Bible Lexicons

ἐξορύσσω,

Att. ἐξόρμ-ττω,

I dig out the earth from a trench, τὸν ἀεὶ ἐξορυσσόμενον χοῦν Hdt. 7.23; τόποι ἐξορυσσόμενοι Arist. Mir. 833b4: — Med., ἐξορύξασθαι χάρακας make oneself a vallum, D.H. 9.55.

II

1. dig out of the ground, dig up, τοὺς νεκρούς Hdt. 1.64, cf. BGU 1024iv4 (iv/v A.D.); ἄγλιθας Ar. Ach. 763; [ μορίαν ] Lys. 7.26: — Pass., τοῦ χοὸς τοῦ -ομένου PHal. 1.109 (iii B.C.); φυτά X. Oec. 19.4.

2. gouge out, ἐ. αὐτῶν τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς Hdt. 8.116, cf. LXX Judges 16:21, Plu. Art. 14.

3. metaph., τὸν ἐξορύσσοντα λόγον τὰ κεκρυμμένα τῶν πραγμάτων Ph. 1.72.

ἐξορύσσω: 1 aorist participle ἐξορύξαντες; from Herodotus down;

1. to dig out: τούς ὀφθαλμούς (properly, to pluck out the eyes; so Judges 16:21 (Alex.); 1 Samuel 11:2; Herodotus 8, 116; Josephus, Antiquities 6, 5, 1; Lucian, dial. deor. 1, 1; others) καί διδόναι τίνι, metaphorically, to renounce the most precious things for another's advantage, Galatians 4:15 (similar expressions see in Terence, adelph. 4, 5, 67; Horace sat. 2, 5, 35; (Wetstein at the passage)); in opposition to a very few interpretaters who, assuming that Paul suffered from a weakness of the eyes, understand the words literally, Ye would have plucked out your sound eyes and have put them into me, see Meyer at the passage; (cf. references under the word σκόλοψ, at the end).

2. to dig through: τήν στέγην, Mark 2:4.

ἐξ -ορύσσω ,

[in LXX: Proverbs 29:22; ὀφθαλμόν (-ούς ), Judges 16:21, 1 Samuel 11:2 (H5365)*;]

to dig out, dig up: στέγην , Mark 2:4; metaph., ὀφοαλμούς (cf. LXX, ll c.; Herod., viii, 116), Galatians 4:15.†