koinoō · defile, make unclean

What it means

koinoō (κοινόω) is a Greek word of the Bible that means “defile, make unclean”.

Make unclean, defile; treat as common what is holy.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. To leave someone stained, without the purity God requires.
2. To call unclean what God has made clean.

From Abbott-Smith (1922) · Thayer (1889)

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• defile ×7
• defiles ×3
• call profane ×2
• has defiled ×1
• those who have been defiled ×1

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Matthew×5
• Mark×5
• Acts×3
• Hebrews×1

• Matthew 15:11

  it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles the person, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles the person.”

• Matthew 15:18

  But the things that come out of the mouth come forth from the heart, and those defile the person.

• Matthew 15:20

  These are what defile the person; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the person.”

• Mark 7:15

  There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him; but the things that come out of a person are what defile the person.”

• Mark 7:18

  And he says to them, “Are you so lacking in understanding too? Do you not see that whatever goes from outside into a person cannot defile him,

• Mark 7:20

  And he was saying, “What comes out of a person, that defiles the person.

• Mark 7:23

  All these evil things come out from within and defile the person.”

• Acts 10:15

  And a voice came to him again a second time: “What God has cleansed, you must not call profane.”

• Acts 11:9

  But a voice answered a second time from heaven, ‘What God has cleansed, you must not call profane.’

• Acts 21:28

  crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place; and moreover he has even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.”

• Hebrews 9:13

  For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctify for the cleanness of the flesh,

And 3 more times.