Greek word · G607

ἀποκεφαλίζω

apokephalizō

to behead

'To cut off the head, to behead.' It is built from apo ('off, away') and kephalē ('head'). The word belongs to later, everyday Greek and is not common in classical literature. It names a particular method of execution: decapitation with a sword.

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

What it means

ἀπο-κεφαλίζω

(ἀπό, κεφαλή), [in LXX: Psa.151:7 * ;]

to behead: Matthew 14:10, Mark 6:16, 28 Luke 9:9.†

(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 14:10

Range of meaning

'To cut off the head, to behead.' It is built from apo ('off, away') and kephalē ('head'). The word belongs to later, everyday Greek and is not common in classical literature. It names a particular method of execution: decapitation with a sword.

Against the English

English 'behead' is exact. The only difference is between versions. KJV and WEB keep the Greek form 'he… beheaded John', which can sound as though Herod swung the sword himself. ESV, NASB and NIV add 'had', and BSB writes 'sent to have John beheaded', which makes the causative sense explicit.

Used elsewhere in the period

In the NT it appears only for John's death (Matt 14:10; Mark 6:16, 27; Luke 9:9). In the Greek additions to the Psalms (LXX Psalm 151:7) David says he beheaded Goliath. It also turns up in Stoic writing of the period (Epictetus) for a tyrant's execution of a philosopher. Revelation 20:4 describes martyrs with a different verb, pelekizō, 'to kill with an axe'. Under Roman practice execution by the sword was the quicker and less shameful death, compared with crucifixion or being thrown to beasts. Jewish legal tradition, written down later in the Mishnah (Sanhedrin 7:1, 3), also lists the sword as one of four forms of capital punishment, but only after a court verdict.

From the study of Psalm 151 1:7

Range of meaning

To cut off the head, behead. A plain, concrete verb with no figurative sense.

Against the English

'Beheaded' is exact. The Hebrew of 1 Samuel 17:51 says 'cut off his head'. The Greek of the psalm compresses this into a single verb.

Used elsewhere in the period

Rare in the Greek Old Testament, where it is distinctive to this psalm. In the New Testament it is used of the execution of John the Baptist (Matthew 14:10; Mark 6:16, 27; Luke 9:9). Beheading a defeated enemy and displaying the head was a recognised ancient practice: David takes Goliath's head to Jerusalem (1 Samuel 17:54), the Philistines behead Saul (1 Samuel 31:9), Judith beheads Holofernes (Judith 13:8), and Nicanor's head is displayed (2 Maccabees 15:30).

Where it appears

Matthew · 1

  1. Matthew 14:10 ἀπεκεφάλισεν beheaded

    and sent to have John beheaded in the prison.

    Here: 'He beheaded.' Herod is the grammatical subject, but the action is causative: he had it done. The tense presents the execution as one complete, final act. Matthew gives it a single bare word and no description.

Mark · 2

  1. Mark 6:16 ἀπεκεφάλισα beheaded

    But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has risen from the dead!”

  2. Mark 6:27 ἀπεκεφάλισεν he beheaded

    So without delay, the king commanded that John’s head be brought in. He sent an executioner, who went and beheaded him in the prison.

Luke · 1

  1. Luke 9:9 ἀπεκεφάλισα· beheaded;

    “I beheaded John,” Herod said, “but who is this man I hear such things about?” And he kept trying to see Jesus.

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