σπαράσσω (sparassō)
sparassō
to convulse
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb sparassō describes a violent physical reaction, meaning to convulse or tear. It appears only three times in the New Testament, always in the Gospels of Mark and Luke. In these instances, it depicts the intense, spasmodic suffering of individuals possessed by unclean spirits. The word conveys more than simple movement; it suggests a body being pulled apart or shaken by an external force.
Its etymology links to grasping or seizing, implying a spasmodic contraction that mangles the flesh. This intensity distinguishes it from gentler terms for trembling or shaking. When Mark and Luke record Jesus casting out demons, they use sparassō to highlight the demon’s resistance and the victim’s agony, as seen when a boy is thrown into convulsions (Mark 9:26) or when a spirit tears a man while he cries out (Luke 9:39). The imagery is visceral, emphasizing the destructive power of evil before Jesus intervenes.
Translators typically render sparassō as "convulse" or "toss about," capturing the loss of bodily control. This usage underscores the severity of spiritual oppression in the Gospel narratives. By describing such violent physical symptoms, the texts illustrate the tangible reality of the conflict between divine authority and demonic forces, showing that Jesus’ power extends to healing even the most severe physical manifestations.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word sparassō describes a violent physical reaction, meaning to convulse or tear. It appears only three times in the New Testament, always in the Gospels of Mark and Luke. In these instances, it depicts the intense, spasmodic suffering of individuals possessed by unclean spirits. The word conveys more than simple movement; it suggests a body being pulled apart or shaken by an external force.
Its etymology links to grasping or seizing, implying a spasmodic contraction that mangles the flesh. This intensity distinguishes it from gentler terms for trembling or shaking. When Mark and Luke record Jesus casting out demons, they use sparassō to highlight the demon’s resistance and the victim’s agony, as seen when a boy is thrown into convulsions (Mark 9:26) or when a spirit tears a man while he cries out (Luke 9:39).
The imagery is visceral, emphasizing the destructive power of evil before Jesus intervenes. Translators typically render sparassō as "convulse" or "toss about," capturing the loss of bodily control. This usage underscores the severity of spiritual oppression in the Gospel narratives. By describing such violent physical symptoms, the texts illustrate the tangible reality of the conflict between divine authority and demonic forces, showing that Jesus’ power extends to healing even the most severe physical manifestations.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- throwing into convulsions1×
- it throws into convulsions1×
- having thrown into convulsions1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- σπαράσσει1×
- σπαράξας1×
- σπαράξαν1×
Key Verses
-
Mark 1:26
The unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him.
This verse introduces the term by describing how the unclean spirit convulses a man before being cast out, establishing the pattern of violent resistance against Jesus' authority.
-
Mark 9:26
After crying out and convulsing him greatly, it came out of him. The boy became like one dead, so much that most of them said, “He is dead.”
Here the convulsion is so severe that the boy appears dead, highlighting the extreme physical toll of demonic oppression and the magnitude of Jesus' restorative power.
-
Luke 9:39
Behold, a spirit takes him, he suddenly cries out, and it convulses him so that he foams; and it hardly departs from him, bruising him severely.
Luke adds detail about foaming and bruising, showing how sparassō captures not just shaking but the damaging impact of the spirit's grip on the victim's body.