Original Word: πιάζω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: piazó
Pronunciation: pee-AH-zo
Phonetic Spelling: (pee-ad'-zo)
KJV: apprehend, catch, lay hand on, take
NASB: seize, seized, caught, seizing
Word Origin: [probably another form of G971 (βιάζω - forcing his way)]

1. to squeeze, i.e. seize (gently by the hand (press), or officially (arrest), or in hunting (capture))

apprehend, catch, lay hand on, take.

Probably another form of biazo; to squeeze, i.e. Seize (gently by the hand (press), or officially (arrest), or in hunting (capture)) -- apprehend, catch, lay hand on, take. Compare piezo.

see GREEK biazo

see GREEK piezo

Word Origin
a late form of piezó
Definition
to lay hold of, to take
NASB Translation
caught (2), seize (6), seized (3), seizing (1).

STRONGS NT 4084: πιάζω

πιάζω (Doric for πιέζω, cf. Buttmann, 66 (58)): 1 aorist ἐπίασα; 1 aorist passive ἐπιασθην;

1. to lay hold of: τινα τῆς χειρός, Acts 3:7 (Theocritus, 4, 35).

2. to take, capture: fishes, John 21:3, 10; θηρίον, passive, Revelation 19:20 (Song of Solomon 2:15). to take i. e. apprehend: a man, in order to imprison him, John 7:30, 32, 44; John 8:20; John 10:39; John 11:57; Acts 12:4; 2 Corinthians 11:32. (Compare: ὑποπιάζω.)

Overview

Strong’s Greek 4084 portrays the decisive act of taking hold—whether of men, fish, or cosmic evil. Its occurrences trace an arc from failed plots against Jesus, through apostolic persecution and miraculous aid, to the climactic judgment of the beast. Together they reveal the tension between human intent to control and the unassailable sovereignty of God.

Old Testament and Second-Temple Background

Although 4084 itself is Koine Greek, the idea of forcibly laying hands on someone stands behind many Hebrew idioms of arrest or capture (for example, “to put forth the hand” in Genesis 37:22). In Second-Temple literature the arrest of righteous sufferers is a common motif. The New Testament writers therefore inherit both vocabulary and theological freight: to “seize” a servant of God is to challenge the God who protects and vindicates.

Usage in the Gospel of John: Sovereign Timing

John concentrates the term around the ministry of Jesus:

• John 7:30; 7:44; 8:20; 10:39; 11:57—hostile authorities attempt to seize Jesus, yet “no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come” (John 8:20). Each frustrated arrest underscores divine control over Christ’s mission.

• John 21:3, 10—after the resurrection the verb reappears in the Galilean catch of fish. What men could not do to the Son of God they now do to fish under His directive: “Bring some of the fish you have just caught” (John 21:10). The shift from failed violence to fruitful mission bridges the Gospel to Acts, portraying disciples who, under the risen Lord, will “catch” people for the kingdom.

Acts and Pauline Correspondence: Persecution and Deliverance

• Acts 3:7—Peter “took him by the right hand” and a lame man was healed. The same hand that will later be chained (Acts 12:4) here channels resurrection power, showing that God’s grasp overrules human restraint.

• Acts 12:4—Herod arrests Peter during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, attempting to repeat the success of seizing James. The subsequent angelic release highlights divine supremacy.

• 2 Corinthians 11:32—Paul recalls how Damascus was guarded “in order to seize me,” yet he escaped by basket. Even a king’s garrison cannot trump God’s purposes for His apostle.

Eschatological Consummation in Revelation

Revelation 19:20 crowns the word’s narrative: “But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet...”. All prior seizures—whether thwarted or temporary—foreshadow this final apprehension. Evil that long sought to lay hands on the righteous is itself apprehended and cast into the lake of fire. The verb’s eschatological use affirms that ultimate power resides not in human or demonic agencies but in the conquering Lamb.

Theological Themes

1. Divine Sovereignty: Repeated frustration of Jesus’ arrest dramatizes God’s control of redemptive timing.
2. Mission: Post-resurrection use with fish recasts “seizing” as gathering souls, transforming a violent term into a missional metaphor.
3. Perseverance under Persecution: Apostolic experiences instruct believers that no human seizure can nullify Christ’s calling.
4. Final Judgment: The last occurrence guarantees that every rebellious power will be definitively seized by divine authority.

Historical and Cultural Context

First-century arrests were typically executed by temple police, Roman cohorts, or city guards. The verb covers both formal custody (Acts 12:4) and mob violence (John 7:30). Fishing, equally common on the Sea of Galilee, involved hauling nets bursting with a catch—an image resonant to Galilean disciples. Thus 4084 moves naturally between civil, military, and occupational settings familiar to original readers.

Pastoral and Homiletical Reflections

• Trust the timing of God; hostile hands cannot pre-empt His plan.
• Embrace the Lord’s commission to “catch” rather than be caught—moving from fear of seizure to bold evangelism.
• Remember persecuted believers; their trials echo apostolic experience but also their deliverance.
• Anticipate Christ’s victory when the aggressors of God’s people will themselves be apprehended and judged.

Key References for Study

John 7:30; John 8:20; John 10:39; John 21:10; Acts 12:4; 2 Corinthians 11:32; Revelation 19:20.

The journey of Strong’s 4084 from thwarted plots to triumphant judgment assures the church that the One who could not be seized until His appointed hour now reigns, holding all things—enemies, mission, and future—in His grasp.

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