Original Word: ἐκκεντέω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: ekkenteó
Pronunciation: ek-ken-TEH-o
Phonetic Spelling: (ek-ken-teh'-o)
KJV: pierce
NASB: pierced
Word Origin: [from G1537 (ἐκ - among) and the base of G2759 (κέντρον - sting)]

1. to transfix

pierce.

From ek and the base of kentron; to transfix -- pierce.

see GREEK ek

see GREEK kentron

Word Origin
from ek and the same as kentron
Definition
to prick out, to pierce
NASB Translation
pierced (2).

STRONGS NT 1574: ἐκκεντέω

ἐκκεντέω, ἐκκέντω: 1 aorist ἐξεκέντησά;

1. to put out, dig out: τά ὄμματα, Aristotle, h. a. 2, 17 (p. 508{b}, 6); 6, 5.

2. to dig through, transfix, pierce: τινα, Revelation 1:7; ὄψονται εἰς ὅν (i. e. εἰς τοῦτον, ὅν (cf. Winer's Grammar, 158 (150))) ἐξεκέντησαν, John 19:37. (Polybius 5, 56, 12; Polyaen. 5, 3, 8; for דָּקַר, Judges 9:54; הָרַג to kill, Numbers 22:29. 2 Macc. 12:6. Cf. Fischer, De vitiis lexicc. etc., p. 540f.)

Root Idea and Symbolism

The verb depicts the violent opening of flesh by a sharp object, an action that leaves an unmistakable wound. In Scripture it becomes a loaded symbol: deliberate rejection of God’s Servant, undeniable proof of His physical death, and a prophetic signpost that invites both repentance and hope.

Biblical Occurrences

John 19:37 cites Zechariah 12:10, recording that those present at Calvary “will look on the One they have pierced.” The quotation follows the spear thrust in John 19:34, underscoring that the Messiah’s suffering was no accident but the fulfillment of long-foretold prophecy.

Revelation 1:7 looks ahead: “Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him—even those who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him.” The Gospel uses the word retrospectively; the Apocalypse uses it prospectively. Together they frame the whole age between the cross and the return of Christ.

Prophetic Background

Zechariah 12:10 anchors both New Testament citations. The prophet foretells a national turning marked by sorrow for having wounded the covenant Lord. Psalm 22:16 (“They have pierced My hands and feet”) supplies an earlier poetic anticipation, graphically pointing to crucifixion centuries before the practice was common in Israel.

Christological Significance

1. Certainty of Death: The spear-inflicted wound silences claims that Jesus merely swooned. Blood and water flowed (John 19:34), corroborating death and, by extension, the reality of resurrection.
2. Atonement Accomplished: The pierced body fulfills Isaiah 53:5—“He was pierced for our transgressions”—connecting physical injury to redemptive substitution.
3. Glorified Scars: After resurrection the Lord still bears the marks (John 20:27). Eternity will not erase the evidence; rather, the wounds become trophies of victory and love.

Eschatological Import

Revelation 1:7 teaches that the very act of piercing becomes the ground for future mourning. The returning Christ confronts humanity with its culpability. Yet Zechariah anticipates a “spirit of grace and supplication,” showing that the piercing which condemns also opens the door to mercy.

Historical Reception

Early Christian apologists (e.g., Justin Martyr, Dialogue 97) wielded the prophecy-fulfillment pattern as evidence that Jesus is the promised Messiah. Church fathers saw the spear as emblematic of the sacraments: blood symbolizing the cup, water symbolizing baptism, both flowing from Christ’s side to constitute the Church.

Theological Themes

• Human guilt and divine initiative meet at the wound.
• Sovereignty of God in weaving prophecy and history.
• Continuity of Old and New Testaments: one storyline, one Messiah.
• Assurance for believers that suffering serves redemptive ends.

Exhortations for Ministry

1. Preach Christ Crucified: The reality that He was literally pierced anchors the gospel in historical fact.
2. Proclaim His Coming: The world that pierced Him will see Him again; urgency for evangelism follows.
3. Cultivate Godly Sorrow: Zechariah’s promised outpouring of grace produces repentance; so the church calls people to “look on Him” and mourn their sin.
4. Embrace Suffering: Followers share in His wounds (Philippians 3:10), confident that present pains participate in a larger redemptive narrative.

Practical Application

When believers partake of the Lord’s Supper, they “proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26), spanning the same timeline as John 19:37 to Revelation 1:7. Personal meditation on the pierced Savior guards against cold formalism, fuels worship, and strengthens hope: the One once pierced will soon appear.

εκκεκεντημένοι εκκεκεντημένων εκκέντησόν εκκήρυκτον εξεκέντησά εξεκεντησαν εξεκέντησαν ἐξεκέντησαν εξεκέντησεν exekentesan exekentēsan exekéntesan exekéntēsanInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts