ἐκμυκτηρίζω (ekmuktērizō)
ekmuktērizō
to ridicule
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb ekmukterizō conveys a sharp, physical act of mockery: to sneer or hold up the nose in derision. Its root combines a prefix meaning "out" with a word for the nose, suggesting a gesture of contempt so visceral it involves facial expression. In the New Testament, this rare word appears only twice, both in Luke’s Gospel, capturing moments where Jesus is subjected to public ridicule.
In Luke 16:14, the Pharisees ekmukterizō Jesus and His teaching because they are lovers of money. Here, the sneer is not just intellectual disagreement but a social dismissal rooted in their self-satisfied status. Later, in Luke 23:35, the leaders join the crowd in mocking the crucified Jesus, demanding He save Himself if He is truly God’s chosen one. The word highlights the irony of those who claim religious authority yet respond to divine power with scorn.
Translators typically render ekmukterizō as “sneer at” or “mock greatly,” emphasizing the bodily contempt involved. Unlike general terms for laughing, this word implies a specific, disdainful gesture that rejects the dignity of its target. The sources note its use in the Septuagint to translate Hebrew words for scoffing, linking these New Testament scenes to older biblical patterns of rejecting God’s messengers.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word ekmukterizō describes a sneer—a physical curling of the nose in contempt. It captures a moment where people look down on Jesus with open disdain, whether through religious pride or political mockery. This visceral gesture reveals how easily human dignity can be trampled when we let status or self-interest cloud our judgment.
When you face ridicule for your faith, remember that even the Son of God endured such scorn. His response was not retaliation but steadfast love. This word reminds us that rejection often says more about the mocker’s heart than the target’s worth. You are never alone in those moments of being misunderstood or dismissed.
Instead of returning contempt with contempt, we are invited to trust in Christ’s example. He bore the insult without losing His purpose. Your dignity is secure in Him, regardless of how others choose to treat you. May you find peace in knowing that God sees your heart when the world does not.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- they were ridiculing1×
- Were deriding [Him]1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἐξεμυκτήριζον2×
Key Verses
-
Luke 16:14
The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they scoffed at him.
This occurrence shows religious leaders sneering at Jesus because His teaching threatened their love of money, highlighting how greed can twist spiritual authority into contempt.
-
Luke 23:35
The people stood watching. The rulers with them also scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others. Let him save himself, if this is the Christ of God, his chosen one!”
Here the rulers mock the crucified Jesus by demanding He save Himself, revealing their inability to recognize God’s power working through apparent weakness and suffering.