Greek word · G1846

ἐξορύσσω

exoryssō

to dig through/out

To dig out or dig through: excavating earth, breaking through a roof, and specifically gouging out eyes.

Appears 2 times in 2 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

ἐξ-ορύσσω

[in LXX: Proverbs 29:22; ὀφθαλμόν (-ούς), Judges 16:21, 1 Samuel 11:2 (נָקַר)* ;]

to dig out, dig up: στέγην, Mark 2:4; metaphorically, ὀφοαλμούς (cf. LXX, ll with; Herod., viii, 116), Galatians 4:15.†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Galatians 4:15

Range of meaning

To dig out or dig through: excavating earth, breaking through a roof, and specifically gouging out eyes.

Against the English

KJV/WEB/YLT 'plucked out' sounds almost gentle. BSB 'torn out' and other versions' 'gouged out' keep the violence of the Greek better.

Used elsewhere in the period

Mark 2:4: the friends 'having dug through' (exoryxantes, the same form) the roof. In the Septuagint (the Greek Old Testament) it is used for blinding: Nahash threatens to 'gouge out every right eye' (1 Sam 11:2), and in some manuscripts of Judg 16:21 it describes the Philistines blinding Samson. In Greek literature, Lucian's Toxaris (c. 2nd century AD) tells of a Scythian who lets his own eyes be put out to ransom a friend. Friendship stories of this kind pictured the eyes as the ultimate gift.

Where it appears

Mark · 1

  1. Mark 2:4 ἐξορύξαντες having broken up [it]

    Since they were unable to get to Jesus through the crowd, they uncovered the roof above Him, made an opening, and lowered the paralytic on his mat.

Galatians · 1

  1. Galatians 4:15 ἐξορύξαντες having gouged out

    What then has become of your blessing? For I can testify that, if it were possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me.

    Here: A violent, physical word: to dig something out. The same form is used in Mark 2:4 for digging through a roof. Here it is the brutal picture of gouging out one's own eyes.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.