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Greek verb · G3089

λύω

lyoloo'-o

to loose, unbind, release; To resolve a whole into its parts, loosen, dissolve, break up, destroy

42 uses in the Greek text, one for each word STEP Bible has tagged with this key

Concordance spelling: lýō

Word page · Part of the concordance, one page for every word of the Hebrew and Greek text. Strong's G3089is this word's number in James Strong's 1890 index of the King James Bible.

  • 10 of 27
    New Testament books
  • 30
    spellings
  • 2
    meanings

The definition in full

Strong's key (1890) · G3089

to "loosen" (literally or figuratively)

The King James renders it: break (up), destroy, dissolve, (un-)loose, melt, put off.

James Strong, The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890), public domain. Strong indexed the King James text, and this site quotes his entry as that index.

Summary

lyo is rendered "to loose, unbind, release; To resolve a whole into its parts, loosen, dissolve, break up, destroy". It stands 42 times in the Greek text, across ten books.

  • Seven of the uses stand in Luke, more than in any other book.
  • The lexicon lists two meanings for it, beginning with "to loose, unbind, release".
  • Its first use in canonical order opens the ledger below.Matthew 5:19So then, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do likewise will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever practices and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
  • The Greek text spells it thirty different ways.

The first use

So then, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do likewise will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever practices and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:19λύσῃ

The first use, in the order of the New Testament's books.

Where the word stands

The word stands in ten of the 27 New Testament books.

The other 17 New Testament books never use the word.

What the word means

The word carries two meanings: to loose, unbind, release, and To resolve a whole into its parts, loosen, dissolve, break up, destroy.

Each meaning, and the words it is translated by

The English STEP Bible gives each use, word by word, and how many times.
to loose, unbind, releaseof thingsTagged as
  • to untie3
  • having untied2
  • loosed2
  • you shall loose2
  • do release1
  • do take off1
  • do unbind1
  • do untie1

and 23 more, 36 uses in all

WhereMatthew 21:2saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you…
To resolve a whole into its parts, loosen, dissolve, break up, destroyJhn.2:19, Act.27:41, Rev.5:2; metaphorically, 2Pe.3:11; of an assembly, to dismissTagged as
  • being dissolved1
  • do destroy1
  • having broken down1
  • to break1
  • was being broken up1
  • When was releasing1
WhereJohn 2:19Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.”

The words built on the same word-part

Each word below begins with the same letters this one begins with. A shared word-part shows a family. It does not settle what any one of them means, so each word carries its own uses on its own page. Scholars call that shared part the stem.

All 42, in canonical order

Every use, in order

Every use, grouped by book, with its verse.

30 spellings and their grammar

STEP Bible tags every word of the Hebrew and Greek text with its spelling and its grammar. Both lists below count the rows printed underneath, written out in English, with the code beside each one as it was tagged.

How it is spelled

  • λυθῆναι3
  • λῦσαι3
  • λύσατε3
  • λύετε2
  • λυθήσεται2
  • λύσαντες2
  • λύσας2
  • λύσῃ2
  • λῦσον2
  • ἔλυεν1
  • ἐλύετο1
  • ἐλύθη1

and 18 more spellings in the ledger below.

The grammar of each form

  • verb · aorist active, infinitive (“to…”)4V-AAN
  • verb · aorist active, command · 2nd person plural3V-AAM-2P
  • verb · aorist passive, infinitive (“to…”)3V-APN
  • verb · aorist active, command · 2nd person singular2V-AAM-2S
  • verb · aorist active, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine plural2V-AAP-NPM
  • verb · aorist active, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine singular2V-AAP-NSM
  • verb · aorist active, subjunctive · 3rd person singular2V-AAS-3S
  • verb · future passive, indicative · 3rd person singular2V-FPI-3S
  • verb · present active, indicative · 2nd person plural2V-PAI-2P
  • verb · aorist active, indicative · 3rd person singular1V-AAI-3S
  • verb · aorist active, participle · dative (“to / for”) · masculine singular1V-AAP-DSM
  • verb · aorist active, subjunctive · 1st person singular1V-AAS-1S

Matthew

six uses
  • So then, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do likewise will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever practices and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

    Matthew 5:19

    • λύσῃluseverb · aorist active, subjunctive · 3rd person singulartagged: shall break
  • I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

    Matthew 16:19

    • λύσῃςlusesverb · aorist active, subjunctive · 2nd person singulartagged: you shall loose
    • λελυμένονlelumenonverb · perfect passive, participle · nominative (subject) · neuter singulartagged: loosed
  • Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

    Matthew 18:18

    • λύσητεluseteverb · aorist active, subjunctive · 2nd person pluraltagged: you shall loose
    • λελυμέναlelumenaverb · perfect passive, participle · nominative (subject) · neuter pluraltagged: loosed
  • saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt beside her. Untie them and bring them to Me.

    Matthew 21:2

    • λύσαντεςlusantesverb · aorist active, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine pluraltagged: having untied

Mark

five uses
  • And he began to proclaim: “After me will come One more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.

    Mark 1:7

    • λῦσαιlusaiverb · aorist active, infinitive (“to…”)tagged: to untie
  • Immediately the man’s ears were opened and his tongue was released, and he began to speak plainly.

    Mark 7:35

    • ἐλύθηelutheverb · aorist passive, indicative · 3rd person singulartagged: was loosed
  • and said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and as soon as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here.

    Mark 11:2

    • λύσατεlusateverb · aorist active, command · 2nd person pluraltagged: do untie
  • So they went and found the colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. They untied it,

    Mark 11:4

    • λύουσινluousinverb · present active, indicative · 3rd person pluraltagged: they untied
  • and some who were standing there asked, “Why are you untying the colt?”

    Mark 11:5

    • λύοντεςluontesverb · present active, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine pluraltagged: untying

Luke

seven uses
  • John answered all of them: “I baptize you with water, but One more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

    Luke 3:16

    • λῦσαιlusaiverb · aorist active, infinitive (“to…”)tagged: to untie
  • “You hypocrites!” the Lord replied. “Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it to water?

    Luke 13:15

    • λύειlueiverb · present active, indicative · 3rd person singulartagged: does he untie
  • Then should not this daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be released from her bondage on the Sabbath day?”

    Luke 13:16

    • λυθῆναιluthenaiverb · aorist passive, infinitive (“to…”)tagged: to be loosed
  • saying, “Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here.

    Luke 19:30

    • λύσαντεςlusantesverb · aorist active, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine pluraltagged: having untied
  • If anyone asks, ‘Why are you untying it?’ tell him, ‘The Lord needs it.’”

    Luke 19:31

    • λύετεlueteverb · present active, indicative · 2nd person pluraltagged: do you untie
  • As they were untying the colt, its owners asked, “Why are you untying the colt?”

    Luke 19:33

    • λυόντωνluontonverb · present active, participle · genitive (“of”) · masculine pluraltagged: When are untying
    • λύετεlueteverb · present active, indicative · 2nd person pluraltagged: untie you

John

six uses
  • He is the One who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”

    John 1:27

    • λύσωlusoverb · aorist active, subjunctive · 1st person singulartagged: I may untie
  • Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.”

    John 2:19

    • λύσατεlusateverb · aorist active, command · 2nd person pluraltagged: do destroy
  • Because of this, the Jews tried all the harder to kill Him. Not only was He breaking the Sabbath, but He was even calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.

    John 5:18

    • ἔλυενeluenverb · imperfect active, indicative · 3rd person singulartagged: was He breaking
  • If a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses will not be broken, why are you angry with Me for making the whole man well on the Sabbath?

    John 7:23

    • λυθῇlutheaverb · aorist passive, subjunctive · 3rd person singulartagged: shall be broken
  • If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and the Scripture cannot be broken—

    John 10:35

    • λυθῆναιluthenaiverb · aorist passive, infinitive (“to…”)tagged: to be broken
  • The man who had been dead came out with his hands and feet bound in strips of linen, and his face wrapped in a cloth. “Unwrap him and let him go,” Jesus told them.

    John 11:44

    • λύσατεlusateverb · aorist active, command · 2nd person pluraltagged: do unbind

Acts

six uses
  • But God raised Him from the dead, releasing Him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for Him to be held in its clutches.

    Acts 2:24

    • λύσαςlusasverb · aorist active, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: having loosed
  • Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.

    Acts 7:33

    • λῦσονlusonverb · aorist active, command · 2nd person singulartagged: do take off
  • As John was completing his course, he said, ‘Who do you suppose I am? I am not that One. But He is coming after me whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.’

    Acts 13:25

    • λῦσαι.¶lusaiverb · aorist active, infinitive (“to…”)tagged: to untie
  • After the synagogue was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.

    Acts 13:43

    • λυθείσηςlutheisesverb · aorist passive, participle · genitive (“of”) · feminine singulartagged: When was releasing
  • The next day the commander, wanting to learn the real reason Paul was accused by the Jews, released him and ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul down and had him stand before them.

    Acts 22:30

    • ἔλυσενelusenverb · aorist active, indicative · 3rd person singulartagged: he unbound
  • But the vessel struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was being broken up by the pounding of the waves.

    Acts 27:41

    • ἐλύετοeluetoverb · imperfect passive, indicative · 3rd person singulartagged: was being broken up

1 Corinthians

one use
  • Are you committed to a wife? Do not seek to be released. Are you free of commitment? Do not look for a wife.

    1 Corinthians 7:27

    • λέλυσαιlelusaiverb · perfect passive, indicative · 2nd person singulartagged: Have you been loosed

Ephesians

one use
  • For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has torn down the dividing wall of hostility

    Ephesians 2:14

    • λύσαςlusasverb · aorist active, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: having broken down

2 Peter

three uses
  • But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and its works will be laid bare.

    2 Peter 3:10

    • λυθήσεταιluthesetaiverb · future passive, indicative · 3rd person singulartagged: it will be dissolved
  • Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to conduct yourselves in holiness and godliness

    2 Peter 3:11

    • λυομένωνluomenonverb · present passive, participle · genitive (“of”) · neuter pluraltagged: being dissolved
  • as you anticipate and hasten the coming of the day of God, when the heavens will be destroyed by fire and the elements will melt in the heat.

    2 Peter 3:12

    • λυθήσονταιluthesontaiverb · future passive, indicative · 3rd person pluraltagged: will be dissolved

1 John

one use
  • The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the very start. This is why the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the devil.

    1 John 3:8

    • λύσῃluseverb · aorist active, subjunctive · 3rd person singulartagged: He may destroy

Revelation

six uses
  • and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and has released us from our sins by His blood,

    Revelation 1:5

    • λύσαντιlusantiverb · aorist active, participle · dative (“to / for”) · masculine singulartagged: having released
  • And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?”

    Revelation 5:2

    • λῦσαιlusaiverb · aorist active, infinitive (“to…”)tagged: to break
  • saying to the sixth angel with the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.”

    Revelation 9:14

    • λῦσονlusonverb · aorist active, command · 2nd person singulartagged: do release
  • So the four angels who had been prepared for this hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind.

    Revelation 9:15

    • ἐλύθησανeluthesanverb · aorist passive, indicative · 3rd person pluraltagged: were released
  • And he threw him into the Abyss, shut it, and sealed it over him, so that he could not deceive the nations until the thousand years were complete. After that, he must be released for a brief period of time.

    Revelation 20:3

    • λυθῆναιluthenaiverb · aorist passive, infinitive (“to…”)tagged: to be released
  • When the thousand years are complete, Satan will be released from his prison,

    Revelation 20:7

    • λυθήσεταιluthesetaiverb · future passive, indicative · 3rd person singulartagged: will be released

Where it leads

How the numbers are counted

Every count on this page comes from STEP Bible's tagged Hebrew and Greek text, the same text the ledger prints. A use is counted once each time the tagging marks a word with this key.

Spellings are counted as the Greek text spells them, with the sentence's own punctuation taken off the word first, so a form that ends a clause is not counted as a second spelling.

Hebrew and Greek text, word tagging and grammar: STEP Bible (www.STEPBible.org), Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0. Their grammar codes are written out in English here and shown as tagged beside each one.

Meaning and senses: STEP Bible TBESG (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0), the Brief lexicon based on Abbott-Smith (1922).

Dictionary key: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890, public domain). English verse text: Berean Standard Bible (public domain, 2023).

Revised 2026-09-05. Every cited work, the sources registry →