death in the biblical worldview.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
120 total occurrences across the text — showing 50
the people who sat in darkness saw a great light, to those who sat in the region and shadow of death, to them light has dawned.”
Matthew 10:21“Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child. Children will rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death.
Matthew 15:4For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.’
Matthew 16:28Most certainly I tell you, there are some standing here who will in no way taste of death, until they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.”
Matthew 20:18“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death,
Matthew 26:38Then he said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here, and watch with me.”
Matthew 26:66What do you think?” They answered, “He is worthy of death!”
Mark 7:10For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother;’ and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.’
Mark 9:1He said to them, “Most certainly I tell you, there are some standing here who will in no way taste death until they see God’s Kingdom come with power.”
Mark 10:33“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes. They will condemn him to death, and will deliver him to the Gentiles.
Mark 13:12“Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child. Children will rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death.
Mark 14:34He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here, and watch.”
Mark 14:64You have heard the blasphemy! What do you think?” They all condemned him to be worthy of death.
Luke 1:79to shine on those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death; to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
Luke 2:26It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
Luke 9:27But I tell you the truth: There are some of those who stand here who will in no way taste of death until they see God’s Kingdom.”
Luke 22:33He said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death!”
Luke 23:15Neither has Herod, for I sent you to him, and see, nothing worthy of death has been done by him.
Luke 23:22He said to them the third time, “Why? What evil has this man done? I have found no capital crime in him. I will therefore chastise him and release him.”
John 5:24“Most certainly I tell you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life, and doesn’t come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.
John 8:51Most certainly, I tell you, if a person keeps my word, he will never see death.”
John 8:52Then the Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, as did the prophets; and you say, ‘If a man keeps my word, he will never taste of death.’
John 11:4But when Jesus heard it, he said, “This sickness is not to death, but for the glory of God, that God’s Son may be glorified by it.”
John 11:13Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he spoke of taking rest in sleep.
John 12:33But he said this, signifying by what kind of death he should die.
John 18:32that the word of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spoke, signifying by what kind of death he should die.
John 21:19Now he said this, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. When he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.”
Acts 2:24whom God raised up, having freed him from the agony of death, because it was not possible that he should be held by it.
Acts 13:28Though they found no cause for death, they still asked Pilate to have him killed.
Acts 22:4I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.
Acts 23:29I found him to be accused about questions of their law, but not to be charged with anything worthy of death or of imprisonment.
Acts 25:11For if I have done wrong and have committed anything worthy of death, I don’t refuse to die; but if none of those things is true that they accuse me of, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar!”
Acts 25:25But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and as he himself appealed to the emperor I determined to send him,
Acts 26:31When they had withdrawn, they spoke to one another, saying, “This man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds.”
Acts 28:18who, when they had examined me, desired to set me free, because there was no cause of death in me.
Romans 1:32who, knowing the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them.
Romans 5:10For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we will be saved by his life.
Romans 5:12Therefore as sin entered into the world through one man, and death through sin; so death passed to all men, because all sinned.
Romans 5:12Therefore as sin entered into the world through one man, and death through sin; so death passed to all men, because all sinned.
Romans 5:14Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those whose sins weren’t like Adam’s disobedience, who is a foreshadowing of him who was to come.
Romans 5:17For if by the trespass of the one, death reigned through the one; so much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:21that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 6:3Or don’t you know that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
Romans 6:4We were buried therefore with him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life.
Romans 6:5For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will also be part of his resurrection;
Romans 6:16Don’t you know that when you present yourselves as servants and obey someone, you are the servants of whomever you obey; whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness?
Romans 6:21What fruit then did you have at that time in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.
Romans 6:23For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 7:5For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were through the law worked in our members to bring out fruit to death.
Romans 7:10The commandment which was for life, this I found to be for death;