σχίζω
schizō
to split
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
ExploredThe Greek word σχίζω (schizō) means "to split". In the 11 instances where it appears in the Bible, this verb is used to describe a physical separation or division. The range of usage for this word is quite broad, covering various contexts such as a physical rift in the earth, the division of people or groups, and even the splitting of the sky. This broad usage indicates the significance of this concept in ancient Greek thinking - that the natural world, human interactions, and the cosmos are all interconnected and can experience a sense of separation or division. The significance of this word lies in its ability to convey a sense of separation, whether it be physical or metaphorical. It highlights the idea that when something is split, it is no longer whole, no longer unified. This concept has important implications for understanding relationships, the natural world, and the human experience in the Bible.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
11 total occurrences across the text
Behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom. The earth quaked and the rocks were split.
Matthew 27:51Behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom. The earth quaked and the rocks were split.
Mark 1:10Immediately coming up from the water, he saw the heavens parting, and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.
Mark 15:38The veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom.
Luke 5:36He also told a parable to them. “No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old garment, or else he will tear the new, and also the piece from the new will not match the old.
Luke 5:36He also told a parable to them. “No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old garment, or else he will tear the new, and also the piece from the new will not match the old.
Luke 23:45The sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two.
John 19:24Then they said to one another, “Let’s not tear it, but cast lots for it to decide whose it will be,” that the Scripture might be fulfilled, which says, “They parted my garments among them. For my cloak they cast lots.” Therefore the soldiers did these things.
John 21:11Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land, full of one hundred fifty-three great fish. Even though there were so many, the net wasn’t torn.
Acts 14:4But the multitude of the city was divided. Part sided with the Jews, and part with the apostles.
Acts 23:7When he had said this, an argument arose between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the crowd was divided.