4474. rhapizó
Lexical Summary
rhapizó: To strike with a rod, to slap, to hit with the palm of the hand.

Original Word: ῥαπίζω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: rhapizó
Pronunciation: hrap-ID-zo
Phonetic Spelling: (hrap-id'-zo)
KJV: smite (with the palm of the hand)
NASB: slapped, slaps
Word Origin: [from a derivative of a primary rhepo "to let fall, to rap"]

1. to slap

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
slap, smite with the palm of the hand.

From a derivative of a primary rhepo (to let fall, "rap"); to slap -- smite (with the palm of the hand). Compare tupto.

see GREEK tupto

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from a derivation of rhabdos
Definition
to strike with a rod, hence to strike with the palm of the hand
NASB Translation
slapped (1), slaps (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 4474: ῤαπίζω

ῤαπίζω; future ῥαπίσω (cf. Buttmann, 37 (32f)); 1 aorist ἐρράπισα and (so L T Tr WH) ἐραπισα (see Rho); (from ῤαπίς a rod);

1. to smite with a rod or staff (Xenophanes in (Diogenes Laërtius 8, 36; Herodotus, Demosthenes, Polybius, Plutarch, others).

2. "to smite in the face with the palm of the hand, to box the ear: τινα, Matthew 26:67 (where it is distinguished from κολαφίζω (A. V. buffet); for Suidas says ῥαπισαι. πατάσσειν τήν γνάθον ἁπλῆ τῇ χειρί not with the fist; hence, the Vulg. renders itpalmas in faciem ei dederunt; (A. V. marginal reading (R. V. marginal reading) adopt sense 1 above)); τινα ἐπί (L T Tr text WH εἰς) τήν σιαγόνα, Matthew 5:39 (Hosea 11:4). Cf. Fischer, De vitiis Lexicons, etc., p. 61ff; Lob. ad Phryn., p. 175; (Schmidt, Syn., chapter 113, 10; Field, Otium Norv. pars iii., p. 71).

Topical Lexicon
Cultural Background

In the first-century Mediterranean world, a slap to the face was more than a momentary act of violence; it was a public gesture of contempt meant to shame and dishonor. Jewish legal sources treat the slap as a humiliating offense, sometimes distinguished from more serious bodily harm in the scale of penalties. Such an insult challenged a person’s honor—the social capital of the ancient Near East. Understanding this cultural freight intensifies both New Testament scenes where the verb ῥαπίζω appears.

Occurrences in the New Testament

1. Matthew 5:39—Jesus employs the image of a right-cheek slap while teaching His disciples the way of kingdom righteousness: “But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also”. The Lord chooses the most insulting form of aggression to illustrate radical, non-retaliatory love.

2. Matthew 26:67—In the night trial before the Sanhedrin, Jesus becomes the object of the same humiliating gesture: “Then they spat in His face and struck Him. Others slapped Him”. The verbs “struck” (ἐκολάφισαν) and “slapped” (ἐρράπισαν) together portray escalating abuse, fulfilling prophetic expectations of the suffering Servant.

Fulfillment of Prophecy

Isaiah foretold a Messiah who “offered My back to those who struck Me and My cheeks to those who pulled out My beard” (Isaiah 50:6). By recording that Jesus was slapped, Matthew points to this Servant imagery, showing that the promised Redeemer bore not only physical pain but also calculated humiliation on behalf of sinners.

Ethics of the Kingdom

In Matthew 5:39, Jesus reverses conventional responses to insult. Rather than defending personal honor through counter-violence, disciples mirror the Father’s grace. This teaching opposes vengeance, not lawful protection of the vulnerable. It calls believers to relinquish personal retaliation, entrusting vindication to God (Romans 12:19).

Christ’s Model of Meek Endurance

When Jesus Himself is slapped (Matthew 26:67), He embodies the ethic He earlier prescribed. Peter later reflects on this moment: “When He was insulted, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats” (1 Peter 2:23). The Lord’s silence converts shame into redemptive glory, setting the pattern for suffering believers.

Early Church Reflection

Patristic commentators, such as Tertullian and Chrysostom, saw in the slap a test case for Christian forbearance. They emphasized that the disciple’s willingness to “turn the other cheek” is not passive acceptance of evil but active testimony to the transforming power of grace.

Practical Application for Believers

• Personal Relationships—Christians are called to absorb personal insults without vindictive response, maintaining a witness of peace.
• Persecution—When hostility arises because of allegiance to Christ, the faithful follow their Lord’s example, entrusting judgment to God.
• Community Life—The church models a counter-cultural ethic, overcoming evil with good and refusing cycles of retaliation.

Summary

Strong’s Greek 4474 highlights two pivotal moments in Matthew’s Gospel: the ethic of non-retaliation proclaimed by Jesus and the humiliation He endures for humanity’s redemption. In both settings, the slap functions as a lens through which believers grasp the depth of Christ’s meekness and the radical call to embody His gracious response to insult.

Forms and Transliterations
εραπισαν ἐράπισαν ερράπισαν ραπιζει ῥαπίζει ραπίζων erapisan erápisan rapizei rhapizei rhapízei
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Matthew 5:39 V-PIA-3S
GRK: ὅστις σε ῥαπίζει εἰς τὴν
NAS: person; but whoever slaps you on your right
KJV: but whosoever shall smite thee on
INT: whoever you shall strike on the

Matthew 26:67 V-AIA-3P
GRK: οἱ δὲ ἐράπισαν
NAS: and others slapped Him,
KJV: and others smote [him] with the palms of their hands,
INT: others moreover slapped [him]

Strong's Greek 4474
2 Occurrences


ἐράπισαν — 1 Occ.
ῥαπίζει — 1 Occ.

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