τυμπανίζω (tumpanizō)
tumpanizō
to torture
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb tumpanizō describes a specific form of extreme physical torture, literally meaning "to drum" or "to beat like a drum." Its root connects to tympanon, an instrument that produces sound through striking, which the lexicons apply here to the violent beating of a person’s body. This usage appears only once in the New Testament, found in Hebrews 11:35.
In this context, the word refers to the brutal execution method known as breaking on the wheel or being beaten to death. The text notes that some women received their children back from the dead, yet others "were tortured" (tumpanizō) rather than accept release. This stark term highlights the severity of the suffering endured by those who refused to renounce their faith, emphasizing the physical cost of their hope.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word tumpanizō paints a harrowing picture of physical suffering, describing a violent beating intended to break the body like a drum. In Hebrews 11:35, it marks the extreme cost paid by those who refused to deny their faith. This term reminds us that following Christ can demand everything we have, including our safety and comfort.
Yet the text highlights a profound choice. Some endured this brutal fate rather than accept release through compromise. Their refusal was not born of stubbornness but of hope in something greater than life itself. They looked beyond the immediate pain to a future reality that death could not touch.
This story invites us to consider what we hold dear. When pressure mounts, do we cling to our comfort or to our trust in God? The example of these faithful ones shows that true freedom is found in loyalty to Christ, even when it costs us everything. Their hope was not in escape, but in resurrection.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- were tortured1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἐτυμπανίσθησαν1×
Key Verses
-
Hebrews 11:35
Women received their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured, not accepting their deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.
This verse uses tumpanizō to describe the specific choice some believers made to endure brutal execution rather than renounce their faith for temporary relief.