Original Word: ῥάπισμα
Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter
Transliteration: rhapisma
Pronunciation: HRAH-pees-mah
Phonetic Spelling: (hrap'-is-mah)
KJV: (+ strike with the) palm of the hand, smite with the hand
NASB: slaps
Word Origin: [from G4474 (ῥαπίζω - slapped)]

1. a slap

a blow, slap in the face

From rhapizo; a slap -- (+ strike with the) palm of the hand, smite with the hand.

see GREEK rhapizo

Word Origin
from rhapizó
Definition
a blow (with a stick or the palm of the hand)
NASB Translation
slaps (2), struck* (1).

STRONGS NT 4475: ῤάπισμα

ῤάπισμα, ῥαπισματος, τό (ῤαπίζω, which see);

1. a blow with a rod or a staff or a scourge (Antiphanes in Athen. 14, p. 623 b.; Anthol., Lucian).

2. a blow with the flat of the hand, a slap in the face, box on the car: βάλλειν τινα ῤαπίσμασιν (see βάλλω, 1), Mark 14:65; διδόναι τίνι ῤάπισμα, John 18:22; ῤαπίσματα, John 19:3 (but in all three examples R. V. marginal reading recognizes sense 1 (see references under the word ῤαπίζω)).

Scope of the Term

Strong’s Greek 4475 (ῥάπισμα) designates an open-handed blow, a slap delivered with calculated contempt rather than lethal force. The word appears only in the passion narratives, making every occurrence a direct window into the sufferings of Jesus Christ during His final hours.

Cultural and Judicial Setting

In first-century Judea, a slap to the face was a public badge of dishonor. Rabbinic writings rank such an insult alongside financial damages, and Roman law likewise distinguished between a beating and a humiliating smack. Within Temple precincts the Mosaic Law required a verdict before corporal punishment (Deuteronomy 25:1-2). The blow recorded in John 18:22 therefore violates Jewish legal protocol, underscoring the illegality of the nighttime trial.

Occurrences in the New Testament

• Mark 14:65 – After the Sanhedrin’s false verdict, “the officers received Him with slaps”. The guardroom turns into a mock courtroom where the Messiah is ridiculed as a false prophet.

• John 18:22 – While Jesus testifies to His ministry before Annas, “one of the officers standing nearby slapped Him in the face.” The irony is acute: the One who will judge the world is struck for speaking truth.

• John 19:3 – Roman soldiers echo the abuse: “They went up to Him again and again, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ And they slapped Him in the face.” Here the slap is part of the broader parody of kingship, foreshadowing the crown of thorns and the superscription nailed to the cross.

Prophetic Resonance

Isaiah 50:6 declares, “I gave My back to those who strike and My cheeks to those who pull out My beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting”. The Servant’s willing submission finds literal fulfillment as Jesus absorbs the officers’ slaps without retaliation. The scenes also recall Micah 5:1, where Israel’s Judge is “struck on the cheek with a rod.”

Christological Significance

1. Innocence vindicated: Each slap occurs while Jesus is under interrogation, highlighting that the innocent is treated as guilty so that the guilty may be declared righteous.

2. Voluntary submission: The Lord’s refusal to retaliate embodies His earlier command, “If someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also” (Matthew 5:39). The ethic He taught is the ethic He lived.

3. Royal irony: The soldiers’ mock enthronement only amplifies Christ’s true kingship. In the Gospel narrative, every slap intended to degrade becomes evidence of His patient sovereignty.

Pastoral and Discipleship Implications

• Persecution and endurance – Believers sharing in Christ’s sufferings (1 Peter 4:13) can look to His silent endurance of ῥάπισμα as a model for responding to injustice.

• Meekness without weakness – Jesus’ composure demonstrates that restraining power is not powerlessness but purposeful meekness (Philippians 2:5-8).

• The ministry of reconciliation – The One who was slapped now reconciles enemies (2 Corinthians 5:18-19). The Church, bearing His Spirit, must answer insult with blessing (1 Peter 3:9).

Liturgical and Devotional Usage

During Passion Week readings, these verses invite reflection on the cost of redemption. Hymnody often evokes the slap to portray both human sin and divine love, and traditional Stations of the Cross include the mocking of Jesus as a separate station.

Conclusion

Strong’s 4475 captures more than a physical act; it reveals the heart of fallen humanity meeting the grace of the incarnate Son. Every slap recorded in the Gospels showcases the dignity of Christ, the fulfillment of prophecy, and the pattern for Christian conduct amid hostility.

έρραψαν ράξει ράξουσιν ράξω ραπισμα ράπισμα ῥάπισμα ραπισμασιν ραπίσμασιν ῥαπίσμασιν ραπισματα ραπίσματα ῥαπίσματα ραπτά ρασήμ ρασίμ ράσσω ραφιδευτά ραφιδευτού ράψαι rapisma rapismasin rapismata rhapisma rhápisma rhapismasin rhapísmasin rhapismata rhapísmataInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts