Bible Lexicons

σῡκοφαντ-έω,

to be a συκοφάντης 1, παππῷος ὁ βίος συκοφαντεῖν ἐστί μοι Ar. Av. 1452, cf. Ach. 828, Ec. 562, al., Lys. 22.1, Isoc. 15.23, 21.5, al., D. 53.1, 55.1, al., Men. Epit. 1, al.; ς κατ' ἀγοράν Diph. 32.16: c. acc. pers., prosecute vexatiously, blackmail, συκοφαντεῖς τοὺς ξένους; Ar. Av. 1431, cf. V. 1096 (lyr.); τοὺς συμμάχους Isoc. 15.318; ἑτέρους ἔσειε καὶ ἐσυκοφάντει Antipho 6.43; ς. τοὺς τὰς οὐσίας ἔχοντας Arist. Pol. 1304b22, cf. Lys. 19.9 (Pass.); συκοφαντοῦμαι νῦν ὑπ' αὐτῶν ἀδίκως Id. Fr. 43, cf. X. Oec. 11.21, Thphr. Char. 23.4; ἰδόντες.. σε ὑπὸ Δημέου συκοφαντούμενον PMich.Zen. 57.2 (iii B.C.), cf. PCair.Zen. 212.4, 628.3 (iii B.C.), CPR 232.3 (ii/iii A.D.); freq. of blackmail by officials, PTeb. 43.26, 789.21 (ii B.C.), UPZ 112i4, 113.10, 16 (ii B.C.); συκοφαντῆσαι ἡμᾶς καὶ διασεῖσαι BGU 1756.11 (i B.C.); μηδένα διασείσητε μηδὲ συκοφαντήσητε Luke 3:14, cf. CPR 238.6 (ii A.D.), PFlor. 382.57 (iii A.D.); τοῦ συκοφαντῆσαι ἡμᾶς to seek occasion against us, oppress us, LXX Genesis 43:18; ὁ συκοφαντῶν πένητα ib. Proverbs 14:31; accuse falsely, ταυτὶ γὰρ συκοφαντεῖσθαι τὸν Ἕκτορα ὑπὸ τοῦ Ὁμήρου that is a false charge brought against Hector by Homer, Philostr. Her. 12b; κύριε Γάϊε, συκοφαντούμεθα Ph. 2.598, cf. 1.145, D.C. 38.28, al.: c. acc. et gen., τὸν θεὸν ὀλιγωρίας Ael. Fr. 40: c. acc. rei, denounce as contraband, Μεγαρέων τὰ χλανίσκια Ar. Ach. 519; extort by false charges or threats, τριάκοντα μνᾶς Lys. 26.24; εἴ τινός τι ἐσυκοφάντησα, ἀποδίδωμι τετραπλοῦν Luke 19:8 : abs., Isoc. 18.10.

2. criticize in a pettifogging way, τοὺς ποιητάς Arist. Po. 1456a5, cf. D.H. Th. 52, Dem. 34, D.S. 26.1; lay verbal traps for one, τὸν ῥήτορα βουλόμενος δικαίως ἐξετάζειν καὶ μὴ ς. D. 18.232; ς. Θρασύμαχον Pl. R. 341c; ὑποσκελίζειν καὶ ς. D. 18.138: c. acc. rei, quibble about, μὴ τὰ συμβάντα συκοφάντει ib.192; ς. τὸ πρᾶγμα Id. 23.61, D.H. Dem. 25; carp at, stint, τὸν ἐπὶ τοῖς καλλίστοις ἔργοις ἔπαινον D.S. 4.8: abs., quibble, Pl. R. 341b, Arist. Top. 139b26, 157a32, D. 20.62.

II = κνίζω ἐρωτικῶς, Pl.Com. 255, Men. 1071.

συκοφαντέω, συκοφάντω; 1 aorist ἐσυκοφάντησα; (from συκοφάντης, and this from σῦκον 'fig', and φαίνω 'to show'. At Athens those were called συκοφανται whose business it was to inform against anyone whom they might detect exporting figs out of Attica; and as sometimes they seem to have extorted money from those loath to he exposed, the name συκοφάντης from the time of Aristophanes down was a general term of opprobrium to designate a malignant informer, a calumniator; a malignant and base accuser from love of gain (but cf. Liddell and Scott, under the word); hence, the verb συκοφάντω signifies)

1. to accuse wrongfully, to calumniate, to attack by malicious devices (Aristophanes, Xenophon, Plato, others).

2. to exact money wrongfully; to extort from, defraud: Luke 3:14 (here R. V. margin accuse wrongfully); with a genitive of the person and accusative of the thing, Luke 19:8 (τριάκοντα μνᾶς παρά τίνος Lysias, p. 177, 32. The Sept. for עָשַׁק, to oppress, defraud, Job 35:9; Ecclesiastes 4:1; Psalm 118:122 (); πένητα, Proverbs 14:31; Proverbs 22:16; πτωχούς, Proverbs 28:3).

συκοφαντέω , -ῶ

(< σῦκον , φαίνω ),

[in LXX: Genesis 43:18 (H1556 hithpo.), Leviticus 19:11 (H8266 pi.), Job 35:9, Psalms 119:122, Proverbs 14:31; Proverbs 2:16; Proverbs 28:3, Ecclesiastes 4:1 (H6231);]

to act the συκοφάντης (on conjectures as to the origin of the term, v. LS, s.v.), to accuse falsely (Aristoph., Xen., al.): Luke 3:14 (R, mg.) Luke 19:8 (RV, exact wrongfully; but cf. Hatch, Essays, 89 ff., v. also Field, Notes, 56 f.; MM, xxiv).†