Quick Definition
βίαζομαι v. I use force, violence, suffer violence
Strong's Definition
from 979; to force, i.e. (reflexively) to crowd oneself (into), or (passively) to be seized
KJV Usage: press, suffer violence
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
verb | βία · βίαιος · βιαστής · παραβιάζομαι
20.9 · (βιάζομαι[a]) · Violence, Harm, Destroy, Kill · Violence
to be attacked with violence, to suffer violent attacks to experience a violent attack In many languages it may be difficult, if not impossible, to speak of the kingdom of heaven ‘suffering violent attacks,’ but generally some active form may be employed, for example, ‘and violently attack the kingdom of heaven’ or ‘ ... the rule of God.’ See comment at βιάζω[b] 20.10.
20.10 · (βιάζομαι[b]) · Violence, Harm, Destroy, Kill · Violence
to use violence to employ violence in doing harm to someone or something Since there are a number of different interpretations of this expression (πᾶς εἰς αὐτὴν βιάζεται) in LUK 16:16 as well as for the parallel expression in MAT 11:12 (ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν βιάζεται; see βιάζω[a]); it is important to consult various commentaries before undertaking a translation. Probably the most widely held interpretation of these difficult expressions is based on the fact that many people did not hesitate to employ violence or military force in order to establish what they regarded as the rule of God on earth.
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
βιάζω: (Bia); to use force, to apply force; τινά, to force, inflict violence on, one; the Act. is very rare and almost exclusively poetic, [fr. Hom. down]; Pass. [B. 58 (46)] in Mt. xi. 12 ἡ βασιλεία τ. οὐρ. βιάζεται, the kingdom of heaven is taken by violence, carried by storm, i. e. a share in the heavenly kingdom is sought for with the most ardent zeal and the intensest exertion; cf. Xen. Hell. 5, 2, 15 (23) πόλεις τὰς βεβιασμένας ; [but see Weiss, Jas. Morison, Norton, in loc.]. The other explanation : the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence sc. from its enemies, agrees neither with the time when Christ spoke the words, nor with the context; ef. Fritzsche, De Wette, Meyer, ad loc. Mid. βιάζομαι foll. by εἴς τι to force one’s way into a thing, (ἐς τὴν Ποτίδαιαν, Thue. 1, 63; ἐς τὸ ἔξω, 7, 69; εἰς τὴν παρεμβολήν, Polyb. 1, 74,53; εἰς τὰ ἐντός, Philo, vit. Moys. i. § 19; εἰς τὸ στρατόπεδον, Plut. Otho 12, ete.) : εἰς τ. βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ, to get a share in the | kingdom of God by the utmost earnestness and effort, Lk. xvi. 16. [Comp.: mapaScafopat.]
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
βιάζω biazō 2x
also written as a middle deponent, βιάζομαι, to urge, constrain, overpower by force; to press earnestly forward, to rush, Lk. 16:16; pass. to be an object of a forceful movement, Mt. 11:12*
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
βιάζω (< βία), and depon. -ομαι,
[in LXX for פּרץ, פּצר, etc.;]
to force, constrain, rare in act. (poet, and late prose), but found in cl. in pass., and so perh. βιάζεται, suffereth violence, Mt 11:12, EV (but v. infr.), whether in good sense, of disciples (Thayer, al.), or
in bad sense, of the enemies of the kingdom (Meyer, in l.; Dalman, Words, 139 ff.; Cremer, 141 ff.). Mid., advanceth violently, Mt 11:12 (Deiss., BS., 258; Banks, v. ref. in DCG, ii, 803 f.); seq. εἰς, to press violently, or force one's way into, Lk 16:16 (v. ICC, in l., and in Mt 11:12; cf. παραβιάζομαι and v. MM, s.v.).†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
βιάζομαι. Vhe verb is common, and its compounds ἀπο-, kata- and εἰσ- can be quoted; but there seems little that promises decisive help for the difficult Logion of Mt 1112 = Lk 16!°. That in the former βιάζεται can be passive, as all the ancient versions assume, may be illustrated by such evidence as I’ Oxy 11. 2941 (A.D. 22) ἐγὼ δὲ βιάζομαι ὑπὸ φίλωϊν. CE. βιάζομαι τάδε in Sophocles (4¢. 66), “51 am forced to it.” In the same direction tend the passages quotable for a transitive use of the middle. So P Giss I. 1013 (ii/A.D.), if rightly supplemented, ἄγευστος ἐκοιμώμην [ews ὁ π]ατήρ μου εἰσελθὼν ἐβιάσατό με, ‘‘ made me take food” ; P Amh II. 3517 (B.C. 132) βιασάμενος αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ τῆς ἅλω, ‘ compelled them to go to the threshing-floor’”’ (Edd.), P Lond 1171 verso (c)® (A.D. 42) βεβιασμένος τινά, Τ Magd 274 (B.c. 218) βιάζεταί pe πλίνθον προσάγων Kal θεμέλιον σκάπτων ὥστε οἰκοδομεῖν. The middle can however be used absolutely, = come forward violently or enter by force. Deissmann (4S, p. 258) supports this by .Sy?// 633° (imperial period), where in the epigraphic regulations for the sanctuary of Men ‘Tyrannus it is laid down—édv δέ τις βιάσηται, ἀπρόσδεκτος ἡ θυσία παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ. It must be admitted that Deissmann’s second translation above is as preferable for this inscr. as the first is for Mt ἀφ if the verb must middle one who supports either of these renderings would still’ have to illustrate the application of the verb There are many be to something abstract or impersonal. other citations available ’ for Putting first’ thoSe whére “no εἰς follows; we have’ Sy// 418*4 (A.D. 238) ἐπεὶ δὲ κατὰ Kaipods εἰς ὕβριν (?) προχωρεῖν τινὲς καὶ βιάζεσθαι (= 2se vrolence) ἤρξαντο; 26. 803} (17...) εἴ Tis παρὰ τὴν βούλησιν ΙΤΠυθίδος βιασάμενος (= ὁν force) the absolute ‘use.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
βιάζω (biazō) — to force. βῐάζω, constrain, active once in [Refs 8th c.BC+] if they used force, [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—passive, future βιασθήσομαι [Refs 2nd c.AD+]aorist ἐβιάσθην, perfect βεβίασμαι (see. below):—to be hard pressed or overpowered, βελέεσσι βιάζεται [Refs 8th c.BC+]; βιάζετο γὰρ βελ[Refs 5th c.BC+]; to be forced or constrained to do, with infinitive, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; opposed to ἀδικεῖσθαι,[Refs 5th c.BC+]; βεβιασμένοι forcibly made slaves, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; πόλεις βεβ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὸ βιασθέν those who are forced, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; of things, τοὔνειδος ὀργῇ βιασθέν forced from one by anger, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὸ βεβιασμένον forced to fit a hypothesis, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; βεβ. σχήματα forced figures of speech, [Refs 1st c.BC+]
2. active, make good, suffice to discharge a debt, [Refs]
II. more frequently βιάζομαι, aorist middle ἐβιασάμην, perfect βεβίασμαι [Refs 4th c.BC+]:—overpower by force, press hard, ἦ μάλα δή σε βιάζεται ὠκὺς Ἀχιλλεύς [Refs 8th c.BC+]; β. τοὺς πολεμίους dislodge them, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; β. νόμους to do them violence, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; βιασάμενος ταῦτα πάντα having broken through all these restraints, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; β. γυναῖκα force her, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; opposed to πείθειν, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; β. αὑτόν lay violent hands on oneself, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; β. τινά, with infinitive, force one to do, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τί με βιάζεσθε λέγει; [Refs 4th c.BC+]infinitive omitted, β. τὰ σφάγια force the victims [to be favourable], [Refs 5th c.BC+]
II.2. with accusative of things, carry by force, βιάσασθαι τὸν ἔκπλουν force an exit, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
II.3. absolutely, act with violence, use force, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; opposed to δικάζομαι, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; β. διὰ φυλάκων force one's way, [Refs]; β. ἐς τὸ ἔξω, β. εἴσω,[Refs 5th c.BC+]: with infinitive, β. πρὸς τὸν λόφον ἐλθεῖν [Refs]; βιαζόμενοι βλάπτειν using every effort to hurt me, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; but βιαζόμενοιμὴ ἀποδιδόναι refusing with violence to repay, [Refs 5th c.BC+]participle, ἵνα βιασάμενοι ἐκπλεύσωσι may sail out by forcing their way, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐπὶ μᾶλλον ἔτι β. (of a famine) grow worse and worse, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
II.4. contend or argue vehemently, with infinitive, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: absolutely, persist in assertion, [Refs 4th c.BC+]