Kill #1

0615 APOKTEINO (74): apo = away from + kteino = to kill; kill off or slay. Apoktejnw is the general term for killing a person. Whether killing is lawful or not is not included in its meaning, as in Mk.13.4: "Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed (apokteino) them; do you suppose that they were debtors more than all the people dwelling in Jerusalem?"

Lk.12.4-5 also shows usage of apokteino as killing in general: "I say to you+, my friends, do not be afraid of those killing (apokteino) the body and afterwards having nothing more [they can] do. But I will warn you+ of who you+ should have awesome respect, have awesome respect for the one who after killing, has authority to throw you+ into the burning dump. Yes, I say to you+, have awesome respect for him." Note that although humans can kill one another, only God can destroy the soul, the non-physical part of a human.

In Jn.18.29-32, killing Jesus was unlawful for the Jews, but lawful under Roman law: "So then Pilate came outside to them and declared, 'What accusation do you bring [against] this person?' They answered and said to him, 'If this one was not doing wrong, we would not have given him over to you.' So then Pilate said to them, 'You+ take him and evaluate him by your+ law.' The Jews said to him, 'It is unlawful [for] us to execute (apokteino) anyone;' so that the statement of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spoke, showing by a sign what death (thanatos) he would die (apothnesko). [Jn.12.32])." Note that in this context apothnesko simply means "to die."

But the "killing" (apokteino) of Mt.23.34-35 is unlawful because it is declared to be "murder" (5407 phoneuo): "Because of this I will send out to you+ spokesmen and wise men and copyists, and [some] of them you+ will kill (apokteino) and will nail to a cross, and some of them you will whip in your synagogues and will persecute from city to city; so that all the upright blood shed upon the earth from the blood of Abel the upright one until the blood of Zechariah son of Berechiah, whom you+ murdered (phoneuo) between the inner temple and the altar." See "murder" (5407 phoneuo) for discussion.

TO KILL A HUMAN PHYSICALLY:

KILL (69) Mt.10.28,28; 14.5; 16.21; 17.23: 21.35,38,39; 22.6; 23.34, 37; 24.9; 26.4. Mk.3.4; 6.19; 8.31; 9.31,31; 10.34; 12.5,5,7,8; 14.1. Lk.9.22; 11.47,48,49; 12.4,5; 13.31,34; 18.33; 20.14,15. Jn.5.18; 7.1,19,20,25; 8.22,37,40; 11.53; 12.10; 16.2. Act.3.15; 7.52; 21.31; 23.12,14; 27.42. Rom.11.3. 1Th.2.15. Rev.2.13,23; 6.8,11; 9.5,15,18, 20; 11.5,7,13; 13.10,10,15; 19.21.

TO KILL ACCIDENTALLY:

KILL (1) Lk.13.4.

TO EXECUTE A PERSON ACCORDING TO CIVIL LAW:

EXECUTE (1) Jn.18.31.

FOR ONE'S WRONGDOING TO KILL "HIM":

KILL (1) Rom.7.11.

FOR A "LETTER OF A LAW" TO FIGURATIVELY KILL:

KILL (1) 2Co.3.6.

FOR ENMITY WITH GOD TO FIGURATIVELY BE KILLED":

KILL (1) Eph.2.16.

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