ἐπιστομίζω (epistomizō)
epistomizō
to silence
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb epistomizō means to muzzle or silence someone by stopping their mouth. Its literal image comes from putting a bit or bridle in an animal’s mouth to control it, but in Scripture it is used metaphorically for people whose speech must be restrained.
This word appears only once in the New Testament, in Titus 1:11. Paul uses it to describe false teachers who are "uttering things they ought not to" and leading entire households astray for dishonest gain. The command is to silence them, implying that their disruptive speech requires firm intervention to protect the community.
The strength of this word lies in its physical imagery. It suggests that some words are so harmful or misleading that gentle correction is insufficient; the mouth itself must be stopped. Translators often render it as "silence" or "shut up," capturing the decisive action Paul demands to preserve sound doctrine and healthy living within the church.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word epistomizō paints a vivid picture of putting a muzzle on an animal to stop it from causing harm. In Titus 1:11, Paul uses this strong image for false teachers whose words were tearing apart families and spreading lies for money. It shows that some speech is so dangerous it requires immediate and firm intervention to protect the community.
This reminds us that our words carry real weight. While we usually aim for gentle correction, there are times when harmful teaching must be stopped decisively. This isn't about controlling every opinion, but about guarding the church from those who exploit others for gain or lead people away from truth. It calls us to value peace and sound doctrine over chaotic debate.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- to silence;1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἐπιστομίζειν·1×
Key Verses
-
Titus 1:11
whose mouths must be stopped: men who overthrow whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for dishonest gain’s sake.
This is the only occurrence of the word, where Paul commands that false teachers be silenced because their disruptive speech was overthrowing households for dishonest gain.