Die
Die [1]
(מוּת , mūth , גּוע , gāwa‛ ; ἀποθνήσκω , apothnḗskō , τελευτάω , teleutáō ): "To die," etc., is of very frequent occurrence, and in the Old Testament is generally the translation of mūth , meaning perhaps originally, "to be stretched out" or "prostrate." "To die," should be the consequence of eating the forbidden fruit ( Genesis 2:17; compare Genesis 20:7; 2 Kings 1:4 , 2 Kings 1:6 ). "Die" is commonly used of natural death ( Genesis 5:8; Genesis 25:8 ). It is used also of violent death ( Genesis 26:9 , Genesis 26:11; Exodus 21:20 ); punitive ( Exodus 19:12; Exodus 21:12 , Exodus 21:14; Exodus 28:43; Numbers 4:15; Ezekiel 3:1 :8ff); as the result of willfulness or indifference ( Proverbs 10:21; Proverbs 15:10; Proverbs 19:16 ). To die " the death of the righteous " is something to be desired ( Numbers 23:10 ).
In the New Testament the word for "to die," etc., is generally apothnēskō , "to die off or away," used of dying in all forms: of natural death ( Matthew 22:24 ); of violent death ( John 11:50 , John 11:51; John 19:7; Acts 25:11 ); of the death of Christ ( John 12:33 ); of death as the consequence of sin ( John 8:21 , John 8:24; Romans 8:13 ); teleutaō , "to end (life)," also occurs several times ( Matthew 15:4 ); thnḗsko , "to die," occurs once ( John 11:21 ), and apóllumi , "to destroy" ( John 18:14 ); in Acts 25:16 (Textus Receptus) we have eis apō̇leian , "to destruction."
The figurative use of "to die" is not frequent, if indeed it ever occurs. In 1 Samuel 25:37 it may be equivalent to "faint," "His heart died within him, and he became as a stone," but this may be meant literally. In Amos 2:2 it is said that Moab "shall die," i.e. perish as a nation. Paul describes the condition of the apostles of Christ as "dying, and behold, we live" ( 2 Corinthians 6:9 ), and says, "I die daily" ( 1 Corinthians 15:31 ), but the references may be to exposure to death. When in Romans 7:9 he says, "When the commandment came ... I died," he may mean that it rendered him liable to death. In Romans 6:2 we have "we who died to sin," i.e. in Christ, and in our acceptance of His death as representing ours; similarly we read in 2 Corinthians 5:14 , "One died for all, therefore all died" (Revised Version (British and American)), i.e. representatively , and in Colossians 2:20 "if ye died with Christ"; Colossians 3:3 , "for ye died," the Revised Version (British and American) (in Christ). Compare 2 Timothy 2:11; 1 Peter 2:24 .
Of the changes in the Revised Version (British and American) may be mentioned "abode" for "died" ( Genesis 25:18 , margin "or settled, Hebrew fell"); "he that is to die" for "worthy of death" ( Deuteronomy 17:6 ); "died" for "are dead" ( John 6:49 , John 6:58 , and the American Standard Revised Version John 8:52 , John 8:53 ); "though he die" for "were dead" ( John 11:25 ); "many died" for "were dead" ( Romans 5:15 ); "died for nought" for "in vain" ( Galatians 2:21 ); "when his end was nigh" for "died" ( Hebrews 11:22 ). Of special importance are the changes from "be, are, were, dead" in Romans 6:2 , Romans 6:7 , Romans 6:8; 2 Corinthians 5:14; Colossians 2:20; Colossians 3:3; 2 Timothy 2:11 , and "having died" for "being dead" in 1 Peter 2:24 , as bringing out the truth that in the sight of God all men died in Christ. See also Death .
