English · KJV
G3089

λύω

lýō /loo'-o/ Ask about this word
Roota primary verb
Meaningto "loosen" (literally or figuratively)
KJV usagebreak (up), destroy, dissolve, (un-)loose, melt, put off. Compare ῥήγνυμι.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of lýō — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Greek word lýō, represented by G3089, is a primary verb meaning to "loosen" in a literal or figurative sense. It appears 46 times across 40 unique verses in the Bible, and its translations include break up, destroy, dissolve, unloose, melt, and put off. This range demonstrates its versatility in describing actions of release, annulment, and deconstruction.

The semantic core of G3089 extends beyond mere physical separation to encompass a fundamental act of undoing or reversing a state of being. While it denotes the action of making something loose, its broader application often implies the deactivation or nullification of a prior condition, whether that condition is a physical bond, a legal statute, or an established order. This intrinsic sense of reversal or dissolution is crucial for understanding its use in contexts ranging from the simple act of unfastening to the profound theological implications of destroying spiritual works or dissolving cosmic structures, always pointing back to the removal of an existing constraint or configuration.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In scripture, G3089 is applied in various significant contexts. It is used for simple physical actions, such as unloosing the latchet of a shoe Luke 3:16, loosing a colt from its tether Matthew 21:2, or releasing Lazarus from his graveclothes John 11:44. Figuratively, it conveys the idea of annulling or breaking a law, as when Jesus was accused of having broken the sabbath John 5:18. It is also used to signify destruction, as in the Son of God being manifested to destroy the works of the devil 1 John 3:8. The term further carries eschatological weight, describing how the elements will melt and the heavens will be dissolved on the day of the Lord 2 Peter 3:10-12.

Beyond physical unbinding and legal annulment, G3089 frequently describes the release from various forms of captivity or restraint. This includes the literal freeing of prisoners, as when the chief captain loosed Paul from his bands Acts 22:30, or when Felix hoped for money to loose Paul Acts 24:26. Metaphorically, it depicts the restoration of faculties, such as when the string of a man's tongue was loosed, enabling him to speak plainly Mark 7:35. In an eschatological vein, the term is used to portray the temporary release of malevolent spiritual forces, like the four angels bound in the Euphrates Revelation 9:14-15 and Satan himself, who will be loosed from his prison for a brief season after the millennium Revelation 20:3, 7. This usage underscores G3089's capacity to describe the removal of imposed limits, whether physical, social, or supernatural.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the scope of G3089:

  • G1210 déō (a primary verb; to bind): This word is the direct antonym of lýō and is often used in contrast to it, most notably in the giving of authority to bind and loose Matthew 16:19.
  • G3080 lýsis (a loosening, i.e. (specially), divorce): As the noun form, it is used in the context of being loosed from a wife 1 Corinthians 7:27.
  • G450 anístēmi (to stand up, arise, raise up): This word is linked to resurrection, as God raised up Jesus, having loosed the pains of death Acts 2:24.
  • G1453 egeírō (to waken, i.e. rouse): This verb complements lýō in Jesus' statement, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" John 2:19.
  • G3083 lýtron (ransom): This noun, derived from lýō, signifies the price paid for release or redemption, conceptually linking the act of "loosing" to the means by which freedom is secured.

Theological Significance

The theological importance of G3089 is profound, touching on core doctrines of authority, salvation, and judgment.

  • Divine Authority: The authority to loose on earth what is loosed in heaven represents a delegation of divine power and discernment to the church (Matthew 16:19, Matthew 18:18).
  • Christ's Redemptive Work: The verb describes key aspects of Christ's mission. He came to destroy the devil's works 1 John 3:8 and break down the "middle wall of partition" between Jew and Gentile Ephesians 2:14. His own resurrection is framed as God having loosed Him from the pains of death Acts 2:24.
  • The Inviolability of Scripture: While human traditions and even the Sabbath can be "broken" (lýō), the word is used to affirm that "the scripture cannot be broken" John 10:35, establishing its divine authority.
  • Cosmic Dissolution: In an eschatological sense, lýō signifies the ultimate undoing of the present world order, when the heavens will be dissolved and the elements will melt with fervent heat 2 Peter 3:10.
  • Liberation from Bondage: G3089 highlights God's compassionate power to liberate individuals from various forms of spiritual and physical enslavement. Jesus' act of "loosing" a woman bound by Satan for eighteen years Luke 13:16 demonstrates divine authority over oppressive forces and underscores the priority of human well-being and freedom, even over legalistic interpretations of the Sabbath Luke 13:15. This usage reveals Christ's ministry as one of breaking chains and restoring wholeness.

Summary

The Greek verb G3089, lýō, carries a multifaceted semantic weight, extending far beyond its primary denotation of "to loosen." At its core, it signifies an an act of undoing, reversing, or deactivating a previously established bond, state, or structure. This dynamic term is employed across the New Testament to describe actions ranging from the simple physical untying of objects, such as a colt from its tether or the latchet of a shoe, to the profound spiritual act of releasing Lazarus from the grip of death and graveclothes John 11:44. It further encompasses the breaking or annulling of laws, as seen in accusations against Jesus for having broken the Sabbath John 5:18, and the fundamental destruction of the devil's works by the Son of God 1 John 3:8.

The theological significance of lýō is particularly profound. It underpins the concept of delegated divine authority to "bind and loose" within the church Matthew 16:19, signifying discernment and spiritual governance. Christ's redemptive work is framed by this word, illustrating God having loosed Him from the pains of death at His resurrection Acts 2:24. Moreover, lýō vividly depicts liberation from various forms of bondage, whether physical imprisonment, as with Paul's bands Acts 22:30, or spiritual oppression, exemplified by Jesus' unbinding of the woman whom Satan had bound for eighteen years Luke 13:16. It also emphasizes the inviolability of Scripture, which "cannot be broken" John 10:35.

Ultimately, G3089 culminates in an eschatological vision of cosmic dissolution, where the heavens will be dissolved and the elements will melt 2 Peter 3:10-12, signaling the ultimate undoing of the present world order. From the mundane act of unfastening to the dramatic release of bound angels Revelation 9:14-15 and Satan himself for a season Revelation 20:7, and even to the unsealing of a divine scroll Revelation 5:5, lýō is a powerful descriptor of freedom, authority, deconstruction, and ultimate finality within the biblical narrative. It underscores a continuous divine activity of dismantling what is bound or broken, and restoring what is meant to be free.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Greek New Testament, this word appears as a verb across 44 occurrences, inflected in 29 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it. These are this word’s own inflections, not words built from it — for those, see Related Words.

  • λῦσαι
  • λύσατε
  • λύσῃ
  • λυθῆναι
  • λῦσον
  • λύσαντες
  • λύσας
  • λυθήσεται
  • λύετε;
  • ἔλυσεν
  • λύσαντι
  • λύσω

Related Words

Related

Words formed from this one

2 entries in Strong’s name this word as their origin. These are its derivatives — a different relationship from the inflected forms above, which are this same word bent by grammar.

G3080 λύσις a loosening, i.e. (specially), divorce G3083 λύτρον something to loosen with, i.e. a redemption price (figuratively, atonement)

Also mentioned in the study

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

G1210 δέω a primary verb G450 ἀνίστημι to stand up (literal or figurative, transitive or intransitive) G1453 ἐγείρω to waken (transitively or intransitively), i.e. rouse (literally, from sleep, from sitting or lying, from disease, from…

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 40 verses across 10 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Acts (7 verses); never once in the other 17.

4
Matthew
5
Mark
6
Luke
6
John
7
Acts
1
1 Corinthians
1
Ephesians
3
2 Peter
1
1 John
6
Revelation

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.