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λύω
lýō · Greek · Strong's G3089 · 42 occurrences
The KJV renders 36 different Hebrew and Greek words as “destroy”
What it means
to "loosen" (literally or figuratively)
a primary verb;
How the KJV renders it
break, destroy, dissolve, unloose, melt, put off
Where that flattens a distinction
The same English word is also used for these other originals, so the distinction between them disappears in translation.
“destroy”
also renders phtheírō (G5351), exolothreúō (G1842), kathairéō (G2507), phthorá (G5356), porthéō (G4199), olothreúō (G3645), katalýō (G2647), katargéō (G2673), apóllymi (G622), diaphtheírō (G1311), ʼâbad (H6), ʼăbad (H7), bâlaʻ (H1104), gârar (H1641), dâbar (H1696), dâmâh (H1820), hârag (H2026), chăbal (H2255), chârab (H2717), chărab (H2718), châram (H2763), mᵉgar (H4049), nâqaph (H5362), nâsham (H5395), nâthats (H5422), çâphâh (H5595), çᵉthar (H5642), tsâdâh (H6658), tsâmath (H6789), qûwr (H6979), rûwaʻ (H7321), shâbar (H7665), shâdad (H7703), shôwʼ (H7722), shâkôl (H7921)
“break”
also renders schízō (G4977), synthrýptō (G4919), syntríbō (G4937), katágnymi (G2608), rhḗgnymi (G4486), katakláō (G2622), kláō (G2806), synthláō (G4917), diarrhḗssō (G1284), ʼâbad (H6), gâram (H1633), hâlam (H1986), nûwʼ (H5106), nâthaʻ (H5421), nâthaq (H5423), pûwr (H6331), pâtsam (H6480), pâraq (H6561), râgaʻ (H7280), rᵉʻaʻ (H7490), shûwph (H7779)
“melt”
“put off”
also renders apekdýomai (G554), châlats (H2502)
Answers that weigh this word
- Is the seventh-day Sabbath binding on Gentiles?
- Will there be a literal thousand-year reign (the millennium)?
- What does Matthew 16:18 mean ('on this rock I will build my church')?
- What does 2 Timothy 3:16 mean that scripture is 'God-breathed'?
- Did Jesus claim to be God?
- Does continuing to sin after conversion cost you your salvation?
Where it appears
42 occurrences in the Greek text, first 39 verses shown.
1 Corinthians 7:27 · V-RPI-2S
Are you bound to a wife? Don’t seek to be freed. Are you free from a wife? Don’t seek a wife.
1 John 3:8 · V-AAS-3S
He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. To this end the Son of God was revealed: that he might destroy the works of the devil.
2 Peter 3:10 · V-FPI-3S
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fervent heat; and the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.
2 Peter 3:11 · V-PPP-GPN
Therefore, since all these things will be destroyed like this, what kind of people ought you to be in holy living and godliness,
2 Peter 3:12 · V-FPI-3P
looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God, which will cause the burning heavens to be dissolved, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?
Acts 2:24 · V-AAP-NSM
whom God raised up, having freed him from the agony of death, because it was not possible that he should be held by it.
Acts 7:33 V-AAM-2SActs 13:25 V-AANActs 13:43 V-APP-GSFActs 22:30 V-AAI-3SActs 27:41 V-IPI-3SEphesians 2:14 V-AAP-NSMJohn 1:27 V-AAS-1SJohn 2:19 V-AAM-2PJohn 5:18 V-IAI-3SJohn 7:23 V-APS-3SJohn 10:35 V-APNJohn 11:44 V-AAM-2PLuke 3:16 V-AANLuke 13:15 V-PAI-3SLuke 13:16 V-APNLuke 19:30 V-AAP-NPMLuke 19:31 V-PAI-2PLuke 19:33 V-PAI-2PMatthew 5:19 V-AAS-3SMatthew 16:19 V-AAS-2SMatthew 18:18 V-AAS-2PMatthew 21:2 V-AAP-NPMMark 1:7 V-AANMark 7:35 V-API-3SMark 11:2 V-AAM-2PMark 11:4 V-PAI-3PMark 11:5 V-PAP-NPMRevelation 1:5 V-AAP-DSMRevelation 5:2 V-AANRevelation 9:14 V-AAM-2SRevelation 9:15 V-API-3PRevelation 20:3 V-APNRevelation 20:7 V-FPI-3S
Occurrences and morphology are taken from the primary Greek text, never from an English translation. Strong's Hebrew lexicon and Westminster Leningrad Codex morphology used under CC BY-SA 4.0 / CC BY 4.0 (OpenScriptures). Strong's Greek lexicon is public domain.