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.
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.
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.
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.
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