4156. pniktos
Lexical Summary
pniktos: Strangled

Original Word: πνικτός
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: pniktos
Pronunciation: pnee-k-tos'
Phonetic Spelling: (pnik-tos')
KJV: strangled
NASB: strangled, things strangled
Word Origin: [from G4155 (πνίγω - choke)]

1. throttled
2. (neuter concretely) an animal choked to death (not bled)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
strangled.

From pnigo; throttled, i.e. (neuter concretely) an animal choked to death (not bled) -- strangled.

see GREEK pnigo

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from pnigó
Definition
strangled
NASB Translation
strangled (2), things strangled (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 4156: πνικτός

πνικτός, πνικτη, πνικτόν (πνίγω), suffocated, strangled: τό πνικτόν (what is strangled, i. e.) an animal deprived of life without shedding its blood, Acts 15:20, 29; Acts 21:25. ((Several times in Athen. and other later writ, chiefly of cookery; cf. our smothered as a culinary term.))

Topical Lexicon
Occurrences in the New Testament

πνικτός appears three times, each in Luke’s record of the Jerusalem Council and its aftermath (Acts 15:20; Acts 15:29; Acts 21:25). In every instance the term is embedded in the same fourfold instruction to Gentile believers: “abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals, and from blood” (Acts 15:20).

Old Testament Foundations

The prohibition rests upon earlier divine commands that life-blood belongs to God. After the flood Noah was told, “But you must not eat meat with its lifeblood still in it” (Genesis 9:4). The Mosaic Law later codified the principle: “For the life of the flesh is in the blood… therefore I say to the Israelites, ‘None of you may eat blood’” (Leviticus 17:11-12). An animal killed by strangling retained its blood, making its consumption tantamount to ingesting life-blood and thus violating God’s ownership of life.

The Jerusalem Council’s Pastoral Aim

By the first century, synagogue communities scattered among the nations still gathered around these long-standing food convictions. The apostles therefore sought to remove needless offense between Jewish and Gentile believers while avoiding the impression that grace nullified God’s moral order. James concluded, “It is my judgment…” (Acts 15:19-20) and the assembled church concurred, producing a letter dispatched with Barnabas, Paul, Judas, and Silas (Acts 15:22-29). The decree carried apostolic weight yet was framed as a minimal path toward unity, not a new legal code.

Theological Themes

1. Sanctity of Life: By forbidding the eating of blood-laden meat, the church affirmed that life belongs to the Creator and may not be treated casually (cf. Psalm 24:1).
2. Holiness and Fellowship: Abstention facilitated table fellowship. Shared meals were central to early Christian worship (Acts 2:46). Gentiles who honored these guidelines showed sensitivity to Jewish consciences (Romans 14:15).
3. Freedom Regulated by Love: Paul would later articulate the principle, “All things are lawful, but not all things are beneficial” (1 Corinthians 10:23). The decree models voluntary limitation of liberty for the sake of another’s edification (1 Corinthians 8:13).
4. Continuity of Scripture: The directive harmonizes the universal Noahic covenant, the Mosaic stipulations, and New-Covenant liberty. Scripture speaks with one voice regarding reverence for life and the blood that symbolizes it (Hebrews 9:22).

Historical Reception

Early patristic writers such as Tertullian and Clement of Alexandria referenced the apostolic letter to rebuke pagan practices and Gnostic excess. Medieval theologians debated its ceremonial versus moral dimensions, yet the mainstream church retained a respect for blood prohibitions through fasts and butchering laws. The Reformers, while insisting on justification by faith alone, nonetheless upheld the decree’s ethical core—especially its call to sexual purity and avoidance of idolatry.

Practical Ministry Implications Today

• Mission Contexts: In cultures where blood dishes are delicacies, believers weigh evangelistic witness against local freedoms, applying Acts 15’s spirit of deference.
• Ethical Butchering: Modern concern for humane slaughter echoes the ancient respect for life implicit in the strangling ban.
• Discipleship and Conscience: Churches teach the larger principle—limit your liberty when necessary so that “the word of God will not be maligned” (Titus 2:5).
• Unity in Diversity: Multi-ethnic congregations emulate the Council’s wisdom by distinguishing core gospel truths from cultural preferences.

Enduring Significance

πνικτός, though a rare term, anchors a moment when the early church articulated how grace honors God’s prior revelations and safeguards communal harmony. By embracing the decree, believers today demonstrate that love governs freedom and that Scripture—from Genesis to Acts—speaks consistently about the value of life and the mutual respect that marks the people of God.

Forms and Transliterations
πνικτον πνικτόν πνικτὸν πνικτου πνικτού πνικτοῦ πνικτων πνικτῶν pnikton pniktòn pniktôn pniktōn pniktō̂n pniktou pniktoû
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Acts 15:20 Adj-GNS
GRK: καὶ τοῦ πνικτοῦ καὶ τοῦ
NAS: and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood.
KJV: and [from] things strangled, and
INT: and that which is strangled and from

Acts 15:29 Adj-GNP
GRK: αἵματος καὶ πνικτῶν καὶ πορνείας
NAS: and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication;
KJV: and from things strangled, and
INT: from blood and from what is strangled and from sexual immorality

Acts 21:25 Adj-ANS
GRK: αἷμα καὶ πνικτὸν καὶ πορνείαν
NAS: and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication.
KJV: and from strangled, and
INT: blood and what is strangled and sexual immorality

Strong's Greek 4156
3 Occurrences


πνικτῶν — 1 Occ.
πνικτὸν — 1 Occ.
πνικτοῦ — 1 Occ.

4155
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