Lexicon
θύω
thuō
G2380
G:V Greek

to sacrifice

14
Occurrences
6
Books
Greek
Language

Thuo denotes the killing of animals, especially in sacrificial settings, and also for a meal or in a context of killing.

The attested use most often concerns animals killed in sacrificial observance or offering, including Passover contexts and offerings directed either to God or to other recipients. It also occurs for killing an animal to eat or celebrate, while one verse places it in the thief's purpose to kill and destroy.

Senses in use

  1. Animal killing in sacrificial observance · dominant

    Present, infinitive, passive, and perfect forms occur where an offering or sacrificial animal is in view. In 1 Corinthians 10:20 the APB renders the clause "what they sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God"; in Acts 14:13 and Acts 14:18, the present infinitive describes the crowd's intended offering. Passover observance is specified in Luke 22:7 and Mark 14:12, and Matthew 22:4 presents bulls and fattened animals as already prepared for the meal.

  2. Killing an animal for eating or a feast · common

    Aorist active imperatives and indicative forms occur with eating and celebration. In Acts 10:13 the APB renders the command "sacrifice and eat," while Acts 11:7 renders the corresponding command "kill and eat"; Luke 15:23, Luke 15:27, and Luke 15:30 concern the fattened calf killed for the returned son and the ensuing celebration.

  3. Killing within destructive intent · rare

    In John 10:10, the aorist active subjunctive stands in the thief's stated purpose alongside stealing and destroying; the APB renders the sequence "steal and kill and destroy."

In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB variously uses "sacrifice," "offer sacrifice," and "kill" in the supplied clauses. The shift is especially visible between Acts 10:13, "sacrifice and eat," and Acts 11:7, "kill and eat," but the translation does not mark a fixed word-for-word rendering.

Passages featuring this word

Across Scripture