Greek word · G3817

παίω

paiō

to strike

To strike or hit, with the hand, a weapon, or (of a scorpion) a sting.

Appears 5 times in 5 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

παίω

[in LXX chiefly for נָכָה hi. ;]

to strike, smite: with the hand or fist, Matthew 26:68, Luke 22:64; with a sword, Mark 14:47, John 18:10; of a reptile, to sting: Revelation 9:5.†

(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 26:68

Range of meaning

To strike or hit, with the hand, a weapon, or (of a scorpion) a sting.

Against the English

'Hit' (BSB, WEB) and 'struck/smote' (KJV, YLT) are all accurate. NLT's 'hit you that time' brings out the single-blow sense of the aorist.

Used elsewhere in the period

Mark 14:47 (the high priest's servant struck with a sword), Luke 22:64 (the same taunt), John 18:10, and Revelation 9:5 (a scorpion's sting).

Where it appears

Matthew · 1

  1. Matthew 26:68 παίσας having struck

    and said, “Prophesy to us, Christ! Who hit You?”

    Here: An aorist participle, meaning one blow that has just landed: 'the one who just hit you.' The question is about one particular blow among many.

Mark · 1

  1. Mark 14:47 ἔπαισεν struck

    And one of the bystanders drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.

Luke · 1

  1. Luke 22:64 παίσας having struck

    They blindfolded Him and kept demanding, “Prophesy! Who hit You?”

John · 1

  1. John 18:10 ἔπαισεν he struck

    Then Simon Peter drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus.

    Here: A plain word for hitting someone. Mark 14:47 uses the same verb. It says nothing about where Peter was aiming.

Revelation · 1

  1. Revelation 9:5 παίσῃ it may strike

    The locusts were not given power to kill them, but only to torment them for five months, and their torment was like the stinging of a scorpion.

    Here: 'Strikes, hits.' Greek used this ordinary verb for a scorpion's sting: a sudden blow with the tail.

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