their gullet is an open grave

ἀνοίγω (ἀνά, οἴγω ‘open’; Hom. +) on this by-form of ἀνοίγνυμι see Kühner-Bl. II 496f; W-S. §12, 7 and §15 (p. 130); B-D-F §101; Rob. 1212f; Mayser 404. Fut. ἀνοίξω; 1 aor. ἀνέῳξα J 9:14 (vv.ll. ἠνέῳξα, ἤνοιξα), ἠνέῳξα vs. 17 (vv.ll. ἤνοιξα, ἀνέῳξα), mostly ἤνοιξα Ac 5:19; 9:40 al.; 2 pf. (intr.) ἀνέῳγα; pf. pass. ἀνέῳγμαι 2 Cor 2:12 (v.l. ἠνέῳγμαι), ptc. ἀνεῳγμένος (ἠνεῳγμένος 3 Km 8:52; ἠνοιγμένος Is 42:20), inf. ἀνεῴχθαι (Just., D. 123, 2). Pass.: 1 aor. ἠνεῴχθην Mt 3:16; v.l. 9:30; Jn 9:10; Ac 16:26 (vv.ll. ἀνεῴχθην, ἠνοίχθην); inf. ἀνεῳχθῆναι Lk 3:21 (ἀνοιχθῆναι D); 1 fut. ἀνοιχθήσομαι Lk 11:9f v.l.; 2 aor. ἠνοίγην Mk 7:35 (vv.ll. ἠνοίχθησαν, διηνοίγησαν, διηνοίχθησαν); Ac 12:10 (v.l. ἠνοίχθη); Hv 1, 1, 4 (Dssm. NB 17 [BS 189]); 2 fut. ἀνοιγήσομαι Mt 7:7; Lk 11:9f (v.l. ἀνοίγεται). The same circumstance prevails in LXX: Helbing 78f; 83ff; 95f; 102f. Thackeray 202ff.

① to move someth. from a shut or closed position, trans. a door (Menand., Epitr. 643 Kö.; Polyb. 16, 25, 7; OGI 222, 36; 332, 28, SIG 798, 19; 1 Km 3:15; PsSol 8:17; GrBar 11:5f; Jos., Ant. 13, 92 ἀ. τ. πύλας, Vi. 246; Just., D. 36, 5 τὰς πύλας τῶν οὐρανῶν) τὰς θύρας (really the wings of a double door) Ac 5:19; 12:10 (w. act. force, see 6 below); 16:26f (s. OWeinreich, Türöffnung im Wunder-, Prodigien-u. Zauberglauben d. Antike, d. Judentums u. Christentums: WSchmid Festschr. 1929, 200–452). ἀ. τὸν πυλῶνα open the outer door of the house Ac 12:14. τ. θύραν τ. ναοῦ fig., of the mouth of the believer, who is the temple of God B 16:9 (with this figure cp. Philosoph. Max. 488, 6 τοῦ σοφοῦ στόματος ἀνοιχθέντος, καθάπερ ἱεροῦ, τὰ τῆς ψυχῆς καλὰ βλέπεται ὥσπερ ἀγάλματα=when the mouth of the wise man opens like the door of a temple, the beauties of his soul are as visible as statues [of deities]). Without door as obj. acc., or as subject of a verb in the pass., easily supplied from the context (Achilles Tat. 2, 26, 1) Mt 7:7f; Lk 11:9f; Mt 25:11; Lk 13:25; GJs 12:2.—Used fig. in var. ways (PTebt 383, 29 [46 A.D.]; Epict. Schenkl index θύρα: ἡ θύρα ἤνοικται=I am free to go anywhere) Rv 3:20, cp. 3:7f (s. Is 22:22; Job 12:14). πύλη δικαιοσύνης 1 Cl 48:2, cp. 4. Of preaching that wins attention ἤνοιξεν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν θύραν πίστεως God gave the gentiles an opportunity to become believers Ac 14:27. Cp. θύρας μοι ἀνεῳγμένης since a door was opened for me, i.e. I was given an opportunity to work 2 Cor 2:12 (for 1 Cor 16:9 s. 6 below). Likew. ἀ. θύραν τοῦ λόγου Col 4:3.

② to render someth. readily accessible, open, trans., closed places, whose interior is thereby made accessible: a sanctuary 1 Cl 43:5; pass. Rv 11:19; 15:5 heaven (Kaibel 882 [III A.D.] οὐρανὸν ἀνθρώποις εἶδον ἀνοιγόμενον; PGM 4, 1180; 36, 298; Is 64:1; Ezk 1:1; cp. 3 Macc 6:18) Mt 3:16; Lk 3:21; Ac 10:11; Rv 19:11; GEb 18, 36; Hv 1, 1, 4; the nether world Rv 9:2; graves (SIG 1237, 3 ἀνοῖξαι τόδε τὸ μνῆμα; Ezk 37:12, 13) Mt 27:52. Fig., of the throat of the impious τάφος ἀνεῳγμένος ὁ λάρυγξ αὐτῶν their gullet is an open grave (breathing out putrefaction?) Ro 3:13 (Ps 5:10; 13:3).

③ to disclose contents by opening, open, trans., τ. θησαυροὺς (SIG² 587, 302 τῷ τ. θησαυροὺς ἀνοίξαντι; 601, 32; 653, 93; Eur., Ion 923; Arrian, Cyneg. 34, 2 ἀνοίγνυται ὁ θησαυρός; Is 45:3; Sir 43:14; Philo, Leg. All. 3, 105; Ath. 1, 1) treasure chests Mt 2:11. κεράμιον οἴνου ἢ ἐλαίου open a jar of wine or oil D 13:6. ἀ. βιβλίον open a book in scroll form (Diod S 14, 55, 1 βιβλίον ἐπεσφραγισμένον … ἀνοίγειν; 2 Esdr 18:5; Da 7:10) Lk 4:17 v.l.; Rv 5:2ff; 10:2, 8 (cp. 2 Esdr 16:5; TestAbr A 12 p. 91, 22 [Stone p. 30]); 20:12.

④ to remove an obstruction, open, trans., a seal (X., De Rep. Lac. 6, 4; SIG 1157, 47 [I A.D.] τὰς σφραγῖδας ἀνοιξάτω) Rv 5:9; 6:1–12; 8:1.

⑤ to cause to function, open, trans., of bodily parts

ⓐ mouth ἀ. τὸ στόμα open the mouth of another person 1 Cl 18:15 (cp. Ps 50:17); of a fish, to take something out Mt 17:27; of a mute (Wsd 10:21) Lk 1:64.— Open one’s own mouth to speak (oft. in OT; SibOr 3, 497, but e.g. also Aristoph., Av. 1719) Mt 5:2; 6:8 D; Ac 8:35; 10:34; 18:14; GEb 34, 60. More specif. ἐν παραβολαῖς=he spoke in parables Mt 13:35 (Ps 77:2; cp. Lucian, Philops. 33 ὁ Μέμνων αὐτὸς ἀνοίξας τὸ στόμα ἐν ἔπεσιν ἑπτά). εἰς βλασφημίας (opened its mouth) to blaspheme Rv 13:6.— Not to open one’s mouth, remain silent Ac 8:32; 1 Cl 16:7 (both Is 53:7, as also Mel., P. 64, 462).—Fig., of the earth when it opens to swallow something ἤνοιξεν ἡ γῆ τὸ στόμα αὐτῆς Rv 12:16 (cp. Num 16:30; 26:10; Dt 11:6).

ⓑ eyes ἀ. τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς of a blind person (Is 35:5; 42:7; Tob 11:7; Mel., P. 78, 565) Mt 9:30; 20:33; J 9:10, 14, 17, 21, 26, 30, 32; 10:21; B 14:7 (Is 42:7).—One’s own eyes, to see (Epict. 2, 23, 9 and 12; PGM 4, 624) Ac 9:8, 40.—Fig., of spiritual sight Lk 24:31 v.l.; Ac 26:18. τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς τ. καρδίας 1 Cl 36:2; 59:3 (cp. Just., D. 123, 2 προσηλύτων … ἀνεῷχθαι τὰ ὄμματα).

ⓒ ears (Epict. 2, 23, 10; PGM 7, 329) of a deaf man Mk 7:35.

ⓓ heart, fig. ἀ. τ. καρδίαν πρὸς τ. κύριον open one’s heart to the Lord Hv 4, 2, 4.

⑥ to be in a state of openness, be open, intr. (only 2 pf., except that the 2 aor. pass. ἠνοίγη Ac 12:10 [s. 1 above] is the practical equivalent of an intr. Other exx. of 2 pf.: Hippocr., Morb. 4, 39 ed. Littré; VII 558; Plut., Mor. 693d, Coriol. 231 [37, 2]; Lucian, Nav. 4; Polyaenus 2, 28, 1) in our lit. in contexts connoting opportunity θύρα μοι ἀνέῳγεν 1 Cor 16:9 (s. 1 above; Lucian, Soloec. 8 ἡ θύρα ἀνέῳγέ σοι τῆς γνωρίσεως αὐτῶν. Cp. Just., D. 7, 3 φωτὸς ἀνοιχθήναι πύλας).—Cp. τ. οὐρανὸν ἀνεῳγότα J 1:51.

⑦ to be candid, be open, intr. (s. 6 beg. for grammatical ref.; s. also 5a) τὸ στόμα ἡμῶν ἀνέῳγεν πρὸς ὑμᾶς our mouth is open toward you, i.e. I have spoken freely and openly 2 Cor 6:11 (cp. Ezk 16:63; 29:21 and ἄνοιξις).—B. 847. DELG s.v. οἴγνυμι. M-M.