τίνω (tinō)
tinō
to pay
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb tinoō means to pay or settle a debt, but in the New Testament it carries a specific weight: paying a penalty or suffering punishment. It appears only once in the Greek New Testament, in 2 Thessalonians 1:9, where Paul describes those who reject the gospel facing eternal destruction.
This word is distinct from general terms for payment because it implies retribution or the settling of a moral account. The sources note its connection to the Old Testament concept of paying damages or suffering the consequences of wrongdoing. Translators render it as "pay the penalty" or "suffer punishment," capturing the idea that justice requires a cost.
Its rarity in Scripture highlights the seriousness of the judgment described. By using tinoō, the text emphasizes that divine justice is not abstract but involves a real, incurred debt that must be settled. This usage underscores the gravity of rejecting God's message and the certainty of its consequences.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word tinoō carries a heavy weight in Scripture. It does not refer to a simple commercial transaction but to the settling of a moral debt through retribution. In 2 Thessalonians 1:9, Paul uses this term to describe the consequence for those who reject the gospel. The phrase 'pay the penalty' signals that divine justice is real and unavoidable.
This reality should not drive us away but draw us closer to grace. Because the debt of sin requires such a severe payment, the gift of salvation through Christ becomes even more precious. We are freed from this penalty not by our own efforts, but by faith in what Jesus accomplished on the cross.
Let this truth anchor your heart. You do not need to fear an arbitrary punishment. Instead, rest in the assurance that God’s justice has been satisfied for those who trust in Him. His mercy offers peace that surpasses any understanding of guilt or fear.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- will suffer1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- τίσουσιν,1×
Key Verses
-
II Thessalonians 1:9
who will pay the penalty: eternal destruction from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his might,
This is the only occurrence of tinoō in the New Testament, where it defines the specific nature of eternal destruction as a settled penalty for rejecting God.