### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Greek word **epipnígō**, represented by `{{G1970}}`, is derived from ἐπί and πνίγω and means **to throttle upon, i.e. (figuratively) overgrow:--choke**. This specific term appears only **1 time** in **1 unique verse** in the Bible, making its single usage highly significant for its interpretation. It describes a powerful action of something being suffocated or overwhelmed by that which grows up around it.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The sole appearance of `{{G1970}}` is within the Parable of the Sower in Luke's Gospel. The verse describes seed that "fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it" [[Luke 8:7]]. Here, **epipnígō** provides a vivid image of the hostile growth of the thorns completely overwhelming the life of the new plant. The action is not just a simple obstruction but a fatal overgrowth that smothers the potential for the seed to mature.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related Greek words from its biblical context help clarify its meaning:
* `{{G638}}` **apopnígō** (to stifle): A closely related term also meaning to **choke**. It is used to describe what happened to the herd of swine that ran into a lake [[Luke 8:33]] and appears in a parallel account of the seed choked by thorns [[Matthew 13:7]].
* `{{G173}}` **ákantha** (a thorn): This is the agent responsible for the choking. Thorns represent a negative or cursed ground, a place where life cannot flourish, as seen in the statement that land bearing **thorns** is rejected and near to cursing [[Hebrews 6:8]].
* `{{G4855}}` **symphýō** (to grow jointly): This verb explains that the thorns **sprang up with** the good seed [[Luke 8:7]]. The threat was not a later invasion but something that grew concurrently, competing for resources and ultimately winning out.
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{G1970}}` is drawn entirely from its context within the Parable of the Sower, where it serves as a powerful metaphor for spiritual failure.
* **Gradual Spiritual Suffocation:** The act of choking illustrates how a life of faith can be gradually suffocated, not by a sudden event, but by the steady overgrowth of competing priorities that spring up alongside it.
* **The Choking Influence of the World:** The thorns that perform the choking are explicitly identified. They represent "the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches" [[Matthew 13:22]] as well as the "cares and riches and pleasures of this life" [[Luke 8:14]].
* **A Lack of Perfected Fruit:** The ultimate consequence of this choking is spiritual barrenness. When the word is choked, the person "becometh unfruitful" [[Matthew 13:22]] and fails to "bring no fruit to perfection" [[Luke 8:14]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{G1970}}` is a rare but illustrative word. Its single use in [[Luke 8:7]] provides a sharp and memorable image of spiritual life being throttled by competing influences. It functions as a solemn warning that faith, when forced to grow jointly with worldly cares, riches, and pleasures, risks being completely overgrown and rendered unfruitful.
TRV