Quick Definition
κόπτω v. I cut off, mourn
Strong's Definition
a primary verb; to "chop"; specially, to beat the breast in grief
KJV Usage: cut down, lament, mourn, (be-)wail. Compare the base of 5114
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
verb | ἀποκόπτω · ἀπρόσκοπος · ἀργυροκόπος · ἐγκοπή · ἐγκόπτω · ἐκκόπτω · εὐκοπώτερος · κατακόπτω · κοπάζω · κοπετός · κοπή · κοπιάω · κόπος · κωφός · προκοπή · πρόσκομμα · προσκοπή · προσκόπτω
19.17 · Physical Impact · Pierce, Cut
to cut to cut, by means of a sharp-edged instrument (for example, knife, sword, or ax) In a number of languages important distinctions are made for various types of cutting. For example, terms referring to the cutting of flesh may be different from those involving wood or stone. Similarly, important distinctions may be made as to whether there is simply an incision by cutting or whether a particular object is cut in two or cut off.
52.1 · (κόπτομαι) · Funerals and Burial
to mourn, to lament, to beat the breast, mourning, lamentation to beat the breast and lament as an expression of sorrow In a number of languages it is entirely impossible to use an expression such as ‘to beat the breast’ in referring to mourning or grief, since ‘to beat the breast’ is often employed as a gesture of self-congratulation or pride in accomplishment. In a number of instances the closest equivalent of ‘to beat the breast’ is ‘to beat the head’ or even ‘to pull out the hair.’
MAT 11:17 · MAT 24:30 · LUK 8:52 · LUK 23:27 · REV 1:7 · REV 18:9
1 The meanings of κόπτομαι and κοπετός in Domain 52 differ from related meanings in Domain 23 Physiological Processes and States and Domain 25 Attitudes and Emotions, since the expressions of grief in LUK 8:52 and ACT 8:2 reflect a form of ritualized and institutionalized mourning.
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
κόπτω : impf. 3 pers. plur. ἔκοπτον ; 1 aor. ptep. κόψας (Mk. xi. 8 T Tr txt. WH); Mid., impf. ἐκοπτόμην ; fut. κόψομαι; 1 aor. ἐκοψάμην; [fr. Hom. down]; to cut, strike, smite, (Sept. for 737, ΓΞ, etc.) : τὲ ἀπό or ἔκ τινος, to cut from, cut off, Mt. xxi. 8; Mk. xi. 8. Mid. to beat one’s breast for grief, Lat. plango [R. V. mourn]: Mt. xi. 17; xxiv. 30, (Aeschyl. Pers. 683; Plat., al.; Sept. often so for 73D) ; τινά, to mourn or bewail one [ef. W. § 32,1 y.]: Lk. viii. 52; xxiii. 27, (Gen. xxiii. 2; 1 5. xxv. 1,ete.; Arstph. Lys. 396; Anthol. 11, 135, 1); ἐπί twa, Rev.i. 7; [xviii.9 T Tr WH], (3 5. xi. 26); ἐπί τινι, Rev. xviii. 9 [R GL], ef. Zech. xii. 10. [Compr.: ava-, ἀπο-, ἐκ-, ἐν-, kaTa-, Tpo-, προσκόπτω. SYN. cf. θρηνέω.}
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
κόπτω koptō 8x
to smite, cut; to cut off or down, Mt. 21:8; Mk. 11:8; mid. to beat one’s self in mourning, lament, bewail, Mt. 11:17; 24:30; Lk. 8:52; 23:27; Rev. 1:7; 18:9*
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
κόπτω,
[in LXX for כּרת, ספד, נכה hi., etc.;]
to strike, smite.
to cut off: c. acc. rei, seq. ἀπό, Mt 21:8; ἐκ, Mk 11:8. Mid., to beat one's breast with grief, to mourn, bewail: Mt 11:17 24:30; c. acc. pers., Lk 8:52 23:27; seq. ἐπί, c. acc., Re 1:7 18:9 (cf. ἀνα-, ἀπο-, ἐκ-, ἐν-, κατα-, προ-, προσ-κόπτω).†
SYN.: θρηνέω, q.v.
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
κόπτω in its original sense of ‘‘cut” may be illustrated by PSI 11. 171° (ii/B.c.) κόψας τοὺς ἐν αὐτῶι φ[οίνι]κας, P Tebt I. 5°95 (B.c. 118) τοὺς κεκοφότας τῶν ἰδίων ξύλα, ‘those who have cut down wood on their own property’’ (Ε44.), Ρ Ryl 11. 2281 (i/A.p.) 8pyavo(v) tpox(ot) τὸ εἰς κόπτειν, “‘machinery of the wheel for cutting” (Edd.), 76. 23674 (A.D. 256) ποίησον δὲ ἐξαυτῆς ὥμους δύο ἐλαιουργικοὺς κοπῆναι, “have two beams (?) cut at once for oil-presses ” , KOO PEW (Edd.), P Oxy XII. 1421 (iii/a.D.) τὸ ξ[ύ]λον τὸ ἀκάνθινον τὸ κεκομμένον ἐν τῇ HidvOe, “the acacia-wood which has been cut at Ionthis.” For the simplex κόπτω as an equivalent of the immediately preceding compd. ἐκκόπτω, see P Fay 1144 (Α.Ὁ. 100) θέλι ἐξ αὐτὸν ἐκκόψαι φυτά, εἵνα ἐνπίρος κοπῇ τὰ μέλλοντα ἐκκόπτεσθαι, “he wishes to cut down some trees, so that those which are to be cut down may be cut skilfully ” (Edd.): cf. Proveg. p. 115 for exx. or the survival in NT Greek of this classical idiom. A new noun κόπτρον is found in P Lond 1171® (B.c. 8) (=TIII. p. 179) κόπτρα ἀράκου : for κοπτός, ‘a cake,” see P Oxy I. 113” (ii/a.p.). MGr κόβ[γ]ω, κόφτω.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
κόπτω (koptō) — to cut/mourn. κόπτω, [Refs 8th c.BC+]: future κόψω [Refs 6th c.BC+]aorist ἔκοψα, Epic dialect κόψα [Refs 8th c.BC+]perfect κέκοφα (ἐκ-) [Refs 5th c.BC+]; Epic dialect participle κεκοπώς [Refs 8th c.BC+]:—middle, future κόψομαι [LXX]: aorist ἐκοψάμην [Refs 5th c.BC+] —passive, future κεκόψομαι (ἀπο-) [LXX+5th c.BC+]: aorist ἐκόπην [Refs 5th c.BC+]: perfect κέκομμαι [Refs 4th c.BC+]:— cut, strike,
1. smite, ο᾽ ἀμφὶ κάρη κεκοπὼς χερσὶ στιβαρῇσι [Refs 8th c.BC+] smote him on the cheek, [Refs 8th c.BC+]
2. smite with weapons, κόπτοντες δούρεσσι μετάφρενον [Refs 8th c.BC+]: metaphorically in passive, with play on words, αἰεὶ κόπτῃ ῥήμασι καὶ κοπίσιν [Refs]
3. smite, slaughter an animal with an axe or mallet, κόψας ἐξόπιθεν κεράων βοός [Refs 8th c.BC+]
4. cut off, chop off, κεφαλὴν ἀπὸ δειρῆς κόψεν [Refs 8th c.BC+]; κ. δένδρα cut down or fell trees, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; κ. τὴν χώραν lay it waste, [Refs]:—in passive, of ships, to be shattered, disabled by the enemy, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὸν ὕπνον ἁ φροντὶς κόπτοισα preventing, [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; [πνεῦμα] κοπτόμενον being suddenly stopped, arrested, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
5. strike, beat a horse, to make him go faster, κόψε δ᾽ Ὀδυσσεὺς τόξῳ [Refs 8th c.BC+]; also σκηπανίῳ Γαιήοχος ἀμφοτέρω (i.e. Αἴαντε) κεκοπὼς πλῆσεν μένεος [Refs]
6. hammer, forge, κόπτε δὲ δεσμούς [Refs 8th c.BC+]; later, stamp metal, i.e. coin money, κ. νόμισμα [Refs 6th c.BC+]:—middle, coin oneself money, order to be coined, κ. χρυσοῦ καὶ ἀργύρου νόμισμα [Refs]:—passive, of money, to be stamped or coined, [νομίσμασιν] μόνοις ὀρθῶς κοπεῖσι [Refs 5th c.BC+]
7. knock or rap at, τὴν θύραν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; without θύραν, οὗτος, τί κόπτει; [Refs 5th c.BC+]
8. pound, bray in a mortar, κυπἐρου κεκομμένου [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἀσταφίδα κεκ. [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; ἔλαιον κεκ., i.e. pure oil, [LXX]
9. knock, dash about, τὸ ὕδωρ ὅταν κοπῇ [Refs 8th c.BC+]
10. of birds, peck, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; ὁ ἁλιάετος.. τὰ λιμναῖα κ. preys on the lagoon life, [Refs]; σπειρὴν κ. peck at, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; of fish, gnaw, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; of a snake, strike, [Refs 8th c.BC+]:—passive, of wood or seeds, to be worm-eaten, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
10. b munch, masticate, uncertain in [Refs 5th c.BC+]
11. ὁ ἵππος κ. τὸν ἀναβάτην jars his rider by his paces, [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—passive,[Refs 5th c.BC+]
12. κ. ὄνους dress, prepare mill-stones for use, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; set, sharpen, [Refs 3rd c.BC+]:—middle, [Refs 1st c.AD+]
13. metaphorically, tire out, weary, μήθ᾽ ὑμῖν ἐνοχλῶ μήτ᾽ ἐμαυτὸν κ. [Refs 4th c.BC+] P.:—passive, to be worn out, κοπτόμενοι ἀεὶ ταῖς στρατείαις [Refs 4th c.BC+].
II. middle κόπτομαι, beat or strike oneself, beat one's breast or head through grief, κεφαλὴν δ᾽ ὅ γε κόψατο χερσίν [Refs 8th c.BC+]: perfect passive, [πόλις] κέκοπται [Refs 4th c.BC+]:—active with accusative cognate, ἐκοψα κομμὸν Ἄριον [Refs]
II.2. κόπτεσθαί τινα mourn for any one, κόπτεσθ᾽ Ἄδωνιν [NT+5th c.BC+]. (Cf. Lithuanian kapóti, Lett. kapāt 'chop small', 'beat', 'stamp', Latin capo 'capon', perhaps σκέπαρνον.)