ἐνι-κρίνω

στόμα, ατος, τό (Hom.+; loanw. in rabb.).

① mouth

ⓐ of humans or of beings whose appearance resembles that of humans: Mt 15:11a, 17; J 19:29; Ac 11:8; 23:2; 2 Th 2:8 (cp. Is 11:4; Ps 32:6); Rv 11:5.—Used in imagery Rv 1:16; 2:16; 3:16; 10:9f (cp. Ezk 3:1ff); 19:15, 21.—As an organ of speech Mt 15:11b, 18 (cp. Num 32:24); 21:16 (Ps 8:3); Lk 4:22; 11:54; Ro 10:8 (Dt 30:14); Eph 4:29; Js 3:10 (cp. Aesop, Fab. 35 P.=64 H./60 Ch./35 H-H.: ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ στόματος τὸ θερμὸν καὶ τὸ ψυχρὸν ἐξιεῖς=out of the same mouth you send forth warm and cold [of the person who blows in his hands to warm them, and on his food to cool it off]); 1 Cl 15:3 (Ps 61:5), 4 (Ps 77:36); 2 Cl 9:10; B 11:8; Hm 3:1. ἀπόθεσθε αἰσχρολογίαν ἐκ τοῦ στόματος ὑμῶν put away shameful speech from your mouth = don’t let any dirty talk cross your lips Col 3:8. ἀκούειν τι ἐκ τοῦ στόματός τινος Ac 22:14; 2 Cl 13:3; B 16:10 (cp. ParJer 6:24); ἀκ. ἀπὸ τοῦ στ. τινος (Polyaenus 8, 36 ἀπὸ στόματος τῆς ἀδελφῆς) Lk 22:71; ἀκ. τι διὰ τοῦ στ. τινος Ac 1:4 D; 15:7.—ἀνεῴχθη τὸ στ. αὐτοῦ (of a mute person) his mouth was opened (Wsd 10:21) Lk 1:64, words could now come out, as REB renders: ‘his lips and tongue were freed’. ἀνοίγειν τὸ στόμα τινός open someone’s mouth for him and cause him to speak 1 Cl 18:15 (cp. Ps 50:17). ἀνοίγειν τὸ (ἑαυτοῦ) στόμα open one’s (own) mouth to speak (ApcMos 21; ApcrEzk; s. ἀνοίγω 5a) Mt 5:2; 13:35 (Ps 77:2); Ac 8:35; 10:34; 18:14; GEb 34:60. οὐκ ἀνοίγει τὸ στ. αὐτοῦ=he is silent Ac 8:32; 1 Cl 16:7 (both Is 53:7; cp. Mel., P. 64; 462). For ἄνοιξις τοῦ στόματος Eph 6:19 s. ἄνοιξις. On στόμα πρὸς στόμα λαλεῖν speak face to face 2J 12; 3J 14 s. πρός 3aε. On ἵνα πᾶν στ. φραγῇ Ro 3:19 s. φράσσω.—There is no δόλος or ψεῦδος in the mouth of the upright Rv 14:5; 1 Cl 50:6 (Ps 31:2); esp. of God’s ‘Servant’ (Is 53:9) 1 Pt 2:22; 1 Cl 16:10; Pol 8:1.—στόμα stands for the person in the capacity of speaker (3 Km 17:24; 22:22; 2 Ch 36:21f): ἐκ τοῦ περισσεύματος τῆς καρδίας τὸ στόμα λαλεῖ Mt 12:34 (καρδία … στ. as TestNapht 2:6). διὰ στόματός τινος (ApcMos 16f; B-D-F §140) by (the lips of) someone Lk 1:70; Ac 1:16; 3:18, 21.—ἐν ἑνὶ στόματι with one voice (ἓν στόμα Aristoph., Equ. 670; Pla., Rep. 364a, Laws 1, 634e; Ael. Aristid. 51, 40 K.=I p. 544 D.; PGiss 36, 12 [161 B.C.] αἱ τέτταρες λέγουσαι ἐξ ἑνὸς στόματος; Pla., Rep. 364a) Ro 15:6; cp. 1 Cl 34:7.—For Mt 18:16; 2 Cor 13:1; Lk 19:22; Lk 21:15 s. 2.

ⓑ of God (Dexippus of Athens [III A.D.]: 100 Fgm. 1, 7 Jac. ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ μαρτυρία διὰ στόματος; Theognis18; ParJer 6:12) Mt 4:4 (Dt 8:3); 1 Cl 8:4 (Is 1:20).

ⓒ of animals and animal-like beings, mouth, jaws, of a fish (PGM 5, 280ff) Mt 17:27. Of horses Js 3:3; cp. Rv 9:17–9; a weasel B 10:8; lion (Judg 14:8) Hb 11:33; Rv 13:2; in imagery 2 Ti 4:17; an apocalyptic monster (Diod S 3, 70, 4 the Aegis: ἐκ τοῦ στόματος ἐκβάλλον φλόγα) Rv 12:15, 16b; 16:13abc; Hv 4, 1, 6; 4, 2, 4 (cp. Da 6:22 Theod.; JosAs 12:10).

② the product of the organ of speech, utterance, mouth. By metonymy for what the mouth utters ἐπὶ στόματος δύο μαρτύρων (Dt 19:15) Mt 18:16; 2 Cor 13:1. ἐκ τοῦ στόματός σου κρινῶ σε Lk 19:22. ἐγὼ δώσω ὑμῖν στόμα καὶ σοφίαν I will give you eloquence and wisdom Lk 21:15. S. also 1a.

③ a geological fissure, mouth in imagery of the earth in which a fissure is opened (s. Gen 4:11) ἤνοιξεν ἡ γῆ τὸ στόμα αὐτῆς Rv 12:16a.

④ the foremost part of someth., edge fig. ext. of 1. The sword, like the jaws of a wild animal, devours people; hence acc. to OT usage (but s. Philostrat., Her. 19, 4 στ. τῆς αἰχμῆς; Quint. Smyrn. 1, 194; 813 and s. μάχαιρα 1; cp. στ.=‘point’ of a sword Hom. et al.; στόμα πολέμου Polemo Soph. B8 Reader p. 134) στόμα μαχαίρης the edge of the sword = the voracious sword (Josh 19:48; Sir 28:18; s. also μάχαιρα 1, end) Lk 21:24; Hb 11:34.—B. 228; esp. 860. DELG. M-M. TW.