συκοφαντέω, συκοφάντω; 1 aorist ἐσυκοφάντησα; (from συκοφάντης, and this from σῦκον 'fig', and φαίνω 'to show'. At Athens those were called συκοφανται whose business it was to inform against anyone whom they might detect exporting figs out of Attica; and as sometimes they seem to have extorted money from those loath to he exposed, the name συκοφάντης from the time of Aristophanes down was a general term of opprobrium to designate a malignant informer, a calumniator; a malignant and base accuser from love of gain (but cf. Liddell and Scott, under the word); hence, the verb συκοφάντω signifies) 1. to accuse wrongfully, to calumniate, to attack by malicious devices (Aristophanes, Xenophon, Plato, others). 2. to exact money wrongfully; to extort from, defraud: Luk_3:14 (here R. V. margin accuse wrongfully); with a genitive of the person and accusative of the thing, Luk_19:8 (τριάκοντα μνᾶς παρά τίνος Lysias, p. 177, 32. The Sept. for ςΘωΗΡχ, to oppress, defraud, Job_35:9; Ecc_4:1; Psalm 118:122 (); πένητα, Pro_14:31; Pro_22:16; πτωχούς, Pro_28:3).

συκοφαντέω sykophanteō 2x to inform against; to accuse falsely; by impl. to wrong by false accusations; to extort money by false informations, Luk_3:14 ; Luk_19:8

συκοφαντέω , -ῶ ( < σῦκον , φαίνω ), [in LXX : Gen_43:18 ( H1556 hithpo .), Lev_19:11 ( H8266 pi .), Job_35:9 , Psa_119:122 , Pro_14:31 ; Pro_2:16 ; Pro_28:3 , Ecc_4:1 ( H6231 );] to act the συκοφάντης (on conjectures as to the origin of the term, v. LS , s.v. ), to accuse falsely ( Aristoph ., Xen ., al. ): Luk_3:14 ( R , mg .) Luk_19:8 ( RV , exact wrongfully; but cf. Hatch, Essays , 89 ff ., v. also Field, Notes , 56 f .; MM , xxiv).†

συκοφαντέω [page 596] This verb, which is fairly common in the LXX, but in the NT occurs only in Luk_3:14 ; Luk_19:8 , is used in P Par 61 .10 (B.C. 156), where an official warns a subordinate against certain persons who were making unfair claims ἐνίων δὲ καὶ συκοφαντεῖσθαι προφερομένων as being contrary to the humane rule of the Ptolemies ( .11 f. ὅτι (ταῦτα ) πάντα ἐστὶν ἀλλότρια τῆς τε ἡμῶν ἀγωγῆς ) : cf. ib. .16 μ ]άλιστα δὲ τῶν συκοφαντεῖν ἐπιχειρούντων [τελωνῶν . The sense of accuse falsely rather than exact wrongly which Field ( Notes , p. 56 f.) prefers in the two NT passages (cf. W. M. Ramsay in Hastings DB V. p. 396 note) comes out still more strongly in P Tebt I. 43 .26 (B.C. 118) συκοφαντηθῶμεν , be subject to false accusations (Edd.) : cf. ib. .36 συκοφαντίας τε καὶ διασισμοῦ χάριν , for the sake of calumny or extortion (Edd.), also P Oxy III. 472 .33 ( c. A.D. 130) οὐ γὰρ . . . τοῦτο αὐτοῖς εἰς συκοφαντίαν εὔρημα this does not afford them an excuse for calumnies (Edd.), and OGIS 383 .157 (mid. i/B.C.) ὅπως ἕκαστος . . ἀσυκοφάντητον ἔχῃ τὴν ἑορτὴν εὐωχούμενος , i.e. enjoy the feast undisturbed by the calumnies of men. The same sense appears in P Flor III. 382 .57 (A.D. 222 3) ὑπὸ τοῦ πραγματικοῦ σε [[*]]συκοφαντη [μ ]ένος as would appear from ὅπερ μου κα [τε ]ψεύδετο in the next line. Other exx. of the verb are P Cairo Zen II. 59212 .4 (B.C. 254) ὅπως . . . [ὑπὸ μ ]ηθενὸς συκοφαντηθῶσι , Chrest. I. 238 .6 ( c. A.D. 117) where the strategus writes warning his subordinate to see to it that the measuring of the seed should be so conducted that the native population shall not suffer, ὅπως μὴ βαρηθῶσιν ἢ παραπραχθῶσιν οἱ ἐνχώριοι ἢ συκοφαντηθῶσιν , and CPR I. 232 .3 (ii/iii A.D.) where ὁμολό [γη ]μα τοῖς συκοφαντουμένοις is followed by a reference to .6 ψευδο ]μαρτυρίαν . The subst. occurs in P Flor I. 6 .6 (A.D. 210) in connexion with fiscal matters, τὸ τακτ̣ὸν εἰς τὸ πρόστειμον τῆς συκοφαντίας : see the editor s note. On the origin of the term συκοφάντης , see A. B. Cook s art. in CR xxi. (1907) p. 133 ff., in which he shows that the word means originally one who shows the fig, i.e. one who makes with his hand the sign known as the fig, a prophylactic gesture implying misrepresent in an outrageous fashion.

συκοφαντέω [Etym: συκοφάντης] c. acc. pers. "to accuse falsely, slander, calumniate", Ar. , Plat. :— Pass. "to be falsely accused", Xen. , etc. c. acc. rei, "to misrepresent", Dem. :—but also, "to extort by false accusations", Lys. , NTest. absol. "to deal in false accusations", Ar. , Plat. : generally, "to deal falsely, to give false counsel", Dem.

συκοφαντέω, -ῶ (σῦκον, φαίνω), [in LXX: Gen.43:18 (גָּלַל hithpo.), Lev.19:11 (שָׁקַר pi.), Job.35:9, Psa.119:122, Pro.14:31 2:16 28:3, Ecc.4:1 (עָשַׁק) ;] to act the συκοφάντης (on conjectures as to the origin of the term, see LS, see word), to accuse falsely (Aristoph., Xen., al.): Luk.3:14 (R, mg.) Luk.19:8 (RV, exact wrongfully; but cf. Hatch, Essays, 89 ff., see also Field, Notes, 56 f.; MM, xxiv).† (AS)