ἐμπτύω (emptuō)
emptuō
to spit on/at
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 6 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb emptuō describes the physical act of spitting, a gesture that carried heavy social and religious weight in the ancient world. It appears six times in the New Testament, primarily within the Passion narratives of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. In these contexts, it is not a casual bodily function but a deliberate action of contempt or humiliation directed at Jesus.
Lexical sources note that this word often takes a dative object (spitting on someone) or uses the preposition eis (spitting into something). For instance, soldiers spit in his face during mockery (Matthew 26:67), and they spit on him again while crowning him with thorns (Matthew 27:30). The passive form appears in Luke 18:32, where Jesus predicts he will be "spat upon" as part of his suffering. This specific verb distinguishes the act from other forms of abuse, highlighting a visceral rejection.
The etymology combines the prefix em- (in/on) with ptuo (to spit). Its usage in the Gospels underscores the depth of Jesus' humiliation. By enduring this degrading treatment, he fulfilled prophecies that described the Suffering Servant as despised and rejected by men. The word serves as a stark marker of the hostility he faced before his crucifixion.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word emptuō describes the physical act of spitting, a gesture that carried heavy social weight in the ancient world. In the Gospels, it appears not as a casual bodily function but as a deliberate action of contempt directed at Jesus. Soldiers spat in his face during mockery (Matthew 26:67) and on him while crowning him with thorns (Matthew 27:30). This visceral rejection highlights the depth of humiliation he endured before his crucifixion.
For your faith, this word underscores the reality of Christ’s suffering. By enduring such degrading treatment, Jesus fulfilled prophecies describing the Suffering Servant as despised and rejected by men (Isaiah 50:6). His willingness to accept this shame demonstrates the extent of his love for humanity. It reminds us that he fully entered into the lowest points of human experience, bearing our insults so that we might receive grace.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 6 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- will spit upon1×
- will be spit upon,1×
- were spitting1×
- to spit1×
- they spat1×
- having spit1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἐνέπτυσαν1×
- ἐνέπτυον1×
- ἐμπτύσουσιν1×
- ἐμπτύσαντες1×
- ἐμπτύειν1×
- ἐμπτυσθήσεται,1×
Key Verses
-
Matthew 26:67
Then they spat in his face and beat him with their fists, and some slapped him,
This verse captures the initial mockery where spitting accompanies physical beating, marking the start of Jesus' public humiliation.
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Mark 10:34
They will mock him, spit on him, scourge him, and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.”
Here Jesus predicts his own suffering, listing spitting among other abuses to show he fully understood the path ahead.
-
Luke 18:32
For he will be delivered up to the Gentiles, will be mocked, treated shamefully, and spit on.
The passive form emphasizes that Jesus would be subjected to this shame by others, fulfilling his role as the Suffering Servant.