Brief Overview of πέτομαι (Strong’s G4072: petomai)

Strong’s G4072: A verb meaning “to fly.” In biblical contexts, particularly in Revelation, describes the movement of heavenly beings and symbolic creatures, often associated with divine activity and supernatural manifestations. Represents swift movement and heavenly authority.

U- Unveiling the Word

Πέτομαι (petomai) describes the action of flying through the air. In the New Testament, it appears primarily in Revelation’s apocalyptic visions, describing both heavenly beings and symbolic creatures. The word carries theological significance in depicting supernatural movement and divine authority. Early church writers used this term to discuss the spiritual realm’s interaction with the physical world. Today, it reminds us of the reality of the spiritual dimension and God’s sovereign control over both heavenly and earthly realms.

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N – Necessary Information

• Greek Word: πέτομαι, petomai, pet’-om-ahee
• Detailed pronunciation: pet (as in “pet”) + om (as in “home”) + ahee (as in “eye”)
• Part of Speech: Verb (Deponent)

Etymology:
From Proto-Indo-European *pet- meaning “to rush, to fly”

D – Defining Meanings

• To fly
• To soar
• To move through air
• To hover
• To dart swiftly

Translation Options:

1. Fly – most direct equivalent
2. Soar – emphasizes majesty of movement
3. Wing (one’s way) – captures purposeful flight

E – Exploring Similar Words

• ἵπταμαι (hiptomai) [hip’-tam-ahee] – alternative form of flying
• πτερύσσομαι (pteryssomai) [pte-roos’-som-ahee] – to spread wings
• ἀναπέτομαι (anapetomai) [an-ap-et’-om-ahee] – to fly up

R – Reviewing the Word’s Morphology

Verb Features:

• Tense: Present, Future, Aorist
• Voice: Middle/Passive (Deponent)
• Mood: Indicative, Participle
• Person: First, Second, Third
• Number: Singular, Plural

Example conjugations:
Present: πέτομαι (I fly)
Future: πετήσομαι (I will fly)
Aorist: ἐπτόμην (I flew)

Cross-references:

• Noun: πτῆσις (flight)
• Adjective: πετεινός (flying)

S – Studying Lexicon Insights

BDAG emphasizes its use in apocalyptic literature. Thayer’s notes its literal and figurative applications. LSJ documents its classical usage in various contexts. Vine’s connects it to supernatural movement. Strong’s highlights its deponent nature. Moulton and Milligan note its occurrence in mystical texts.

T – Tracing the Scriptures

First appearance:

“And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, ‘Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come.'” (Revelation 4:7)

Additional References:
Revelation 8:13
Revelation 12:14
Revelation 14:6
Revelation 19:17

A – Analyzing Classical Usage

N – Noteworthy Summary

Πέτομαι powerfully illustrates divine activity and heavenly authority. The good news of King Jesus includes His sovereignty over both earthly and heavenly realms. This word reminds us that God’s messengers and purposes move swiftly and surely, and that His kingdom encompasses both visible and invisible realities.

D – Did You Know?

1. Used in ancient mystery religions to describe divine manifestations.
2. Early Christian art often depicted angels using this word in inscriptions.
3. Influenced early Christian understanding of spiritual mobility.

Strong’s G4072: A deponent verb meaning “to fly,” primarily used in apocalyptic contexts to describe heavenly beings and supernatural movement. Represents both the reality of the spiritual realm and divine authority over creation.

Part of speech: Verb (Deponent)

Tags: #flying #heaven #angels #apocalyptic #Revelation #supernatural #movement #divine #NewTestament #BiblicalGreek #Theology #spiritualRealm​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​