βόθυνος (bothunos)
bothunos
pit
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun bothunos refers to a pit or ditch, a hollow dug into the ground. In the New Testament, it appears only three times, all within the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. The word describes a physical depression in the earth, often implied to be dangerous because of its depth and concealment.
Its usage highlights the peril of spiritual blindness. Jesus employs the image in two parables about guidance: one warns that if a blind person leads another blind person, both will fall into a pit (Matthew 15:14; Luke 6:39). In another instance, he questions whether it is lawful to pull a sheep out of a pit on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:11), using the common hazard of rural life to illustrate mercy over rigid rule-keeping.
Lexical sources note that this term corresponds to the Hebrew pachath in the Septuagint, reinforcing its association with sudden danger or entrapment. Translators consistently render it as "pit," preserving the concrete sense of a hole one might accidentally drop into. The word serves as a vivid metaphor for the consequences of poor judgment and lack of insight.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word bothunos simply means a pit or a hole dug into the ground. In the first century, these were real dangers on rural paths, hidden from view until someone stepped too close. Jesus used this everyday fear to teach about spiritual guidance and mercy.
In Matthew 12:11, He asks if it is right to pull a sheep out of a pit on the Sabbath. This shows that true faith cares for living beings more than rigid rules. It invites us to look at our own lives with compassion, helping others when they are stuck rather than judging them for being there.
When Jesus warns that blind guides lead others into pits (Matthew 15:14), He reminds us to seek wisdom from Him. Following His light keeps us safe from hidden dangers and helps us walk in truth together.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- a pit2×
- a pit,1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- βόθυνον2×
- βόθυνον,1×
Key Verses
-
Matthew 12:11
He said to them, “What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if this one falls into a pit on the Sabbath day, won’t he grab on to it and lift it out?
Jesus uses the pit to show that mercy for a suffering animal takes priority over strict Sabbath restrictions.
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Matthew 15:14
Leave them alone. They are blind guides of the blind. If the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit.”
The pit represents the spiritual danger of following leaders who lack true insight or divine direction.
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Luke 6:39
He spoke a parable to them. “Can the blind guide the blind? Won’t they both fall into a pit?
This parallel account emphasizes that those without spiritual sight will inevitably lead others into harm.