Word Study for G4656 (σκοτόω)

skotóō /skot-o'-o/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom σκότος

Meaningto obscure or blind (literally or figuratively)

KJV usagebe full of darkness.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of skotóō — 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 skotóō, represented by G4656, means to obscure or blind, both literally and figuratively. It is defined as being full of darkness. This specific term is quite rare, appearing only 1 time in 1 unique verse in the entire Bible.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

The sole use of G4656 is found in a moment of apocalyptic judgment in Revelation 16:10. Here, the fifth G3991 angel G32 poured out G1632 his vial G5357 directly upon G1909 the seat G2362 of the beast G2342. The immediate consequence of this action is that the beast's kingdom G932 was G1096 made full of darkness. This supernatural event caused such torment that its subjects gnawed G3145 their tongues G1100 for G1537 pain G4192.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words from its context help illuminate the meaning of this event:

G1632 ekchéō (to pour forth): This is the action word that initiates the judgment. It is used to describe God's love being shed abroad Romans 5:5 but also the shedding of righteous blood Matthew 23:35.
G2362 thrónos (a stately seat ("throne")): This specifies the target of the judgment—the very center of the beast's power and authority. It is also used to describe the throne of God Hebrews 4:16.
G932 basileía (kingdom, + reign): This defines the realm that is affected. The darkness is not just a personal affliction but a widespread judgment upon the beast's entire domain of influence.
G1096 gínomai (to become): This word signifies a transformation or a coming into a new state. The beast's kingdom was not inherently dark but became so as a result of God's judgment Revelation 16:10.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G4656 is concentrated in its single, powerful usage. It illustrates several key principles of divine judgment.

Targeted Judgment: The darkness is not a random event but is precisely directed by God's angel G32 upon G1909 the seat G2362 of the beast G2342, showing that God's wrath is specific and strikes at the heart of evil authority.
Figurative Darkness: The affliction upon the kingdom G932 represents more than a physical lack of light; it symbolizes spiritual confusion, despair, and the obscuring of power that results from divine judgment.
Sovereign Power: By darkening the beast's kingdom, God demonstrates his ultimate authority over all powers and principalities, including those that oppose him. The affliction causes pain G4192, highlighting the tangible consequences of standing against God.

Summary

In summary, while G4656 appears only once, its impact is profound. It describes a singular, decisive act of God's judgment in Revelation, where the kingdom of the beast is plunged into darkness. This term encapsulates the concept of divine power obscuring and blinding an evil authority, serving as a stark reminder of the consequences of rebellion against God and His ultimate control over all realms, both light and dark.

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 3 occurrences, inflected in 3 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Aorist Passive Indicative 3rd Singular 1×
Perfect Passive Participle Nominative Plural Masculine 1×
Perfect Passive Participle Nominative Singular Feminine 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
Feminine: Feminine grammatical gender.
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Aorist: Action viewed as a single whole — usually a simple past event.
Perfect: A completed act whose results continue.
Passive: The subject is acted upon.
Indicative: A plain statement of fact.
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.

Related Words

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.

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

1 verse, all in Revelation — and none of the other 26 New Testament books.

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, 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.