The Greek word ἀποθνήσκω, apothnesko occurs 111 times in the New Testament. Basically, it means death, to die.  It has both literal and figurative meanings depending on usage. Verses that deal specifically with physical death would be (Matt. 8:32; Mark 5:35; Luke 8:42; John 4:47; Acts 7:4; Rom. 5:6-7; 1 Cor. 9:15; Gal. 2:21, etc.).  Verses with figurative meanings typically deal with the representation. Adam represented us in his death (Rom. 5:15).  We died with Christ (Rom. 6:2,8; 7:6,8).  We die daily (1 Cor. 15:31), etc.  There is also the substitutionary representative death or Christ died for people (Rom. 14:15; 1 Cor. 8:11; 2 Cor. 5:14-15). Unfortunately, annihilationists routinely interpret the idea of someone dying as meaning nonexistence after death, soul sleep, or their belief that the final judgment is annihilation. Of course, the context determines meaning and we need to check our presuppositions against Scripture.

 

• Greek word: ἀποθνήσκω, apothnesko
• Meaning:   death, to die off
• Strong’s #: G599
• Frequency:  111 occurrences

Summary of the meaning of the Greek word thanatos, ‘death’ in all verses where it occurs in the New Testament.

1. Died with Adam, 2 occurrences
   • Rom. 5:15, the many died in Adam.
   • 1 Cor. 15:22, in Adam all die
2. Died with Christ, 3 occurrences
   • Rom. 6:2, 8, we have died to sin, died with Christ.
   • Rom. 7:6, 8, died to the law
   • Rev. 16:3, every living thing in the sea died.
3. Physical death, 77 occurrences
   • Matt. 8:32; 9:24; 22:24, 27; 26:35; Mark 5:35; 5:39; 9:26; 12:19; 12:20; ; 12:21; ; 12:22; 15:44; Luke 8:42; 8:52; 8:53; 16:22; 20:28; 20:29; 20:31; 20:32; 20:36; John 4:47; 4:49; 6:49; 6:58; 8:52; 8:53; 11:14; 11:16; 11:21; 11:25; 11:32; 11:37; 11:50; 11:51; 12:24; 12:33; 18:14; 18:32; 19:7; 21:23; Acts 7:4; 9:37; 21:13; 25:11; Rom 5:6; 5:7; 5:8; 6:7; 6:9; 6:10; 7:2; 7:3; 8:13; 8:34; 14:7; 14:8; 14:9; 1 Cor. 9:15; 1 Cor. 15:32; 1 Cor. 15:36; 2 Cor. 6:9; Gal. 2:21; Phil. 1:21; 1 Thess. 4:14; Heb. 9:27; 10:28; 11:4; 11:13; 11:21; 11:37; Rev. 8:9; 8:11; 9:6; 16:3
     • Matt. 8:32, the whole herd perished in the waters.
     • John 4:47, he asked Jesus to heal a boy at the point of death
     • Acts 7:4, …after his father died, God had him move to this country
     • Rom 5:6, Christ died for the ungodly
     • etc.
4. Representative death, 2 occurrences
   • 1 Cor. 15:31, dying daily
   • 1 Thess. 5:10, Jesus died for us
5. Substitutionary and Representative death, 1 occurrence
   • 2 Cor. 5:14, one died for all, therefore, all died
6. Substitutionary death, 4 occurrences
   • Rom. 14:15, destroy with food for whom Christ died
   • 1 Cor. 8:11, weakening those for whom Christ died
   • 1 Cor. 15:3, Christ died for our sins
   • 2 Cor. 5:15, he died for all

 

TABLE OF ALL NEW TESTAMENT USAGES OF APOTHNESKO, ἀποθνήσκω
Address	Verse	Meaning
Matt. 8:32	And He said to them, “Go!” And they came out and went into the swine, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the waters.	Physical death
Matt. 9:24	He said, “Leave; for the girl has not died, but is asleep.” And they began laughing at Him.	Physical death
Matt. 22:24	asking, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies having no children, his brother as next of kin shall marry his wife, and raise up children for his brother.’	Physical death
Matt. 22:27	Last of all, the woman died.	Physical death
Matt. 26:35	Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You.” All the disciples said the same thing too.	Physical death
Mark 5:35	While He was still speaking, they came from the house of the synagogue official, saying, “Your daughter has died; why trouble the Teacher anymore?”	Physical death
Mark 5:39	And entering in, He said to them, “Why make a commotion and weep? The child has not died, but is asleep.”	Physical death
Mark 9:26	After crying out and throwing him into terrible convulsions, it came out; and the boy became so much like a corpse that most of them said, “He is dead!”	Physical death
Mark 12:19	“Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves behind a wife and leaves no child, his brother should marry the wife and raise up children to his brother.”	Physical death
Mark 12:20	There were seven brothers, and the first took a wife, and died leaving no children.	Physical death
Mark 12:21	The second one married her, and died leaving behind no children, and the third likewise;	Physical death
Mark 12:22	and so all seven left no children. Last of all the woman died also.	Physical death
Mark 15:44	Pilate wondered if He was dead by this time, and summoning the centurion, he questioned him as to whether He was already dead.	Physical death
Luke 8:42	for he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying. But as He went, the crowds were pressing against Him.	Physical death
Luke 8:52	Now they were all weeping and lamenting for her; but He said, “Stop weeping, for she has not died, but is asleep.”	Physical death
Luke 8:53	And they began laughing at Him, knowing that she had died.	Physical death
Luke 16:22	Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom, and the rich man also died and was buried.	Physical death
Luke 20:28	and they questioned Him, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, having a wife, and he is childless, his brother should marry the wife and raise up children to his brother.	Physical death
Luke 20:29	Now there were seven brothers, and the first took a wife and died childless;	Physical death
Luke 20:31	and the third married her; and in the same way all seven died, leaving no children.	Physical death
Luke 20:32	Finally the woman died also.	Physical death
Luke 20:36	for they cannot even die anymore, because they are like angels, and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.	Physical death
John 4:47	When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and was imploring Him to come down and heal his son; for he was at the point of death.	Physical death
John 4:49	The royal official said to Him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”	Physical death
John 6:49	Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.	Physical death
John 6:50	This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.	Spiritual death
John 6:58	This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever.”	Physical death
John 8:21	Then He said again to them, “I go away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin; where I am going, you cannot come.”	Spiritual death
John 8:24	Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”	Spiritual death
John 8:52	The Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You have a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets also; and You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word, he will never taste of death.’	Physical death
John 8:53	Surely You are not greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets died too; whom do You make Yourself out to be?”	Physical death
John 11:14	So Jesus then said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead,	Physical death
John 11:16	Therefore Thomas, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, so that we may die with Him.”	Physical death
John 11:21	Martha then said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.	Physical death
John 11:25	Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies,	Physical death
John 11:26	and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”	Spiritual death
John 11:32	Therefore, when Mary came where Jesus was, she saw Him, and fell at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”	Physical death
John 11:37	But some of them said, “Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have kept this man also from dying?”	Physical death
John 11:50	nor do you take into account that it is expedient for you that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish.”	Physical death
John 11:51	Now he did not say this on his own initiative, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation,	Physical death
John 12:24	Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.	Physical death
John 12:33	But He was saying this to indicate the kind of death by which He was to die.	Physical death
John 18:14	Now Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it was expedient for one man to die on behalf of the people.	Physical death
John 18:32	to fulfill the word of Jesus which He spoke, signifying by what kind of death He was about to die.	Physical death
John 19:7	The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and by that law He ought to die because He made Himself out to be the Son of God.”	Physical death
John 21:23	Therefore this saying went out among the brethren that that disciple would not die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but only, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?”	Physical death
Acts 7:4	Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. From there, after his father died, God had him move to this country in which you are now living.	Physical death
Acts 9:37	And it happened at that time that she fell sick and died; and when they had washed her body, they laid it in an upper room.	Physical death
Acts 21:13	Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”	Physical death
Acts 25:11	If then, I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die; but if none of those things is true of which these men accuse me, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar.”	Physical death
Rom. 5:6	For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.	Physical death
Rom. 5:7	For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die.	Physical death
Rom. 5:8	But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.	Physical death
Rom. 5:15	But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many.	Died with Adam
Rom. 6:2	May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?	Died with Christ
Rom. 6:7	for he who has died is freed from sin.	Physical death
Rom. 6:8	Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,	Died with Christ
Rom. 6:9	knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him.	Physical death
Rom. 6:10	For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.	Physical death
Rom. 7:2	For the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband.	Physical death
Rom. 7:3	So then, if while her husband is living she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress though she is joined to another man.	Physical death
Rom. 7:6	But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.	Died with Christ
Rom. 7:9	I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died;	Spiritual death
Rom. 8:13	for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.	Physical death
Rom. 8:34	who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.	Physical death
Rom. 14:7	For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself;	Physical death
Rom. 14:8	for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.	Physical death
Rom. 14:9	For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.	Physical death
Rom. 14:15	For if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died.	Substitutionary death
1 Cor. 8:11	For through your knowledge he who is weak is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died.	Substitutionary death
1 Cor. 9:15	But I have used none of these things. And I am not writing these things so that it will be done so in my case; for it would be better for me to die than have any man make my boast an empty one.	Physical death
1 Cor. 15:3	For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,	Substitutionary death
1 Cor. 15:22	For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.	Died with Adam
1 Cor. 15:31	I affirm, brethren, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.	Death of sanctification
1 Cor. 15:32	If from human motives I fought with wild beasts at Ephesus, what does it profit me? If the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.	Physical death
1 Cor. 15:36	You fool! That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies;	Physical death
2 Cor. 5:14	For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died;	Substitutionary and Representative death
2 Cor. 5:15	and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.	Substitutionary death
2 Cor. 6:9	as unknown yet well-known, as dying yet behold, we live; as punished yet not put to death,	Physical death
Gal. 2:19	For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God.	Spiritual death
Gal. 2:21	I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.”	Physical death
Php 1:21	For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.	Physical death
Col. 2:20	If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as,	Spiritual death
Col. 3:3	For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.	Spiritual death
1 Thess. 4:14	For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.	Physical death
1 Thess. 5:10	who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.	Representative death
Heb.  7:8	In this case mortal men receive tithes, but in that case one receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives on.	Mortality
Heb.  9:27	And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,	Physical death
Heb.  10:28	Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.	Physical death
Heb.  11:4	By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks.	Physical death
Heb.  11:13	All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.	Physical death
Heb.  11:21	By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.	Physical death
Heb.  11:37	They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated	Physical death
Jude 12	These are the men who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, caring for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted;	Spiritual death
Rev. 3:2	‘Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God.	Spiritual death
Rev. 8:9	and a third of the creatures which were in the sea and had life, died; and a third of the ships were destroyed.	Physical death
Rev. 8:11	The name of the star is called Wormwood, and a third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the waters, because they were made bitter.	Physical death
Rev. 9:6	And in those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them.	Physical death
Rev. 14:13	And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, “Write, ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!’ ” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them.”	Died with Christ
Rev. 16:3	The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became blood like that of a dead man, and every living thing in the sea died.	Physical death

 

Dictionaries and Lexicons consulted

• “to die. Literally, to die off, but used with the simple meaning of to die, although stronger than thnḗskō. To die a natural death, applied to both men and animals (Matt. 8:32; 22:24, 27; 26:35; Heb. 9:27); to be dead to sin, as the truly regenerate are, by having renounced and abandoned it in consequence of their conformity with Christ in His death (Rom. 6:2 [cf. Col. 3:3]); when applied to Christ, to die for or on account of sin, i.e., to make an atonement and satisfaction for it (Rom. 6:10 [cf. Heb. 9:26–28]); to be dead to the Law, i.e., to have no more dependence upon mere legal righteousness for justification and salvation than a dead man would have, as being self–crucified and dead together with Christ (Gal. 2:19 [cf. Rom. 6:4; Col. 2:20]).
  • Zodhiates, Spiros. The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament. Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2000
• ‘to die, death.’ ἀποθνῄσκωa: ὁ πιστεύων εἰς ἐμὲ κἂν ἀποθάνῃ ζήσεται ‘whoever believes in me will live even though he dies’ Jn 11:25; ἵνα τις ἐξ αὐτοῦ φάγῃ καὶ μὴ ἀποθάνῃ ‘so that if anyone eats of it, he will not die’ Jn 6:50. In Jn 6:50 ἀποθνῄσκω must be understood in a spiritual rather than in a strictly literal sense. This bold figurative language is characteristic of the Gospel of John and should not be eliminated, though in some languages a strictly literal translation may be understood only in a literal sense and thus lead to misinterpretation. In some instances, therefore, it may be necessary to suggest the metaphorical significance by translating ‘he will not, as it were, die.’
  • Louw, Johannes P., and Eugene Albert Nida. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains. New York: United Bible Societies, 1996.
• ἀποθνῄσκω [apothnesko /ap·oth·nace·ko/] v. From 575 and 2348; TDNT 3:7; TDNTA 312; GK 633; 112 occurrences; AV translates as “die” 98 times, “be dead” 29 times, “be at the point of death + 3195” once, “perish” once, “lie a dying” once, “be slain + 5408” once, and “vr dead” once. 1 to die. 1A of the natural death of man. 1B of the violent death of man or animals. 1C to perish by means of something. 1D of trees which dry up, of seeds which rot when planted. 1E of eternal death, to be subject to eternal misery in hell.
  • Strong, James. Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship, 1995.

 

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