baptizō · immerse

What it means

baptizō (βαπτίζω) is a Greek word of the Bible that means “immerse”.

Plunge into water, wash by dipping. The word "baptize" comes from it.

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 put someone into water; "baptize" comes from it.
2. To wash oneself by dipping in water.
3. To be plunged into suffering, as Jesus was.

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

Word study

To immerse: to put into water, to plunge, to wash by dipping; in the New Testament, the rite of immersion of John and of the disciples. Thayer specifies to dip repeatedly. Of the same family are βάπτισμα, “immersion”, and βάπτω, “dip”.

• John “the Immerser” and his immersion in the Jordan Mark 1:4Matthew 3:6Matthew 3:11
• “Immersing them in the name of the Father…” Matthew 28:19Acts 2:38
• Washing by immersing oneself Mark 7:4
• Figuratively: the immersion of suffering Mark 10:38
• “Immersed into the Messiah… into his death”; in one Spirit Romans 6:31 Corinthians 12:13

How we translate it

“Immersed” 53 times, “immerse” 10, “immersing” 10; the participle ὁ βαπτίζων, “the Immerser” 3 (Mark 1:4). This edition's glossary sets baptizō / baptisma = “immerse / immersion” in place of “baptize”, with a note when pointing at the word, because that is what the verb means according to Thayer; the same in the figurative sense (Mark 10:38-39) and in the letters (Romans 6:3).

How it is translated

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

• immersed ×53
• immerse ×10
• immersing ×10
• Immerser ×3
• immerses ×1

Related words

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

Where it appears

• Matthew×7
• Mark×13
• Luke×10
• John×13
• Acts×21
• Romans×2
• 1 Corinthians×10
• Galatians×1

• Matthew 3:6

  and they were being immersed in the Jordan River by him, confessing their sins.

• Matthew 3:11

  I immerse you in water for change of mind, but the one who comes after me is stronger than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry; he will immerse you in the Holy Spirit and fire.

• Matthew 3:13

  Then Jesus comes from Galilee to the Jordan, to John, to be immersed by him.

• Matthew 3:14

  But John tried to prevent him, saying, “I need to be immersed by you, and you come to me?”

• Matthew 3:16

  And after being immersed, Jesus at once went up from the water; and look, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God coming down like a dove and coming upon him.

• Matthew 28:19

  So go and make disciples of all the nations, immersing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

• Mark 1:4

  John the Immerser appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming an immersion of change of mind for the forgiveness of sins.

• Mark 1:5

  And all the Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and they were being immersed by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.

• Mark 1:8

  I immersed you in water, but he will immerse you in the Holy Spirit.”

• Mark 1:9

  And it happened in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was immersed in the Jordan by John.

• Mark 6:14

  And King Herod heard of it, for his name had become known; and people were saying, “John the Immerser has been raised from the dead, and that is why these powers are at work in him.”

• Mark 6:24

  And going out, she said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” And she said, “The head of John the Immerser.”

• Mark 7:4

  and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they immerse themselves; and there are many other things that they have received to hold to, immersions of cups and pitchers and copper pots and dining couches.)

• Mark 10:38

  But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I drink, or be immersed with the immersion with which I am immersed?”

• Mark 10:39

  And they said to him, “We can.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the immersion with which I am immersed you will be immersed;

• Mark 16:16

  The one who believes and is immersed will be saved, but the one who does not believe will be condemned.

• Luke 3:7

  So he was saying to the crowds that were coming out to be immersed by him, “Brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

• Luke 3:12

  And tax collectors also came to be immersed, and they said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?”

• Luke 3:16

  John answered, saying to all, “I immerse you in water; but the one stronger than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie; he will immerse you in the Holy Spirit and fire.

• Luke 3:21

  Now it happened, when all the people were being immersed, and Jesus too had been immersed and was praying, that heaven was opened,

• Luke 7:29

  And all the people when they heard, and the tax collectors, declared God righteous, having been immersed with the immersion of John;

• Luke 7:30

  but the Pharisees and the experts in the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, not having been immersed by him.

• Luke 11:38

  And the Pharisee, seeing this, was surprised that he did not first immerse himself before the meal.

• Luke 12:50

  But I have an immersion to be immersed with, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!

• John 1:25

  And they asked him and said to him, “Why then are you immersing, if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”

• John 1:26

  John answered them, saying, “I immerse in water; among you stands one whom you do not know,

• John 1:28

  These things happened in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was immersing.

• John 1:31

  And I did not know him, but so that he might be revealed to Israel, for this reason I came immersing in water.”

• John 1:33

  And I did not know him, but the one who sent me to immerse in water, he said to me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who immerses in the Holy Spirit.’

• John 3:22

  After this Jesus and his disciples went into the land of Judea, and there he spent time with them and was immersing.

• John 3:23

  And John too was immersing at Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there, and people kept coming and being immersed.

• John 3:26

  And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you have testified, look, he is immersing, and everyone is going to him.”

• John 4:1

  So when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and immersing more disciples than John

• John 4:2

  (although Jesus himself was not immersing, but his disciples),

• John 10:40

  And he went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been immersing at first, and he stayed there.

• Acts 1:5

  for John immersed in water, but you will be immersed in the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

• Acts 2:38

  And Peter said to them, “Change your minds, and let each of you be immersed in the name of Jesus the Messiah for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

• Acts 2:41

  So those who received his word were immersed, and on that day about three thousand persons were added.

• Acts 8:12

  But when they believed Philip as he announced the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus the Messiah, they were being immersed, both men and women.

• Acts 8:13

  And Simon himself also believed, and after being immersed he was constantly with Philip; and seeing signs and great miracles taking place, he was amazed.

And 37 more times.