Quick Definition
ἐμπτύω v. I spit upon
Strong's Definition
from 1722 and 4429; to spit at or on
KJV Usage: spit (upon)
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
verb | πτύω
23.43 · Physiological Processes and States · Processes Involving the Mouth, Other Than Eating and Drinking
to spit (on) to spit on or at something or someone In some societies spitting has quite a different symbolic meaning than it has in the Western world. In fact, in some societies in Africa, to spit upon a person’s head is to confer a blessing. It may therefore be necessary in the case of MAT 26:67 to translate ‘they spat in his face’ as ‘they spat in his face to dishonor him’ or ‘... to show their anger against him.’
MAT 26:67 · MAT 27:30 · MRK 10:34 · MRK 14:65 · MRK 15:19 · LUK 18:32
1 It is possible that a distinction in meaning should be made between πτύω and ἐμπτύω, in which case the latter term would emphasize the spitting in or upon an object. However, there are insufficient contrasts in contexts to warrant making such a distinction.
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
ἐμ-πτύω [see ev, II]. 3]; impf. ἐνέπτυον ; fut. ἐμπτύσω ; 1 aor. everrvoa; fut. pass. ἐμπτυσθήσομαι; [fr. Hdt. down]; to spit upon: τινί, Mk. x. 34; xiv. 65; xv. 19; εἰς τὸ πρόσωπόν τινος. Mt. xxvi. 67 (Num. xii. 14; Plut. ii. p. 189 a. [i. 6. reg. et imper. apotheg. Phoc. 17]; κατὰ τὸ πρόσωπ. τινι, Deut. xxv. 9); εἴς τινα, Mt. xxvii. 30; Pass. to be spit upon: Lk. xviii. 32. Muson. ap. Stob. floril. 19,16. Cf. Lob. ad Phryn. x. 17; [ Rutherford, New Phryn. p. 66].
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
ἐμπτύω emptyō 6x
followed by the dat., or εἰς and the acc., to spit upon, Mt. 26:67; 27:30
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
ἐμ-πτύω
[in LXX: seq. εἰς, Nu 12:14 A, De 25:9 (יָרָק)* ;]
= cl., καταπτύω (Ruth., NPhr., 66),
to spit upon: c. dat., Mk 10:34 14:65 15:19; seq. εἰς, Mt 26:67 27:30. Pass., Lk 18:32.†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
ἐμπτύω. With ἐ. used in the NT in the sense of the Attic καταπτύω, “*spit upon,” as in Mk 10%, cf. P Magd 247 (B.c. 218), > / 9 ἐμπορία A 08 ἔμφοβος where the words καὶ ἐνέπτυσεν εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον have been inserted above the line: cf. Plut. A/or. 189A ἐνέπτυσεν .. εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον, and Herodas v. 76 kal τίς οὐκ ἀπαντῶσα ἔς μευ δικαίως τὸ πρόσωπον ἐμπτύοι ; and see Rutherford NP p. 66. In Ev. Petr. 3 the verb is construed with the dat.—évérrvov αὐτοῦ ταῖς ὄψεσι.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
ἐμπτύω (emptuō) — to spit on/at. ἐμ-πτύω, spit into, ἐς ποταμόν [Refs 5th c.BC+]
II. spit upon, εἴς τι [NT+4th c.BC+]:—middle, [LXX]:—passive, to be spat upon, [Refs 1st c.AD+]