ἐμβάλλω (emballō)
emballō
to throw in
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb emballo means to throw or cast something into a place. It is a straightforward action word that describes putting one object inside another space. In the New Testament, it appears only once, in Luke 12:5, where Jesus warns about the power of God to cast bodies into hell.
This single usage highlights its literal sense of forceful placement. The word combines a prefix meaning "in" with a root meaning "to throw." Unlike terms that might imply gentle placement, emballo suggests a decisive act of putting something into its destination. Translators typically render it as "cast" or "throw," preserving the image of finality and authority in the warning.
Its rarity in Scripture makes this one occurrence particularly significant. By using a word for casting into destruction, the text emphasizes the seriousness of the judgment being described. The physical action mirrors the spiritual reality: a definitive movement from one state to another, under divine control.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word emballō simply means to throw or cast something into a space. It is not a gentle placement but a decisive act of moving an object from one place to another. In the New Testament, this verb appears only once, in Luke 12:5, where Jesus speaks about God’s authority over life and death.
Jesus uses this strong imagery to remind us that God holds ultimate power over our final destination. While human beings can take physical life, only God has the authority to cast souls into Gehenna. This warning is not meant to terrify us into fear of man, but to direct our reverence toward the One who truly matters.
Understanding this word helps us see the seriousness of spiritual accountability. It reminds us that our choices have eternal weight. Instead of fearing those who can harm our bodies, we are called to respect God’s sovereignty. This perspective brings clarity to our daily walk, grounding our lives in the reality of divine judgment and grace.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- to cast1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἐμβαλεῖν1×
Key Verses
-
Luke 12:5
But I will warn you whom you should fear. Fear him who after he has killed, has power to cast into Gehenna. Yes, I tell you, fear him.
This is the only New Testament occurrence, where Jesus uses the word 'cast' to describe God's authoritative power to place bodies into Gehenna after death.