Greek word · G911

βάπτω

baptō

to dip

To dip something into a liquid, and by extension to dye it, since cloth was dyed by dipping. It is the simple verb behind baptizō, but in ordinary use it means dipping or dyeing, with no ritual sense. In the NT it also appears at Luke 16:24 (dip a fingertip) and John 13:26 (dip the morsel).

Appears 4 times in 3 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

βάπτω,

[in LXX chiefly for טבל ;]

(a) to dip: Luke 16:24, John 13:26 (ἐμβ-, L);

(b) to dip in dye, to dye: Revelation 19:13 (Rec.; ῥεραντισμένον, WH; περιρεραμμένον, T; ῥεραμμένον, Swete, in l., which see).

† (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 Revelation 19:13

Range of meaning

To dip something into a liquid, and by extension to dye it, since cloth was dyed by dipping. It is the simple verb behind baptizō, but in ordinary use it means dipping or dyeing, with no ritual sense. In the NT it also appears at Luke 16:24 (dip a fingertip) and John 13:26 (dip the morsel).

Against the English

'Dipped' (BSB, KJV, NIV, ESV, NASB, NLT) renders the critical text. 'Sprinkled' (WEB) follows a different manuscript tradition. YLT's 'covered with' is a loose paraphrase. 'Dipped' can sound like a light, quick action. A perfect participle of a dyeing verb suggests a cloak that is soaked and stained through.

Used elsewhere in the period

Classical and papyrus Greek use βάπτω for dyeing wool and cloth (LSJ, BDAG). In the Septuagint, Joseph's brothers dip his robe in goat's blood (Gen 37:31, with a related verb), and priests dip a finger in sacrificial blood (Lev 4:6, 17). The 'sprinkled' readings fit the Hebrew of Isaiah 63:3, where the enemies' 'juice' spatters (yez) the divine warrior's garments.

From the study of John 13:26

Range of meaning

To dip something briefly into a liquid. It can also mean to dye, since cloth was dyed by dipping. It is used of a finger dipped in water (Luke 16:24) and a garment dipped or dyed in blood (Rev 19:13).

Against the English

Every major English version says “dip,” which is accurate.

Used elsewhere in the period

In the LXX it describes a priest dipping his finger in sacrificial blood (Lev 4:6), dipping hyssop (Num 19:18), and Boaz’s “dip your morsel” (Ruth 2:14). It is the simple verb behind βαπτίζω (“to immerse, wash, baptize”), but the two are distinct words with distinct uses.

Where it appears

Luke · 1

  1. Luke 16:24 βάψῃ he may dip

    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: Plain dipping: put the fingertip in water. It is the simple verb related to baptizō, and here it has no ritual meaning at all.

John · 2

  1. John 13:26 βάψω βάψας will dip, having dipped

    Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I give this morsel after I have dipped it.” Then He dipped the morsel and gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot.

    Here: Future tense: “I will dip.” It means dipping a piece of bread into a shared dish of sauce or relish, as was usual at a meal. This is the simple verb βάπτω, not the related βαπτίζω used for baptism.

Revelation · 1

  1. Revelation 19:13 βεβαμμένον dipped

    He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is The Word of God.

    Here: Another perfect participle: the cloak 'has been dipped' and stays soaked or stained. The verb was also used for dyeing cloth, so the picture is a cloak steeped in blood and dyed red by it, not one with a few drops on it.

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