κακουχέω (kakoucheō)
kakoucheō
to torment
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb kakoucheō describes inflicting harm or treating someone with cruelty. Its meaning is straightforward: to ill-treat, oppress, or torment another person. The word combines elements suggesting "evil" and "having," pointing directly to the act of bringing bad things upon someone else.
Scripture uses this term sparingly, appearing in only two verses within the New Testament. In Hebrews 11:37, it describes the severe suffering endured by faithful figures who were "tormented" or "ill-treated" for their convictions. Similarly, Hebrews 13:3 urges believers to remember prisoners, noting they are "being treated ill" alongside those in bondage.
This word highlights the physical and social reality of persecution. It is not merely about emotional distress but involves active mistreatment by others. The texts emphasize that such suffering is a known part of the faithful experience, calling for empathy and solidarity from the community.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word kakoucheō paints a stark picture of human cruelty, describing situations where people are actively tormented or ill-treated by others. It moves beyond abstract suffering to highlight the physical and social reality of persecution. When Scripture uses this term, it points to real harm inflicted on individuals because of their convictions or circumstances.
Hebrews 11:37 lists those who were "ill-treated" among the great cloud of witnesses. These faithful figures faced stoning, sawing, and destitution not because they failed, but because they stood firm. Their experience shows that suffering for righteousness is a known part of the Christian journey, shared by many before us.
In Hebrews 13:3, we are urged to remember those in bonds and those who are ill-treated, as if we were bound with them. This call to empathy invites us into solidarity with the oppressed. It reminds us that our faith is lived out in relation to others, especially those enduring active mistreatment.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- being mistreated,1×
- being mistreated1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- κακουχούμενοι,1×
- κακουχουμένων1×
Key Verses
-
Hebrews 11:37
They were stoned. They were sawn apart. They were tempted. They were slain with the sword. They went around in sheep skins and in goat skins; being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated—
This verse places kakoucheō within a list of extreme persecutions faced by Old Testament saints, showing that ill-treatment was a common reality for those who remained faithful to God.
-
Hebrews 13:3
Remember those who are in bonds, as bound with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you are also in the body.
Here the word serves as a practical command for believers to empathize with prisoners and the mistreated, linking their own spiritual identity in Christ to active solidarity with sufferers.