Word Study for G928 (βασανίζω)

basanízō /bas-an-id'-zo/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom βάσανος

Meaningto torture

KJV usagepain, toil, torment, toss, vex.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of basanízō — 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 basanízō, represented by G928, is defined as to torture, with a range of meanings including to pain, toil, torment, toss, and vex. It appears 12 times across 12 unique verses in the Bible, illustrating its use in describing various forms of severe affliction, from physical struggle to eschatological punishment.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In scripture, G928 is applied to several distinct types of suffering. It describes the physical hardship of being tossed by waves Matthew 14:24 or toiling in rowing against the wind Mark 6:48. It also depicts acute physical pain, such as the suffering of a man with palsy who was "grievously tormented" Matthew 8:6 and a woman "pained to be delivered" in childbirth Revelation 12:2. In a spiritual context, demons fear being tormented by Jesus before the appointed time (Matthew 8:29, Mark 5:7). The word also signifies the mental anguish of a righteous person, as Lot "vexed his righteous soul" over the lawless deeds he witnessed 2 Peter 2:8. Finally, it describes the ultimate divine judgment, where the devil and those who worship the beast will be tormented with fire and brimstone (Revelation 20:10, Revelation 14:10).

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the contexts in which G928 is used:

G929 basanismós (torment): This noun form, derived directly from G928, means torture. It is used to describe the nature of the affliction inflicted, such as the five-month torment like that of a scorpion's sting Revelation 9:5.
G5605 ōdínō (travail in birth): This word, meaning to experience the pains of parturition, is used in direct parallel with G928 to describe the woman in Revelation who was "travailing in birth" and "pained to be delivered" Revelation 12:2.
G2896 krázō (to cry out): This verb, meaning to scream or shriek, often depicts the vocal reaction to being tormented. Demons cried out, begging Jesus not to torment them Mark 5:7, and the woman in childbirth cried out while pained Revelation 12:2.
G4442 pŷr (fire): This word for fire is frequently mentioned as the instrument of eschatological torment. Those who worship the beast will be tormented with fire and brimstone Revelation 14:10.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G928 is demonstrated across its various applications:

Hardship in a Fallen World: The word is used for natural struggles, such as being tossed by a storm Matthew 14:24 or the pain of childbirth Revelation 12:2, reflecting the toil and suffering inherent in the human condition.
Spiritual Conflict and Authority: The fear of being tormented expressed by demons highlights the absolute authority of Christ over evil spiritual forces Matthew 8:29. Their plea shows they recognize His power to inflict judgment.
The Anguish of Righteousness: The use of G928 to describe how Lot's soul was vexed illustrates the deep pain a righteous person can feel when surrounded by sin 2 Peter 2:8. Similarly, the two prophets are said to have tormented the inhabitants of the earth, likely through the conviction of their testimony Revelation 11:10.
Final Divine Judgment: The most severe use of G928 relates to eschatological punishment. It describes the eternal torment of the devil in the lake of fire and brimstone Revelation 20:10, serving as a stark depiction of final justice.

Summary

In summary, G928 is a powerful word that conveys intense suffering. Its meaning shifts with context, spanning from the physical toil of sailors and the pain of disease to the spiritual vexation of the righteous and the ultimate, unending torment of divine judgment. It consistently signifies a severe and trying ordeal, whether endured in the natural world, in spiritual warfare, or in the final judgment to come.

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 12 occurrences, inflected in 10 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Aorist Active Subjunctive 2nd Singular 2×
Future Passive Indicative 3rd Plural 2×
Aorist Active Indicative 3rd Plural 1×
Aorist Active Infinitive 1×
Future Passive Indicative 3rd Singular 1×
Imperfect Active Indicative 3rd Singular 1×
Present Passive Participle Accusative Plural Masculine 1×
Present Passive Participle Nominative Singular Feminine 1×
Present Passive Participle Nominative Singular Masculine 1×
Present Passive Participle Nominative Singular Neuter 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Accusative: The direct object of the verb.
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
Feminine: Feminine grammatical gender.
Neuter: Neuter grammatical gender.
2nd: Second person — the one addressed ("you").
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Present: Action in progress or repeated — happening now or continually.
Imperfect: Ongoing or repeated action in the past — "was doing".
Future: Action yet to take place.
Aorist: Action viewed as a single whole — usually a simple past event.
Active: The subject performs the action.
Passive: The subject is acted upon.
Indicative: A plain statement of fact.
Subjunctive: Possibility or purpose — "might", "should".
Infinitive: The verb as a noun — "to do".
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.

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 12 verses across 5 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Revelation (5 verses); never once in the other 22.

Matthew

Mark

Luke

2 Peter

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, 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.