noun · masculine
thanatos
Strong’sG2288
death
stem thanat-120 times in the New Testamentin 15 of 27 books6 of 10 forms occur
What it means
A plain-English reading of the word, with the lexicons it draws on — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, and Liddell-Scott-Jones — right below it, in full.
AI Summary
Death, in the ordinary physical sense — the ending of bodily life, whether by natural causes or by violence 1234. This is the death of the body as opposed to life, including the death of Christ, and covers such expressions as being sorrowful "to the point of death," a "deadly" wound, seeing or tasting death, and being liable to or condemned to death 1. Strong's notes that the word is properly an adjective used as a noun, and can also carry the sense of deadly 2.
The word is also used of spiritual death — a state of separation or ruin distinct from bodily death, including what is called eternal death or "the second death" 1.
Death is also personified, spoken of as if it were a being or power in its own right 13.
Sources: 1 Abbott-Smith 2 Strong's 3 LSJ 4 Dodson. Condensed by anthropic/claude-sonnet-5 on 2026-09-23 — it may still misstate what these say; check them yourself if it matters to you.
The lexicons it was drawn from, in full:
Abbott-Smith — the 1922 lexicon entry, in full
θάνατος, -ου, ὁ (θνήσκω),
[in LXX chiefly for מָוֶת,מוּת, sometimes דֶּבֶר;]
G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1922 — public domain. References open in the reader.
Strong’s G2288 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from
Saidthan'-at-os
(properly, an adjective used as a noun) death (literally or figuratively)
Fromfrom G2348;
King JamesX deadly, (be…) death.
James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, 1890 — public domain. The numbers in it link to the entries here.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — the classical dictionary this word appears in
(θνῄσκω) death, whether natural or violent, Refs 8th c.BC+; τῶν ὑπαλευάμενος θάνατον the death threatened by them, Refs 8th c.BC+; θάνατόνδε to death, Refs 8th c.BC+; θανάτου τέλος, μοῖρα, Refs 4th c.BC+; θανάτου πέρι καὶ ζωᾶς for life and death, Refs 5th c.BC+; πόλεώς ἐστι θ., ἀνάστατον γενέσθαι it is its death, Refs 4th c.BC+; γῆρας ζῶν θ. Refs 2nd c.AD+; θάνατον ἀποθνῄσκειν, τελευτᾶν, Refs 1st c.BC+
2 in Law, death-penalty, θάνατον καταγνῶναί τινος to pass sentence of death on one, Refs 5th c.BC+; θανάτου δίκῃ κρίνεσθαιRefs 5th c.BC+; πρὸς τοὺς ἐχθροὺς.. ἀγωνίσασθαι περὶ θ. Refs 4th c.BC+; θ. τῆς ζημίας ἐπικειμένης the penalty is death, Refs 5th c.BC+; elliptically, παιδίον κεκος μημένον τὴν ἐπὶ θανάτῳ (i.e. στολήν) Refs 5th c.BC+; but δῆσαί τινα τὴν ἐπὶ θανάτῳ (i.e. δέσιν) Refs 5th c.BC+; τὴν ἐπὶ θανάτῳ ἔξοδον ποιεῖσθαι to go to execution, Refs; τοῖς Ἀθηναίοις ἐπιτρέψαι περὶ σφῶν αὐτῶν πλὴν θανάτου for any penalty short of death, Refs 5th c.BC+; εἰργόμενον θανάτου καὶ τοῦ ἀνάπηρον ποιῆσαι short of death or maiming, Refs 4th c.BC+
3 plural, θάνατοι kinds of death, Refs 8th c.BC+; the deaths of several persons, Refs 5th c.BC+; poetry, of one person, Refs 5th c.BC+*apocalyptic Refs 1st c.AD+; especially of violent death, θ. αὐθένται Refs 5th c.BC+
II as proper name, Θάνατος Refs 8th c.BC+; ὃν [ἰὸν] τέκετο Θ. Refs 5th c.BC+
III corpse, θ. ἀτύμβευτος Refs 1st c.BC+
H. G. Liddell, R. Scott, H. S. Jones, A Greek-English Lexicon (9th ed., 1925–1940) — digitised by the Perseus Digital Library and corrected and expanded by Tyndale House, Cambridge, via STEPBible-Data's TFLSJ table, CC BY 4.0. Covers all of Greek literature, not just the Bible.
Translated as
Every occurrence, sorted by the English it was actually given — the evidence for what the word means, not a gloss of it.
Berean Standard Bible (BSB), dedicated to the public domain — berean.bible.
Biblang forms
Every form this word takes in Biblang, with the Greek it corresponds to and how often the New Testament uses it.
| Job in the sentence case | one singular | more than one plural |
|---|---|---|
| subject nominative | thanatos24×θάνατος | thanatois |
| object accusative | thanaton25×θάνατον | thanatoin |
| direct address vocative | thanator2×θάνατε | thanatoir |
| of, belonging to genitive | thanatou53×θανάτου | thanatoiu |
| to, for dative | thanato15×θανάτῳ | thanatoi1×θανάτοις |
Tinted cells are forms the New Testament never uses, so there is no Greek to show against them — but they are still correct Biblang, built from the slots below like any other.
Why these forms, and no others — the slots that make them
thanato is this word in every one of its forms. The slots after it make all the rest.
same in every form varies — every value shown
Words built on the same stem
Other words sharing the exact same stem — not merely related in meaning.
Where it appears
Every verse the word appears in, filed under the form it takes there.
120 occurrences, 100 of them printed here — the rest are in the reader
thanatos“death”subjectnominative singular24×
Romans 5:12… eiserchata kai dia tau hamartau tos thanatos, kai houtōs eis pantoin anthrōpoin tos …… the world through one man, and death through sin, so also death was …
Romans 5:12… kai houtōs eis pantoin anthrōpoin tos thanatos dierchata epi he pantois hamartala… and death through sin, so also death was passed on to all men …
Romans 5:14alla basilata tos thanatos apo Adam mechris Mōusou kai epi …Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam until Moses, even …
Romans 5:17… gar te tou henou paraptōme tos thanatos basilata dia tou henou, polle mallon …… the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how …
Romans 6:9… Christos egerirantos ek nekroiu ouketi apothnēskatō, thanatos autou ouketi kurieuatō;… the dead, He cannot die again; death no longer has dominion over Him.
Romans 6:21… nun epaischunovō? tem gar telem ekeinoiu thanatos;… The outcome of those things is death.
Romans 6:23teim gar opsōnieim tau hamartau thanatos, tem de charismem tou theou zōas …For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is …
Romans 7:13Tem oun agathem mi geneta thanatos? mē genetoia; alla tas hamartas, hina …… that which is good, then, become death to me? Certainly not! But in …
Romans 8:6tem gar fronēmem tau sarkau thanatos, tem de fronēmem teu pneumeu zōas …The mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit …
Romans 8:38peithomē gar hoti oute thanatos oute zōas oute angelois oute archais …For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities …
1 Corinthians 3:22… Kēfos eite kosmos eite zōas eite thanatos eite enstēarēnteim eite mellarōnteim, panteim vu,… or the world or life or death or the present or the future …
1 Corinthians 15:21epeidē gar dia anthrōpou thanatos, kai dia anthrōpou anastasias nekroiu;For since death came through a man, the resurrection …
1 Corinthians 15:26eschatos echthros katargotō tos thanatos,… last enemy to be destroyed is death.
1 Corinthians 15:54… tos logos tos graforēntos; Katapinita tos thanatos eis nikem.… is written will come to pass: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
2 Corinthians 4:12hōste tos thanatos en ni energotō, tas de zōas …So then, death is at work in us, but …
Revelation 6:8… kathorōntos epanō autou onomem auto tos Thanatos, kai tos hados akolouthate meta autou, …… green horse. Its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed close behind. And …
Revelation 9:6… kai epithumali apothnēskara kai fugatō tos thanatos apo autoiu.… they will long to die, but death will escape them.
Revelation 18:8… hena hēmera hēkali tais plēgais autau, thanatos kai penthem kai limos, kai en …… plagues will come in one day — death and grief and famine — and she …
Revelation 20:6… ta prōta; epi houtoiu tos deuteros thanatos ouk echatō exousian, alla eli hierevois …… in the first resurrection! The second death has no power over them, but …
Revelation 20:13… nekroin toin en auta, kai tos thanatos kai tos hados dōala toin nekroin …… sea gave up its dead, and Death and Hades gave up their dead …
Revelation 20:14kai tos thanatos kai tos hados balila eis tan …Then Death and Hades were thrown into the …
Revelation 20:14… tan limnan teu pureu. houtos tos thanatos tos deuteros atō, tas limnas teu …… of fire. This is the second death — the lake of fire.
Revelation 21:4… ek toiu ofthalmoiu autoiu, kai tos thanatos ouk eti ēti; oute penthem oute …… and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain …
Revelation 21:8… pure kai theie, hem atō tos thanatos tos deuteros.… and sulfur. This is the second death.”
thanaton“death”objectaccusative singular25×
Matthew 10:21paradōati de adelfos adelfon eis thanaton kai patros teknem, kai epanastēeli tekneim …Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children …
Mark 13:12kai paradōati adelfos adelfon eis thanaton kai patros teknem, kai epanastēeli tekneim …Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children …
Luke 2:26… teu pneumeu teu hagieu mē horara thanaton prin ē an horateia ton christon …… him that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s …
Luke 22:33… amō kai eis fulakan kai eis thanaton poreuorō.… You even to prison and to death.”
John 8:51… ean tinos ton ēmon logon tērateia, thanaton ouk mē theōrateia eis ton aiōnon.… My word, he will never see death.”
John 11:4… Houtas tas asthenias ouk atō pros thanaton alla huper tau doxau tou theou …… This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for the glory …
Romans 6:3… baptizina eis Christon Iēsun eis ton thanaton autou baptizina?… Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?
Romans 6:4… auto dia teu baptismeu eis ton thanaton, hina hōsper egerita Christos ek nekroiu …… buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ …
Romans 6:16… avō ho hupakouavō, ētoi hamartau eis thanaton ē hupakoau eis dikaiosunan?… are slaves to sin leading to death, or to obedience leading to righteousness?
Romans 7:10… entolas tas eis zōan houtas eis thanaton;… meant to bring life actually brought death.
Romans 7:13… hamartas dia teu agatheu mi katergazorōntas thanaton; hina geneteia kata huperbolan hamartōlas tas …… be exposed as sin, it produced death in me through what was good …
1 Corinthians 11:26… houton kai tem potēriem pinaveiō, ton thanaton tou kuriou katangelavō, achri hou erchateia.… this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
2 Corinthians 2:16hoi men osmas ek thanatou eis thanaton, hoi de osmas ek zōau eis …… we are an odor that brings death, to the other a fragrance that …
2 Corinthians 4:11aei gar nis tois zōarōntois eis thanaton paradōonō dia Iēsun, hina kai tas …… are alive are always consigned to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the …
2 Corinthians 7:10… ergazotō; tas de tou kosmou lupas thanaton katergazotō.… without regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
2 Timothy 1:10… nu Iēsu Christou, katargarantou men ton thanaton fōtizarantou de zōan kai aftharsian dia …… Savior, Christ Jesus, who has abolished death and illuminated the way to life …
Hebrews 9:16hopou gar diathēkas, thanaton anankas ferorō tou diatitherantou;… it is necessary to establish the death of the one who made it,
Hebrews 11:5Pistia Henōch metatithita teu mē horara thanaton, kai ouk heuriskote dioti metatithata auton …… so that he did not see death: “He could not be found, because …
James 1:15… hamartan, tas de hamartas apotelirantas apokuatō thanaton.… it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
1 John 5:16… adelfon autou hamartarōnton hamartan mē pros thanaton, aitati, kai dōati auto zōan, toi …… committing a sin not leading to death, he should ask God, who will …
1 John 5:16… auto zōan, toi hamartarōntoi mē pros thanaton. atō hamartas pros thanaton; ouk peri …… is a sin that leads to death; I am not saying he should …
1 John 5:16“death”… mē pros thanaton. atō hamartas pros thanaton; ouk peri ekeinau legamō hina erōtateia.… give life to those who commit this kind of sin. There is a sin that leads to death; I am not saying he should ask regarding that sin.
1 John 5:17… atō, kai atō hamartas ouk pros thanaton.… sin that does not lead to death.
Revelation 9:6… hēmerai ekeinai zētali tois anthrōpois ton thanaton kai ouk mē heuriskali auton, kai …In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they …
Revelation 13:3“death”… taiu kefalaiu auteu hōs sfazorēntan eis thanaton, kai tas plēgas tou thanatou auteu …One of the heads of the beast appeared to have been mortally wounded. But the mortal wound was healed …
thanator“death”direct addressvocative singular2×
1 Corinthians 15:55pou su, thanator, tem nikem? pou su, thanator, tem …“Where, O Death, is your victory? Where, O Death …
1 Corinthians 15:55… su, thanator, tem nikem? pou su, thanator, tem kentrem?… Death, is your victory? Where, O Death, is your sting?”
thanatou“death”of, belonging togenitive singular53×, 33 shown
Matthew 4:16… toi kathorōntoi en chōra kai skia thanatou fōtem anatellata autoi.… the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.”
Matthew 16:28… hōde stēarēntoiu hotinois ouk mē geueleia thanatou heōs an horaleia ton huion tou …… are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of …
Matthew 26:38… Perilupas atō tas psuchas mu heōs thanatou; menavar hōde kai grēgoravōr meta mu.… with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with …
Matthew 26:66“death”… dokatō? tois de apokrinirantois legala; Enochos thanatou atō.… do you think?” “He deserves to die,” they answered.
Mark 9:1… hōde stēarēntoiu hotinois ouk mē geueleia thanatou heōs an horaleia tan basileian tou …… standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of …
Mark 14:34… Perilupas atō tas psuchas mu heōs thanatou; menavar hōde kai grēgoravōr.… with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch.”
Mark 14:64… de pantois katakrinala auton enochon arō thanatou.… all condemned Him as deserving of death.
Luke 1:79epifanara toi en skote kai skia thanatou kathorōntoi, teu kateuthunara toin podoin nu …… darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the …
Luke 9:27… autou stēarēntoiu hois ouk mē geueleia thanatou heōs an horaleia tan basileian tou …… are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of …
Luke 23:15… pros nin; kai idou oudenem axiem thanatou atō prassorēntem auto;… He has done nothing deserving of death.
Luke 23:22… gar kakosem poiata houtos? oudenem aitiem thanatou heuriskama en auto; paideuarantos oun auton …… in Him no offense worthy of death. So after I punish Him, I …
Luke 24:20… kai tois archontois nu eis krimem thanatou kai staurala auton.… Him up to the sentence of death, and they crucified Him.
John 5:24… ouk erchotō alla metabainatē ek tou thanatou eis tan zōan.… Indeed, he has crossed over from death to life.
John 8:52… logon mu tērateia, ouk mē geueteia thanatou eis ton aiōnon;… keeps Your word will never taste death.
John 11:13legatelē de tos Iēsus peri tou thanatou autou. ekeinois de dokala hoti peri …… but He was speaking about the death of Lazarus.
Acts 2:24… theos anastēata luarantos tain ōdinain tou thanatou, kathoti ouk ate dunatem kratorō auton …… releasing Him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death …
Acts 13:28kai mēdenan aitian thanatou heuriskarantois aitela Pilaton anairira auton;… they found no ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have …
Acts 22:4hos houtan tan hodan diōkama achri thanatou, desmeuarōntos kai paradōarōntos eis fulakain androin …… persecuted this Way even to the death, detaining both men and women and …
Acts 23:29… tou nomou autoiu, mēdenem de axiem thanatou ē desmoiu echarōnton enklēmem.… there was no charge worthy of death or imprisonment.
Acts 25:11ei men oun adikamō kai axiem thanatou prassamē tinem, ouk paraitomō tem apothnēskara; …… am guilty of anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die …
Acts 25:25mis de katalabema mēdenem axiem auton thanatou prassarē, autou de houtou epikalerantou ton …… he had done nothing worthy of death, and since he has now appealed …
Acts 26:31… lalale pros allēloin legarōntois hoti Oudenem thanatou ē desmoiu axiem tinem prassatō tos …… man has done nothing worthy of death or imprisonment.”
Acts 28:18… boulole apoluara dia tem mēdenan aitian thanatou huparcharō en mi;… there was no basis for a death sentence against me.
Romans 1:32… hoti tois teim toiouteim prassarōntois axiois thanatou alō, ouk monem auteim poialō alla …… do such things are worthy of death, they not only continue to do …
Romans 5:10… arōntois katallaxina to theo dia tou thanatou tou huiou autou, polle mallon katallaxirantois …… were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more …
Romans 6:5… gar sumfutois genanē te homoiōme tou thanatou autou, alla kai tau anastasiau eni;… with Him like this in His death, we will certainly also be united …
Romans 7:24… min rueti ek teu sōmeu tou thanatou houtou?… rescue me from this body of death?
Romans 8:2… tou nomou tau hamartau kai tou thanatou.… from the law of sin and death.
1 Corinthians 15:56tem de kentrem tou thanatou tas hamartas, tas de dunamias tau …The sting of death is sin, and the power of …
2 Corinthians 1:9… autois en heautoi tem apokrimem tou thanatou echanē, hina mē peitharēntois aneiō epi …… we were under the sentence of death, in order that we would not …
2 Corinthians 1:10“death”hos ek tēlikoutou thanatou rueta nin kai rueti, eis hon …He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us. In Him we have …
2 Corinthians 2:16“death”hoi men osmas ek thanatou eis thanaton, hoi de osmas ek …To the one we are an odor that brings death, to the other a fragrance that brings …
2 Corinthians 3:7Ei de tas diakonias tou thanatou en grammei entuporēntas lithoi genita en …Now if the ministry of death, which was engraved in letters on …
thanato“death”to, fordative singular15×
Matthew 15:4“by death”… kai; Tos kakologarōntos patron ē mētēran thanato teleutatōr;… and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be …
Matthew 20:18… archierevoi kai grammatevoi, kai katakrinali auton thanato,… scribes. They will condemn Him to death
Mark 7:10“by death”… kai; Tos kakologarōntos patron ē mētēran thanato teleutatōr;… your father and your mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be …
Mark 10:33… kai toi grammatevoi, kai katakrinali auton thanato kai paradōali auton tei ethnei… scribes. They will condemn Him to death and will deliver Him over to …
John 12:33houtem de legate sēmanarōntos poio thanato mellate apothnēskarō.… this to indicate the kind of death He was going to die.
John 18:32… Iēsu plēriteia hon legata sēmanarōntos poio thanato mellate apothnēskarō.… spoken to indicate the kind of death He was going to die.
John 21:19houtem de legata sēmanarōntos poio thanato doxazati ton theon. kai houtem legarantos …… this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God …
Romans 5:21… hōsper basilata tas hamartas en to thanato, houtōs kai tas charitas basilateia dia …… that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through …
Romans 7:5… melei nu eis tem karpoforara to thanato;… in our bodies, bearing fruit for death.
Philippians 2:27kai gar asthenata paraplēsiem thanato; alla tos theos elēata auton, ouk …He was sick indeed, nearly unto death. But God had mercy on him …
Philippians 3:10… kai koinōnian pathēmeiu autou, summorfizorōntos to thanato autou,… being conformed to Him in His death,
Hebrews 7:23… polloterois alō genarēntois hierevois dia tem thanato kōluorō paramenarō;… have been many other priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office.
1 John 3:14… tos mē agaparōntos menatō en to thanato.… who does not love remains in death.
Revelation 2:23kai teim tekneim autau apoktenami en thanato; kai gnōskeli pantais tais ekklēsais hoti …Then I will strike her children dead, and all the churches will know …
Revelation 6:8“pestilence”… romfaia kai en limo kai en thanato kai hupo teiu thēreiu tau gēau.… kill by sword, by famine, by plague, and by the beasts of the earth.
thanatoi“death”to, fordative plural1×
2 Corinthians 11:23… fulakai perissoterōs, en plēgai huperballontōs, en thanatoi pollakis;… worse beatings, in frequent danger of death.