Bible Dictionary

DIE

Death & Afterlife • Both

To die means to come to the end of earthly life, whether naturally, violently, or as judgment. Scripture also speaks figuratively of dying to sin and of sharing representatively in Christ’s death.

Definition

To die means to come to the end of earthly life. Scripture uses the word of natural death, violent death, punitive death, and death resulting from sin or willfulness. It can also describe perishing as a nation or, figuratively, sharing in Christ’s death.

Biblical Usage

The New Testament speaks of Christ’s death and of death as the consequence of sin. Believers are said to have died to sin, died with Christ, and died representatively in Him. Scripture also contrasts dying with the hope of life and calls the death of the righteous desirable.

Historical Background

The principal biblical words mean to die, die off, end life, or be destroyed. The term occurs frequently in both Testaments and covers natural, violent, judicial, and figurative uses.

Related Figures

Historical Bible Dictionaries

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)

(muth, gawa`; apothnesko, teleutao): "To die," etc., is of very frequent occurrence, and in the Old Testament is generally the translation of muth, meaning perhaps originally, "to be stretched out" or "prostrate." "To die," should be the consequence of eating the forbidden fruit (Ge 2:17; compare Ge 20:7; 2Ki 1:4,6). "Die" is commonly used of natural death (Ge 5:8; 25:8). It is used also of violent death (Ge 26:9,11; Ex 21:20); punitive (Ex 19:12; 21:12,14; 28:43; Nu 4:15; Eze 3:1:8 ff); as the result of willfulness or indifference (Pr 10:21; 15:10; 19:16). To die "the death of the righteous" is something to be desired (Nu 23:10).In the New Testament the word for "to die," etc., is generally apothnesko, "to die off or away," used of dying in all forms: of natural death (Mt 22:24); of violent death (Joh 11:50,51; 19:7; Ac 25:11); of the death of Christ (Joh 12:33); of death as the consequence of sin (Joh 8:21,24; Ro 8:13); teleutao, "to end (life)," also occurs several times (Mt 15:4); thnesko, "to die," occurs once (Joh 11:21), and apollumi, "to destroy" (Joh 18:14); in Ac 25:16 (Textus Receptus) we have eis apoleian, "to destruction."Figurative Use:The figurative use of "to die" is not frequent, if indeed it ever occurs. In 1Sa 25:37 it may be equivalent to "faint," "His heart died within him, and he became as a stone," but this may be meant literally. In Am 2:2 it is said that Moab "shall die," i. e. perish as a nation. Paul describes the condition of the apostles of Christ as "dying, and behold, we live" (2Co 6:9), and says, "I die daily" (1Co 15:31), but the references may be to exposure to death. When in Ro 7:9 he says, "When the commandment came .... I died," he may mean that it rendered him liable to death. In Ro 6:2 we have "we who died to sin," i.e. in Christ, and in our acceptance of His death as representing ours; similarly we read in 2Co 5:14, "One died for all, therefore all died" (Revised Version (British and American)), i.e. representatively, and in Col 2:20 "if ye died with Christ"; 3:3, "for ye died," the Revised Version (British and American) (in Christ). Compare 2Ti 2:11; 1Pe 2:24. Of the changes in the Revised Version (British and American) may be mentioned "abode" for "died" (Ge 25:18, margin "or settled, Hebrew fell"); "he that is to die" for "worthy of death" (De 17:6); "died" for "are dead" (Joh 6:49,58, and the American Standard Revised Version Joh 8:52,53); "though he die" for "were dead" (Joh 11:25); "many died" for "were dead" (Ro 5:15); "died for nought" for "in vain" (Ga 2:21); "when his end was nigh" for "died" (Heb 11:22). Of special importance are the changes from "be, are, were, dead" in Ro 6:2,7,8; 2Co 5:14; Col 2:20; 3:3; 2Ti 2:11, and "having died" for "being dead" in 1Pe 2:24, as bringing out the truth that in the sight of God all men died in Christ. See also DEATH.W. L. Walker

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