Word study of Greek words in English punish, penalty, condemn

Word study of Greek words as English punish, penalty, condemn

by Matt Slick | Oct 11, 2018 | Annihilationism, Minor Groups & Issues

Annihilationists assert that eternal punishment (Matt. 25:46) is eternal nonexistence. But, people cannot experience eternal nonexistence because they don’t exist. Nevertheless, I wanted to find out how the concept of punishment, and its various forms, is addressed in the New Testament. Do people experience punishment or does it infer, as the annihilationists say, that people cease to exist upon final judgment?

Following is a list of nine different Greek words that are translated into the English avenge, condemnation, correcting, discipline, educate, justice, punish, etc. The idea is to see how the words are used in order to determine whether or not punishment, discipline, judgment, is experienced by people or not.

The different Greek words are translated into English differently depending on the context. So, I retained all of the occurrences of the nine words used that are descriptive of punishment, discipline, etc. What I have found of the 40 different occurrences of the Greek words rendered into English as punishment, penalty, discipline, vengeance, etc.

Death or physical destruction, 2 occurrences, 5% of total uses
Duration and nature not specified, 17 occurrences 43% of total uses
Experienced for a period of time, 18 occurrences, 45% of total uses
Instruction, 2 occurrences, 5% of total uses

There are verses listed below that annihilationists use to infer their position of final nonexistence. But, if you look at the context, there is nothing in them that necessitates the annihilationist perspective of nonexistence upon final judgment. Note, I said “necessitates.” Conditionalists often construct arguments to support their position, but I have found that they regularly read into the text what is not necessarily there.

Matt. 25:46, “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (See the article Matthew 25:46 and eternal punishment)
2 Thess. 1:9, “These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.” (See the article 2 Thess. 1:9, Annihilationism and eternal destruction of the wicked)
Jude 7, “just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.” (See the article Annihilationism and Jude 6-7, angels and the wicked undergoing punishment of eternal fire)
2 Pet. 2:9, “then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment.” (See the article 2 Peter 2:9, Annihilationism and the present punishment of the wicked)

So what do annihilationists do to get their position? They infer meaning into the context as well as look at the overall example of punishment and draw out of their examination the necessity of final, eternal, nonexistence. Please understand that I am not accusing them of dishonesty or lack of integrity in their investigation. It’s just that people find what they’re looking for, me included. This is why I analyzed every instance of these various Greek words in the New Testament as they are rendered by the NASB into English. I wanted to see what the Bible says, not what I think it says.

I hope this is informative

Finally, the listing of percentages above does not mean that that is how we determine the meanings of words in verses. Context always determines meeting. But, it does shed light on the overall topic if we can discover how the words are used.

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Greek word: δίκη, díke
Meaning: A penalty, punishment
Strong’s #: G1349
Frequency: 4 occurrences

AddressVerseMeaning

CHART OF ALL NEW TESTAMENT USAGES OF DIKE, δίκη
Address	Verse	English Word	Meaning
Acts 25:15	“and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought charges against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him.”	condemnation	Experienced for a period of time
Acts 28:4	“When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they began saying to one another, ‘Undoubtedly this man is a murderer, and though he has been saved from the sea, justice has not allowed him to live.'”	Justice	Death or physical destruction
2 Thess. 1:9	“These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.”	Penalty	Duration and nature not specified
Jude 7	“just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.”	Punishment	Duration and nature not specified

Greek word: ἐκδικέω, ekdikeo
Meaning: To execute justice, defend one’s cause, maintain one’s right
Strong’s #: G1556
Frequency: 6 occurrences

CHART OF ALL NEW TESTAMENT USAGES OF EKDIKEO, ἐκδικέω
Address	Verse	English Word	Meaning
Luke 18:3	“There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me legal protection from my opponent.’”	Give	Experienced for a period of time
Luke 18:5	“yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.’ ””	Give	Experienced for a period of time
Rom. 12:19	“Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord.”	Take	Duration and nature not specified
2 Cor. 10:6	“and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.”	Punish	Duration and nature not specified
Rev. 6:10	“and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?””	Avenging	Duration and nature not specified
Rev. 19:2	“BECAUSE HIS JUDGMENTS ARE TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and HE HAS AVENGED THE BLOOD OF HIS BOND-SERVANTS ON HER.”	Avenged	Duration and nature not specified

Greek word: ἐκδίκησις, ekdikesis
Meaning: to execute justice. Execution of right, justice.
Strong’s #: G1557
Frequency: 9 occurrences

CHART OF ALL NEW TESTAMENT USAGES OF EKDIKESIS, ἐκδίκησις
Address	Verse	English Word	Meaning
Luke 18:7	“now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them?”	Justice	Duration and nature not specified
Luke 18:8	“I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”	Justice	Duration and nature not specified
Luke 21:22	“because these are days of vengeance, so that all things which are written will be fulfilled.”	Vengeance	Duration and nature not specified
Acts 7:24	“And when he saw one of them being treated unjustly, he defended him and took vengeance for the oppressed by striking down the Egyptian.”	Vengeance	Death or physical destruction
Rom. 12:19	“Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord.”	Vengeance	Duration and nature not specified
2 Cor. 7:11	“For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter.”	Avenging	Duration and nature not specified
2 Thess. 1:8	“dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.”	Retribution	Duration and nature not specified
Heb. 10:30	“For we know Him who said, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY.” And again, “THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE.””	Vengeance	Duration and nature not specified
1 Pet. 2:14	“or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.”	Punishment	Duration and nature not specified

Greek word: ἐπιτιμία epitimía
Meaning: to censure or admonish, penalty, punishment.
Strong’s #: G2009
Frequency: 1 Occurance

CHART OF ALL NEW TESTAMENT USAGES OF EPITIMIA, ἐπιτιμία
Address	Verse	English Word	Meaning
2 Cor. 2:6	“Sufficient for such a one is this punishment which was inflicted by the majority,”	Punishment	Duration and nature not specified

Greek word: κολάζω, kolazo
Meaning: To mutilate, prune, such as trees.
Strong’s #: G2849
Frequency: 2 occurrences

CHART OF ALL NEW TESTAMENT USAGES OF KOLAZO, κολάζω
Address	Verse	English Word	Meaning
Acts 4:21	“When they had threatened them further, they let them go (finding no basis on which to punish them) on account of the people, because they were all glorifying God for what had happened.”	Punishment	Experienced for a period of time
2 Pet. 2:9	“then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment.”	Punishment	Experienced for a period of time

Greek word: κόλασις, kolasis
Meaning: to punish
Strong’s #: G2851
Frequency: 2 occurrences

CHART OF ALL NEW TESTAMENT USAGES OF KOLASIS, κόλασις
Address	Verse	English Word	Meaning
Matt. 25:46	“These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”	Punishment	Duration and nature not specified
1 John 4:18	“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.”	Punishment	Experienced for a period of time

Greek word: παιδεύω, paideuo
Meaning: to instruct by chastisement, punish
Strong’s #: G3811
Frequency: 13 occurrences in 13 verses

CHART OF ALL NEW TESTAMENT USAGES OF PAIDEUS, παιδεύω
Address	Verse	English Word	Meaning
Luke 23:16	“Therefore I will punish Him and release Him.”	Punish	Experienced for a period of time
Luke 23:22	“And he said to them the third time, “Why, what evil has this man done? I have found in Him no guilt demanding death; therefore I will punish Him and release Him.'”	Punish	Experienced for a period of time
Acts 7:22	“Moses was educated in all the learning of the Egyptians, and he was a man of power in words and deeds.”	Educated	Instruction
Acts 22:3	“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated under Gamaliel, strictly according to the law of our fathers, being zealous for God just as you all are today.	Educated	Instruction
1 Cor.11:32	But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world.	Disciplined	Experienced for a period of time
2 Cor. 6:9	“as unknown yet well-known, as dying yet behold, we live; as punished yet not put to death,”	Punished	Experienced for a period of time
1 Tim. 1:20	Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme.	Taught	Experienced for a period of time
2 Tim. 2:25	with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth	Correcting	Experienced for a period of time
Titus 2:12	“instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age,”	Instructing	Instruction
Heb. 12:6	“FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES.”	Disciplines	Experienced for a period of time
Heb. 12:7	“It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?”	Discipline	Experienced for a period of time
Heb. 12:10	“For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness.”	Disciplined	Experienced for a period of time
Rev. 3:19	“Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.”	Discipline	Experienced for a period of time

Greek word: τιμωρέω, timoreo
Meaning: revenge, punishment
Strong’s #: G5097
Frequency: 2 occurrences

CHART OF ALL NEW TESTAMENT USAGES OF TIMOREO, τιμωρέω
Address	Verse	English Word	Meaning
Acts 22:5	“as also the high priest and all the Council of the elders can testify. From them I also received letters to the brethren, and started off for Damascus in order to bring even those who were there to Jerusalem as prisoners to be punished.”	Punished	Experienced for a period of time
Acts 26:11	“And as I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and being furiously enraged at them, I kept pursuing them even to foreign cities.”	Punished	Experienced for a period of time

Greek word: τιμωρία, timoria
Meaning: to punish
Strong’s #: G5098
Frequency: 1 occurrence

CHART OF ALL NEW TESTAMENT USAGES OF TIMORIA, τιμωρία
Address	Verse	English Word	Meaning
Heb. 10:29	“How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?”	Punishment	Duration and nature not specified