Greek word · G2642

καταλιθάζω

katalithazō

to stone

'To stone down', meaning to overwhelm someone with thrown stones, to stone to death. The prefix kata- ('down') makes the simple verb lithazō ('to stone') stronger and points to the person being brought down and killed, not just pelted.

Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

κατα-λιθάζω

(= cl. -θόω; cf. -θοβολέω, Exodus 17:4, Num_14:10)

to cast stones at, to stone: Luke 20:6.†

(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 Luke 20:6

Range of meaning

'To stone down', meaning to overwhelm someone with thrown stones, to stone to death. The prefix kata- ('down') makes the simple verb lithazō ('to stone') stronger and points to the person being brought down and killed, not just pelted.

Against the English

The KJV, BSB and WEB have 'will stone us'. Some modern versions (e.g. ESV, NASB) add 'to death', which brings out what the kata- prefix contributes. Plain 'stone' can sound like no more than having rocks thrown at you. The word here means lethal mob violence.

Used elsewhere in the period

This is the only place the word appears in the New Testament, and it is very rare in Greek before Luke (BDAG). The Septuagint (the Greek Old Testament) uses lithoboleō and lithazō for the legal stoning of Deut 13:10; 17:5; Lev 24:14–16. Elsewhere Luke has the temple officers bring the apostles in 'without force, for they feared the people (laos), lest they be stoned' (Acts 5:26). Josephus records crowds stoning or pelting their leaders: Onias stoned by a mob (Ant. 14.22–24), Alexander Jannaeus pelted with citrons in the temple (Ant. 13.372), and Archelaus' soldiers stoned in the temple courts (Ant. 17.216).

Where it appears

Luke · 1

  1. Luke 20:6 καταλιθάσει will stone

    But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, for they are convinced that John was a prophet.”

    Here: Future tense, a confident prediction: 'will stone us down', meaning pelt with stones until dead. This is the only place the word appears in the New Testament, and it is Luke's own vivid wording.

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