Greek word · G2660

κατανύσσω

katanyssō

to pierce

Literally 'to strike or prick through' (κατα-, 'down/thoroughly', + νύσσω, 'to prick, stab, jab'; νύσσω is the verb used for the soldier's spear in John 19:34). The related noun κατάνυξις even comes to mean 'stupor' or 'numbness' (Isaiah 29:10 in the Greek Old Testament, quoted in Romans 11:8).

Appears once in the Greek New Testament. · Updated October 23, 2026

What it means

κατα-νύσσω

[in LXX: Genesis 34:7 (עָצַב hith.), Leviticus 10:3, Psalms 4:4, Psa 29:12, al. (דָּמַם), Dan LXX TH Sus 1:10 (רָדַם ni.), Sirach 12:12 14:1, al. ;]

1. to strike or prick violently.

2. to stun.

3. Of strong emotion, pass., to be smitten: τὴν καρδίαν, Acts 2:37 (see: κατάνυξις).†

(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 Acts 2:37

Range of meaning: Literally 'to strike or prick through' (κατα-, 'down/thoroughly', + νύσσω, 'to prick, stab, jab'; νύσσω is the verb used for the soldier's spear in John 19:34). In use it is almost always figurative: to be stung, stabbed or struck with sudden intense pain, grief or shock, sometimes to the point of being silenced or stunned. The related noun κατάνυξις even comes to mean 'stupor' or 'numbness' (Isaiah 29:10 in the Greek Old Testament, quoted in Romans 11:8).
Against the English: 'Cut to the heart' (BSB, WEB, NIV, ESV) and 'pierced to the heart' (NASB) keep the force. KJV and YLT 'pricked' was a strong word in 1611, meaning stabbed with a pointed instrument. Today 'pricked' sounds like a pinprick or a minor twinge of conscience, which is much too small.
How it drifted: Two things happened. 'Prick' weakened in English toward a small, light poke. The Latin rendering compuncti ('pricked together') produced English 'compunction', which now means a mild scruple ('he had no compunction about lying').
Used elsewhere in the period: Rare in classical Greek, but well established in the Greek Old Testament (the Septuagint): Genesis 34:7, Jacob's sons 'were pierced' and deeply grieved at Dinah's rape; Psalm 108:16 (Hebrew 109:16), 'the one pierced in heart', rendering a Hebrew phrase for the crushed or broken-hearted; Isaiah 6:5, Isaiah's 'I am undone / struck dumb' rendered κατανένυγμαι; Daniel 10:15, the prophet left speechless; Psalm 4:4, where it renders a Hebrew verb for falling silent; Sirach 14:1 and 47:20, being stung with grief. Luke, whose Greek is steeped in the Septuagint, uses the word only here.

Where it appears

Acts · 1

Acts 2:37 κατενύγησαν they were pierced

When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and asked Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

Here: 'They were pierced through.' The verb is passive and describes a single event: something was done to them. The words they heard struck them sharply and suddenly. This is the only place the verb appears in the New Testament. In the Greek Old Testament it describes people stunned, stricken or overwhelmed with grief.

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