ἀποστοματίζω (apostomatizō)
apostomatizō
to interrogate
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb apostomatizō describes a process of drawing someone out through sustained questioning. In classical Greek, it originally meant to dictate or recite from memory for a student to learn, but in the New Testament it shifts toward active interrogation. The sources define it as plying someone with questions to elicit answers, effectively catechizing them.
This word appears only once in Scripture, in Luke 11:53. There, the scribes and Pharisees begin to "press him hard" and interrogate Jesus on many things. The usage captures a hostile, persistent line of inquiry rather than a friendly dialogue. It reflects an attempt to trap or expose flaws through rigorous questioning.
Its etymology links to the mouth (stoma), suggesting speech drawn out from one party to another. Translators often render it as "pressing him hard" or "interrogating," which conveys the aggressive nature of the encounter. The term highlights how words can be used not for edification, but for confrontation.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word apostomatizō appears only once in the New Testament, found in Luke 11:53. It describes a method of interrogation where questions are used not to seek truth, but to trap or expose flaws. The scribes and Pharisees employed this aggressive questioning against Jesus, turning dialogue into a hostile confrontation.
This passage reminds us that words can be weapons. When we listen to others, we must guard our hearts against the temptation to use questions as traps. Instead of seeking to win an argument or expose weakness, we are called to speak with grace and seek understanding. True communication builds up rather than tears down.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- to make speak1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἀποστοματίζειν1×
Key Verses
-
Luke 11:53
As he said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be terribly angry, and to draw many things out of him,
This is the sole occurrence of the word, describing how religious leaders aggressively pressed Jesus with questions to trap him.