Greek word · G3600

ὀδυνάω

odynaō

be anguished

In the middle or passive: to be in pain, to suffer acute distress, to be anguished or grieved. It covers both bodily pain and emotional pain.

Appears 4 times in 4 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

ὀδυνάω, -ῶ

(ὀδύνη), [in LXX: Zechariah 9:5 (חוּל), Zechariah 12:10 (מָרַר hi.), Lamentations 1:13 (דָּוֶה), Wisdom of Solomon 14:24, al. ;]

to cause pain or suffering; pass. and mid., to suffer pain, be tormented or greatly distressed: Luke 2:48 16:24-25 (ὀδυνᾶσαι, see M, Pr., 53 f.); before ἐπί, Acts 20:38.†

(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 16:25

Range of meaning

In the middle or passive: to be in pain, to suffer acute distress, to be anguished or grieved. It covers both bodily pain and emotional pain.

Against the English

BSB and NIV have 'agony'; ESV, WEB and others have 'anguish'. The KJV's 'tormented' suggests someone inflicting torture. That idea belongs to v.23's basanoi ('torments'), not to this word.

How it drifted

In older English 'tormented' could mean simply 'in great pain'. Modern readers tend to picture active torture, often by demons, and that picture came from later art and preaching about hell.

Used elsewhere in the period

In Luke 2:48 Mary and Joseph searched for the boy Jesus 'in anguish' (odynōmenoi). In Acts 20:38 the Ephesian elders were 'grieving most of all' at Paul's words. The noun odynē is used for the pains of childbirth and for grief (e.g. Rom 9:2; 1 Tim 6:10, 'pierced themselves with many pangs').

From the study of 4 Maccabees 18:9

Range of meaning

To cause pain. In the passive, to be in pain or anguish, used of both body and mind. It comes from odynē, sharp pain or grief.

Against the English

'Was not grieved' (Brenton, WEB) is accurate but a little mild. The Greek word means acute anguish.

Used elsewhere in the period

In the New Testament: Luke 2:48 (Jesus' parents searching 'in anguish'), Luke 16:24–25 (the rich man 'in agony'), and Acts 20:38. In the Septuagint it describes deep grief, for example Zechariah 9:5 and Lamentations 1:13.

From the study of Acts 20:38

Range of meaning

From ὀδύνη, 'pain'. In the passive and middle it means to feel pain or be in anguish, physical or emotional. It covers sharp physical agony and deep mental distress.

Against the English

English 'sorrowing' (KJV, WEB) and 'grieved' (BSB) are accurate but a little soft. The Greek word is about pain, the kind of grief that hurts.

Used elsewhere in the period

In the NT only Luke uses it. In Luke 2:48 Mary and Joseph search for the boy Jesus 'in anguish'. In Luke 16:24–25 the rich man is 'in agony' in the flame. The related noun appears in Romans 9:2 ('unceasing anguish') and 1 Timothy 6:10. In the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible) it is used for intense mourning, e.g. Zechariah 12:10, mourning as for a firstborn.

Where it appears

Luke · 3

  1. Luke 2:48 ὀδυνώμενοι distressing

    When His parents saw Him, they were astonished. “Child, why have You done this to us?” His mother asked. “Your father and I have been anxiously searching for You.”

  2. Luke 16:24 ὀδυνῶμαι I am suffering

    So he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. For I am in agony in this fire.’

    Here: A present tense: 'I am in anguish', a pain that is going on now. The word covers both physical and emotional pain. Abraham repeats it in the next verse ('you are in anguish', v. 25).

  3. Luke 16:25 ὀδυνᾶσαι. are suffering.

    But Abraham answered, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things. But now he is comforted here, while you are in agony.

    Here: Abraham repeats the rich man's own word from v.24 ('I am in anguish in this flame') and confirms it: 'you are in anguish.' The present tense means it is still going on.

Acts · 1

  1. Acts 20:38 ὀδυνώμενοι sorrowing

    They were especially grieved by his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.

    Here: A strong word for pain, not mild sadness. The present participle describes an ongoing state of anguish that goes along with the weeping and embracing in v. 37.

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