βυθίζω (buthizō)
buthizō
to sink
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb buthizō means to plunge or sink into deep water. It appears only twice in the New Testament, creating a vivid contrast between physical rescue and spiritual peril. In Luke 5:7, it describes the boats sinking under the weight of a massive catch of fish, illustrating how abundance can overwhelm human capacity.
In 1 Timothy 6:9, the word shifts to metaphorical danger. Paul warns that those who desire wealth fall into ruin and destruction, using this term to depict being swallowed by spiritual loss. The root relates to "the deep," suggesting a total submersion from which there is no easy return.
This rare usage highlights the finality of sinking in ancient maritime contexts. Unlike simple drowning, buthizō implies being overwhelmed by forces beyond control. The text uses this concrete image to teach that greed leads to spiritual collapse, leaving no room for recovery.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word buthizō paints a picture of sudden submersion, where weight becomes too much for the vessel to bear. In Luke’s Gospel, we see fishermen overwhelmed by a catch so large their boats begin to sink. This image reminds us that even good things can become burdens when they exceed our capacity to manage them alone.
Paul uses this same vivid language in 1 Timothy to warn against the desire for wealth. Here, sinking is not about fish, but about the soul being pulled under by greed and ruin. It suggests a total loss of control, where spiritual stability is lost beneath the surface of material ambition.
When life feels like it is closing in, or when desires pull us toward places that cannot sustain us, this word invites honesty. We do not have to stay submerged. Recognizing the weight we carry is the first step toward seeking help from One who can lift us out of the deep.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- plunge1×
- [were] sinking1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- βυθίζουσιν1×
- βυθίζεσθαι1×
Key Verses
-
Luke 5:7
They beckoned to their partners in the other boat, that they should come and help them. They came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink.
This verse captures the physical reality of being overwhelmed by abundance, showing how even divine blessings can strain human limits if we try to hold them without support.
-
I Timothy 6:9
But those who are determined to be rich fall into a temptation, a snare, and many foolish and harmful lusts, such as drown men in ruin and destruction.
Here the term shifts to spiritual peril, illustrating how the pursuit of wealth can rapidly pull a person into ruin and destruction beyond their control.