Greek word · G2360

θροέω

throeō

to alarm

From θρόος, 'noise, clamour, outcry'. In the active voice it means 'to cry out' or 'make an uproar'. In the passive, the form used in the NT, it means 'to be stirred up, disturbed, alarmed, thrown into agitation' (BDAG: 'be inwardly aroused, be disturbed or frightened').

Appears 3 times in 3 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

θροέω, -ῶ

(θρόος, a noise, tumult), [in LXX: Song of Songs 5:4 (הָמָה * ;]

in cl.,

1. to cry aloud, make an outcry.

2. to utter aloud.

3. In NT (and LXX), pass., to be troubled, as by an alarm: Matthew 24:6, Mark 13:7, Luke 24:37 (WH, mg.), 2 Thessalonians 2:2 (cf. Kennedy, Sources, 126).†

(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 Matthew 24:6

Range of meaning

From θρόος, 'noise, clamour, outcry'. In the active voice it means 'to cry out' or 'make an uproar'. In the passive, the form used in the NT, it means 'to be stirred up, disturbed, alarmed, thrown into agitation' (BDAG: 'be inwardly aroused, be disturbed or frightened'). The word describes inner commotion, usually set off by something heard.

Against the English

KJV and WEB have 'troubled', which is accurate but soft to modern ears. BSB and ESV have 'alarmed', and NASB has 'frightened', which leans toward fear rather than agitation. NLT's 'don't panic' catches the stampede quality well. No English word fully carries the link to noise and news, which matches 'hear' and 'reports' earlier in the verse.

Used elsewhere in the period

Song of Songs 5:4 in the Greek Old Testament (LXX) uses it for the beloved's inner being 'stirred' (ἐθροήθη). In the NT it appears in the parallel at Mark 13:7 and at 2 Thessalonians 2:2, where Paul tells believers not to be 'quickly shaken or alarmed' by claims that the Day of the Lord has already come. That is the same danger this verse addresses: excited end-time reports. A variant reading in Luke 24:37 also has it. Luke's own parallel (21:9) uses a different word, πτοέω, 'be terrified'.

From the study of Mark 13:7

Range of meaning

In classical Greek the active means 'to cry aloud, utter, speak out', from θρόος, 'noise, clamour, murmur of voices'. The passive, used in the New Testament, means 'to be stirred up, unsettled, alarmed, thrown into inner commotion' (BDAG: 'be inwardly aroused, be disturbed or frightened'). It describes agitation more than quiet dread: a churning, excited fear.

Against the English

KJV/WEB/YLT 'troubled', BSB/ESV/NIV 'alarmed', NASB 'frightened', NLT 'don't panic'. 'Alarmed' and 'panic' keep the agitation best. 'Troubled' can sound like mild worry. 'Frightened' misses the stirred-up, excitable side that suits a word about getting worked up over end-time news.

Used elsewhere in the period

Rare in biblical Greek. In the Greek Old Testament, Song of Songs 5:4: 'my inmost being was stirred (ethroēthē)' for her beloved, an inner upheaval. In the New Testament it appears only here, in the parallel Matthew 24:6, and in 2 Thessalonians 2:2, where Paul urges believers not to be 'shaken in mind or alarmed (throeisthai)' by claims that the Day of the Lord has already come. That parallel is close. In both places the word is used for excitement over the end, set off by reports and claims.

Where it appears

Matthew · 1

  1. Matthew 24:6 θροεῖσθε· do be alarmed;

    You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come.

    Here: 'Do not be shaken' or 'do not get into a panic'. The word comes from a root meaning clamour or outcry, so it pictures inner turmoil set off by noise and news. The form is a present command, so the sense is 'do not let yourselves be in a state of alarm', a settled refusal to be stampeded.

Mark · 1

  1. Mark 13:7 θροεῖσθε· do be disturbed;

    When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come.

    Here: From a word family for loud noise and clamour. The passive means being stirred up, unsettled, set in an uproar inside. Jesus forbids being swept into agitated panic, and the frenzied end-is-here excitement that goes with it.

2 Thessalonians · 1

  1. 2 Thessalonians 2:2 θροεῖσθαι, to be troubled,

    not to be easily disconcerted or alarmed by any spirit or message or letter seeming to be from us, alleging that the Day of the Lord has already come.

    Here: The present form describes an ongoing state of agitation and fear. It is the same word Jesus uses in his teaching about the end: 'see that you are not alarmed' (Mark 13:7; Matthew 24:6).

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