Greek word · G4959
συστενάζω
systenazō
to groan with
To groan or sigh together, to lament along with others. The simple verb stenazō means to groan under pressure, sigh, or lament (Mark 7:34; 2 Cor 5:2, 4; Heb 13:17; Jas 5:9).
Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·
What it means
συν-στενάζω (Rec. συσ-),
to groan together or with: Romans 8:22 (with dative of person(s), Eur., Ion., 935).†
(AS)
From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).
In depth
- Range of meaning
To groan or sigh together, to lament along with others. The simple verb stenazō means to groan under pressure, sigh, or lament (Mark 7:34; 2 Cor 5:2, 4; Heb 13:17; Jas 5:9).
- Against the English
Modern English "groan" often means annoyance or complaint ("he groaned at the joke"). The Greek word belongs to deep distress and lament, and often to the cry of the oppressed.
- How it drifted
In everyday English "groan" has weakened toward irritation or grumbling.
- Used elsewhere in the period
This is its only use in the New Testament. Classical writers (e.g., Euripides) use it for lamenting together with someone. In the Septuagint the stenazō word family describes Israel groaning under slavery in Egypt, and God hearing that groaning (Exod 2:23–24; 6:5). That Exodus echo fits Romans 8, which also speaks of slavery (v. 21), freedom, adoption as sons, and inheritance.
Where it appears
Romans · 1
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Romans 8:22 συστενάζει groans together
We know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until the present time.
Here: Groaning in distress, with the prefix syn- ("together, with"). The present tense shows it is still going on. Every part of creation groans in a shared chorus, and verse 23 adds that believers groan too.
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.