Quick Definition
λύω v. I loose, untie, release, destroy
Strong's Definition
a primary verb; to "loosen" (literally or figuratively)
KJV Usage: break (up), destroy, dissolve, (un-)loose, melt, put off. Compare 4486
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
verb | ἀκατάλυτος · ἀλυσιτελής · ἀνάλυσις · ἀναλύω · ἀντίλυτρον · ἀπολύτρωσις · ἀπολύω · διαλύω · ἐκλύομαι · ἐπίλυσις · ἐπιλύω · κατάλυμα · καταλύω · λύσις · λυσιτελεῖ · λύτρον · λυτρόομαι · λύτρωσις · λυτρωτής · παραλύομαι · παραλυτικός
18.18 · Attachment · Fasten, Stick To
to untie, to loosen to reverse the result of tying by untying
MAT 16:19 · MAT 21:2 · MRK 1:7 · MRK 7:35 · MRK 11:2 · MRK 11:4 · MRK 11:5 · LUK 3:16 · LUK 13:15 · LUK 19:30 · LUK 19:31 · LUK 19:33 · LUK 19:33 · JHN 1:27 · JHN 11:44 · ACT 2:24 · ACT 7:33 · ACT 13:25 · ACT 22:30
37.127 · Control, Rule · Release, Set Free
to release, to set free to release from control, to set free (highly generic meaning applicable to a wide variety of circumstances, including confinement, political domination, sin, sickness) In a number of languages there are problems with a somewhat literal translation of λυθῆναι ἀπὸ τοῦ δεσμοῦ τούτου in LUK 13:16 since the expression is highly figurative. The reference, of course, is to the woman’s condition as a cripple. Furthermore, it may not make sense to speak of ‘Satan binding’ such a person, as in the first part of verse 16. In a number of languages, therefore, one may speak of ‘Satan causing the woman to be a cripple,’ and then in the latter part of verse 16, one may speak of ‘causing a person no longer to be a cripple.’
LUK 13:16 · 1CO 7:27 · REV 1:5 · REV 9:14 · REV 9:15 · REV 20:3 · REV 20:7
20.53 · Violence, Harm, Destroy, Kill · Destroy
to destroy, to tear down, to break to pieces to destroy or reduce something to ruin by tearing down or breaking to pieces In some languages there may be an important distinction in terms meaning ‘to destroy,’ depending upon whether the destruction is purposeful or not. A still further distinction may arise on the basis of beneficial or non-beneficial results. In EPH 2:14 the destruction is regarded as beneficial, while in ACT 27:41 the opposite is the case.
JHN 2:19 · ACT 27:41 · EPH 2:14 · 2PE 3:10 · 2PE 3:11 · 2PE 3:12
15.139 · Linear Movement · Disperse, Scatter
to dismiss, to disperse to cause a gathering to be dismissed or dispersed In some languages it may be more appropriate to render this expression in ACT 13:43 as ‘when most of the people had left’ or ‘when the meeting was over.’
36.30 · Guide, Discipline, Follow · Obey, Disobey
to break (a law), to transgress the failure to conform to a law or regulation, with a possible implication of regarding it as invalid See also discussion at 36.29.
37.47 · Control, Rule · Exercise Authority
to permit, to allow to exercise authority over something on the basis of its being legitimate There are a number of different interpretations of the implication of this statement in MAT 16:19, and translators should carefully review this passage in various commentaries.
13.38 · Be, Become, Exist, Happen · State
to do away with, to remove, to eliminate to cause a state to cease
1 It is possible that ἀπολύω[c] is somewhat more emphatic in meaning than λύω[b] in view of the prepositional prefix ἀπο, but NT contexts are not sufficient to indicate any precise degree of distinction. The same possible distinction also applies to the meanings in 37.128. 2 There are undoubtedly some significant differences of meaning in this series in 13.38, but it is not possible to determine the distinctive differences on the basis of existing contexts. 3 1JN 3:8 The phrase τὰ ἔργα τοῦ διαβόλου ‘the works of the Devil’ may be regarded either as something which the Devil has done and therefore something which exists (in which case the meaning of λύω is appropriately in Domain 13), or the phrase could mean ‘what the Devil is doing,’ and accordingly λύω could be interpreted as a type of aspect, that is to say, it would mean ‘causing an activity to cease.’ There are a number of such problems involved in meanings which may be interpreted as fitting either into Domain 13 or into Domain 68 Aspect.
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
λύω lyō 42x
to loosen, unbind, unfasten, Mk. 1:7; to loose, untie, Mt. 21:2; Jn. 11:44; to disengage, 1 Cor. 7:27; to set free, set at liberty, deliver, Lk. 13:16; to break, Acts 27:41; Rev. 5:2, 5; to break up, dismiss, Acts 13:43; to destroy, demolish, Jn. 2:19; Eph. 2:14; met to infringe, Mt. 5:19; Jn. 5:18; 7:23; to make void, nullify, Jn. 10:35; in NT to declare free, of privileges, or, in respect of lawfulness, Mt. 16:19
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
λύω,
[in LXX for פּתח, נתר hi., etc.;]
to loose, unbind, release: of things, Mk 1:7, Lk 3:16, al.; of beasts, Mt 21:2, Lk 13:15, al.; of persons, Jo 11:44, Ac 22:30; of Satan, Re 20:3, 7; metaph., of the marriage tie, I Co 7:27; of one diseased, Lk 13:16; of release from sin, Re 1:5, WH, R, txt. (v.s. λούω).
To resolve a whole into its parts, loosen, dissolve, break up, destroy: Jo 2:19, Ac 27:41, Re 5:2; metaph., II Pe 3:11; of an assembly, to dismiss: Ac 13:43; τ. μεσότοιχον τ. φραγμοῦ, Eph 2:14; τ. στοιχεῖα, II Pe 3:10; οὐρανοί, II Pe 3:12; τ. ἔργα τ. διαβόλου, I Jo 3:8; τ. ὠδῖνας τ. θανάτου, Ac 2:24; of laws, etc., to break, annul, cancel (MM, xvi): ἐντολήν, Mt 5:19; τ. νόμον, Jo 7:23; τ. σάββατον, Jo 5:18; τ. γραφήν, Jo 10:35. (Cf. ἀνα-, ἀπο-, δια-, ἐκ-, ἐπι-, κατα-, παρα-λύω.)
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
λύω. With the use of λύω in Rev 5? τίς ἄξιος ἀνοῖξαι τὸ βιβλίον kal λῦσαι τὰς σφραγῖδας αὐτοῦ ; cf. P Oxy IV. 71519 (A.D. 131) κατὰ διαθήκην τὴν Kal λυθεῖσαν τῶι LB (ἔτει) ᾿Αδριανοῦ Καίσαρος τοῦ κυρίου, ‘in accordance with a will which was opened in the 12th year of Hadrianus Caesar the lord ” (Edd.), and similarly BGU 1. 326411 (a.p. 194) kal ἀνεγνώσθησαν τῇ αὐτῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐν ἣ Kal ἡ διαθήκη ἐλύθη. In P Oxy XII. 1473° (A.D. 201) ἥτις συνγραφὴ ἐλύθη τῷ διελθόντι ς (ἔτει) μηνὶ Θώθ, the reference is to the “discharge” of a marriage-contract, a usage which lends point to the verb in I Jn 3°. For Ave, “‘set at naught,” ‘‘ break,” as in Mt 519, Jn 778, see Sy// 479 (iii/B.c.) where certain regulations are followed by the threat—*! ἐὰν δέ τις τούτων τι λύηι, κατάpatos ἔστω. With ‘‘ breaking’ the Sabbath we may compare λύειν τὰ πένθη, “to go out of mourning,” Sy// 879! (end of iii/B.c.), In P Fay 1197 (c. a.D. 100) rotten hay is described as ὥλον (/. ὅλον) λελυμένον ὡς σκύβαλον, ‘the if AL@ whole of it decayed—no better than dung ” (Edd.), and in 7. 1208 (c. A.D. 100) we have—Atvorts εὐθέω (1. εὐθέως) εἰς °A.[ . . ] τὰ δράγματα, ‘you will send off the sheaves immediately to A . - 7: cf. also P Oxy XII. 147718 (question to an oracle—iii/iv A.D.) εἶ λύεταί μοι 6 Spacpds ; “is my flight to be stopped ?” (Edd.). The verb is = “‘ pay” in P Oxy IV. 7458 (c. A.D. 1) οὐκ οἶδας yap πῶς por ἐχρήσατο ἐν ᾿Οξυρύγχοις οὐχ ὡς λύσατι (1. λύσαντι) ἀλλ᾽ ὥς τινί ποτε ἀποστερητῆι μὴ ἀποδεδωκότι, “you don’t know how he treated me at Oxyrhynchus (Ὁ), not like a man who had paid but like a defrauder and a debtor” (Edd.), while in Syil 226" (iii/B.c.) the middle is used of ‘‘ redeeming” property—avros ὑπεραποδοὺς τοὺς ἑκατὸν χρυσοῦς ἐλύσατο : cf. P Lond 1179 (ii/A.p.) (= III. p. 146) λύ]σασθαι τὴν ὑποθήκην. For the weak aor. stem of this verb see Moulton Gr. il. p. 215 ff. MGr λνυώνω (Pontic Adve), ‘ dissolve,” so mel tons
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
λύω (luō) — to loose. λύω, poetry imperative λῦθι [Refs 5th c.BC+]future λύσω [ῡ] [Refs 8th c.BC+]: aorist ἔλῡσα [Refs]: perfect λέλῠκα [Refs 5th c.BC+], etc.:— passive, perfect λέλῠμαι [Refs 8th c.BC+], etc.: pluperfect ἐλελύμην [ῠ] [Refs 8th c.BC+], etc.: aorist ἐλύθην, Epic dialect λύθην [ῠ] [Refs 5th c.BC+]: future λῠθήσομαι [Refs 5th c.BC+]aorist passive λύμην [ῠ] [Refs 8th c.BC+]; λύτο [ῠ[Refs]; λύντο [Refs]: also 3rd.pers. singular optative perfect λελῦτο [Refs 8th c.BC+]:—middle, future λύσομαι [Refs 8th c.BC+]: aorist ἐλυσάμην [Refs]perfect passive λέλῦμαι in middle sense, [Refs 4th c.BC+]future λύσομαι in passive sense, (δια-) [Refs 5th c.BC+]—Homer uses all tenses except perfect active, present and future passive [In present and imperfect ῡ always in Attic dialect, ῠ mostly in Epic dialect, though [Refs 8th c.BC+] has ῡ twice, ἔλῡεν [Refs 8th c.BC+]; also in compounds, ἀλλῡεσκεν [Refs]future and aorist 1 ῡ always: in other tenses ῠ always, except in the forms λελῦτο, λῦτο (see. above).] (Cf. Latin luo (pay), re-luo, solvo (for se-luo), solūtus, etc.):—loosen:
I. of things, unbind, unfasten, especially clothes and armour, λῦσε δέ οἱ ζωστῇρα, θώρηκα, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; λ. παρθενίην ζώνην loose the maiden-girdle, of the husband after marriage, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; of the wife, λύοι χαλινὸν ὑφ᾽ ἥρωϊ παρθενίας [Refs 5th c.BC+]; frequently of the tackling of ships, λ. πρυμνήσια, ἱστία, λαῖφος, etc., [Refs 8th c.BC+]; λ. πρύμνας, νεῶν πόδα, [Refs 5th c.BC+], of ships, set sail, λῦε, κυβερνήτα [Refs]; ἀσκὸν λ. untie a skin (used as a bag), [Refs 8th c.BC+]; λ. ἡνίαν slacken the rein, [Refs]; κλῄθρων λυθέντων when the gates have been opened, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; λ. γράμματα, δέλτον, open a letter, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; λ. πέδας, δεσμά, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἀρτάνας.. δέρης ἔλυσαν loosed it from my neck,[Refs 5th c.BC+] —middle, ἀπὸ στήθεσφιν ἐλύσατο κεστὸν ἱμάντα undid her belt, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; but λύοντο τεύχεα they undid the armour for themselves, i.e. stripped it off (others), [Refs]; later λυσαμένα πλοκαμῖδας unbinding her hair, [Refs 2nd c.BC+]
I. b in various phrases, στόμα λ. open the mouth, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; λ. βλεφάρων ἕδραν wake up, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; λ. ὀφρύν unfold the brow, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
I.2. of living beings,
I.2. a of horses, etc., unyoke, unharness, opposed to ζεύγνυμι, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἐξ ὀχέων, ὑπὲξ ὀχέων, [Refs 8th c.BC+] unyoke our horses, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; λύε μώνυχας ἵππους loosed them, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; λ. κύνα let him loose, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
I.2. b of men, release, deliver, especially from bonds or prison, and so, generally, from difficulty or danger, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ὁ λύσων he that shall deliver, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; also λ. δόμους ἁβρότατος rob the house of.., [Refs 5th c.BC+]; λ. τινὰ τῆς ἀρχῆς depose him from.., [Refs 1st c.BC+]:—middle, properly get one loosed or set free, λύσασθαί τινα δυσφροσυνάων [Refs 8th c.BC+]:—passive, λυθῆναι τὰς πέδας [Refs 1st c.BC+]; λέλυται γὰρ λαὸς ἐλεύθερα βάζειν, ὡς ἐλύθη ζυγὸν ἀλκᾶς has been let loose to speak, since the yoke was loosed, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
I.2. c of prisoners, release on receipt of ransom, admit to ransom, release, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; Σαρπηδόνος ἔντεα καλὰ λύσειαν would give them up, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἀνὴρ ἀντ᾽ ἀνδρὸς λυθείς [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—middle, release by payment of ransom, get a person released, redeem, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἑαυτοὺς λ. pay their own ransom, [Refs]; buy from a pimp, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
I.2. d λελύσθαι τῶν νόμων, = Latin legibus solvi, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
I.3. give up, [θρόνον] λῦσον ἄμμιν [Refs 5th c.BC+]
II. resolve a whole into its parts, dissolve, break up, λ. ἀγορήν dissolve the assembly, [Refs 8th c.BC+]:—passive, λῦτο δ᾽ ἀγών [Refs 8th c.BC+]; πρὶν [ἂν].. ἡ ἀγορὰ (market) λυθῇ [Refs 2nd c.BC+]
II.2. of concrete objects, σπάρτα λέλυνται, i. e. have rotted, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; λ. τὴν σχεδίην break it up, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; [τὴν γέφυραν] [Refs 5th c.BC+]
II.3. especially of physical strength, loosen, i. e. weaken, relax, λῦσε δὲ γυῖα made his limbs slack or loose, i. e. killed him, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; but οἵ μοι καμάτῳ.. γούνατ᾽ ἔλυσαν made my knees weak with toil, [Refs 8th c.BC+] —passive, λύντο δὲ γυῖα, etc., as the effect of death, sleep, weariness, fear, [Refs 8th c.BC+]
II.3. b λύει βλέφαρα closes her eyes in sleep, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
II.3. c metaphorically, λ. τὴν ἐν ταῖς ψυχαῖς πρὸς μάχην παρασκευήν [Refs 5th c.BC+]
II.4. undo, bring to naught, destroy, πολίων κάρηνα [Refs 8th c.BC+]: generally, put an end to, νείκεα [Refs 8th c.BC+]; βίον, i.e. die, [Refs]; αἰῶν᾽ ἔλυσε, i.e. died, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; μαχας [Refs 5th c.BC+]; forgive, ἁμαρτήματα [LXX]
II.4. b in Prose, λ. νόμους repeal or annul laws, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; οὐθὲν τῶν περὶ τὴν πολιτείαν[Refs 4th c.BC+]; ἐπεὶ ἐκεῖνοι ἔλυσαν τὰς σπονδὰς λελύσθαι μοι δοκεῖ ἡ ἐκείνων ὕβρις καὶ ἡ ἡμετέρα ὑποψία [Refs 5th c.BC+]; rescind a vote, ψῆφον λύει ὁ νόμος [Refs 4th c.BC+]; revoke a will, διαθήκην [Refs 4th c.BC+] (but in passive, to be opened, of a will, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; unbind a spell, [Refs 4th c.AD+] —passive, λέλυται πάντα all ties are broken, all is in confusion, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
II.4. c as a technical term, solve a difficulty, a problem, a question, λύεται ἡ ἀπορία [Refs 5th c.BC+]
II.4. d refute an argument, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
II.4. e unravel the plot of a tragedy, opposed to πλέκειν, [Refs]
II.4. f λ. τὴν φάσιν, of the Moon, pass out of, [Refs]
II.5. break a legal agreement or obligation, τὸν νόμον [Refs 5th c.BC+]; σίς κε τὰς ϝρήτας τάσδε λύση whoso breaks this agreement, [Refs]
II.6. in physical sense, dissolve, λύθεν, opposed to πάγεν, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὸ θερμὸν λύει, opposed to πήγνυσι, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; ἀμμωνιακὸν ὄξει λύσας [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; melt, παγείσας χιόνας [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
II.7. of medicines, λ. τὴν κοιλίαν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; so of the effects of terror, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
II.8. resolve [musical notation] into [musical notation], in passive, [Refs 1st c.AD+]
III. solve, fulfil, accomplish, τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ μαντεῖα [Refs 5th c.BC+]
IV. atone for, make up for, τὰς πρότερον ἁμαρτίας [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—middle, τῶν πάλαι πεπραγμένων λύσασθ᾽ αἷμα.. δίκαις [Refs 4th c.BC+]
V. μισθὸν λύειν pay wages in full, quit oneself of them, used only in cases of obligation, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
V.2. τέλη λύειν, ={λυσιτελεῖν}, pay, profit. avail, ἔνθα μὴ τέλη λύει φρονοῦντι where it boots not to be wise, [Refs 5th c.BC+], construed like{λυσιτελεῖ}, absolutely, λύει δ᾽ ἄλγος [Refs 5th c.BC+]infinitive, πῶς οὖν λύει.. ἐπιβάλλει; [Refs]; ἐμοί τελύειτοῖσιμέλλουσιν τέκνοις τὰ ζῶντ᾽ ὀνῆσαι it is good for me to benefit my living children by means of those to come,[Refs 2nd c.BC+]infinitive, λύει γὰρ ἡμᾶς οὐδέν, οὐδ᾽ ἐπωφελεῖ,.. θανεῖν it is not expedient that we should die (οὐδ᾽ ἐπωφελεῖ being parenthetic), [Refs 5th c.BC+]; compare λυσιτελέω.