Greek word · G999

βόθυνος

bothynos

pit

A pit, hole or trench dug or worn in the ground: cisterns, wells, quarry holes, ditches.

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

What it means

βόθυνος, -ου, ὁ (= βόθρος, more frequently in cl.),

[in LXX chiefly for פַּחַת ;]

a pit: Matthew 12:11 15:14, Luke 6:39 (cf. DB, iii, 885; DCG, ii, 367).†

(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 15:14

Range of meaning

A pit, hole or trench dug or worn in the ground: cisterns, wells, quarry holes, ditches.

Against the English

KJV and YLT 'ditch' brings to mind a shallow roadside drainage channel. 'Pit' (BSB, WEB, NIV, ESV) is closer: a hole you can fall into and be seriously hurt or trapped in.

How it drifted

In 1611 'ditch' could mean any dug trench or pit. In current English it usually means a shallow channel, which makes the danger seem smaller.

Used elsewhere in the period

In Matthew 12:11 a sheep falls into a βόθυνος on the Sabbath and has to be pulled out. In the Septuagint (the Greek Old Testament), Isaiah 24:18 and Jeremiah 48:44 (LXX 31:44) say whoever flees terror 'will fall into the pit'. That is judgment language. Compare also 'whoever digs a pit will fall into it' (Prov 26:27; Eccl 10:8).

From the study of Luke 6:39

Range of meaning

A pit, a hole dug in the ground, a trench. It is used for cisterns, ditches and open pits in fields.

Against the English

KJV's "ditch" now suggests a shallow roadside drainage channel and an embarrassing tumble. "Pit" (BSB, WEB, YLT and most modern versions) is closer to the danger meant.

How it drifted

In 1611 "ditch" could mean any dug trench or pit. Modern usage has made it smaller and safer.

Used elsewhere in the period

Matt 12:11 (a sheep falls into a bothynos on the Sabbath and has to be pulled out). In the Septuagint, Isa 24:18 ("whoever flees… will fall into the pit") and 2 Sam 18:17 (Absalom's body thrown into a great pit). Exod 21:33–34 makes a man liable if he leaves a pit uncovered and an animal falls in, which shows open pits were a known hazard.

Where it appears

Matthew · 2

  1. Matthew 12:11 βόθυνον, a pit,

    He replied, “If one of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not take hold of it and lift it out?

  2. Matthew 15:14 βόθυνον a pit

    Disregard them! They are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”

    Here: An open pit: a cistern, quarry hole or trench along the road, the same word as the pit a sheep falls into in Matt 12:11. In Scripture 'the pit' is also a picture of ruin.

Luke · 1

  1. Luke 6:39 βόθυνον a pit

    Jesus also told them a parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit?

    Here: A dug or open pit in the ground, such as a cistern, quarry hole or trench. In the Judean and Galilean countryside these could cause serious injury or death. It is not a shallow gutter.

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