STRONGS NUMBER G4811

Original Word: συκοφαντέω
Transliteration: sykophanteō
Phonetic Spelling: (soo-kof-an-teh'-o)
Part of Speech: Verb
Short Definition: to accuse falsely
Meaning: to accuse falselyaccuse falsely, take by false accusation.

From a compound of sukon and a derivative of phaino; to be a fig-informer (reporter of the law forbidding the exportation of figs from Greece), "sycophant", i.e. (genitive and by extension) to defraud (exact unlawfully, extort) -- accuse falsely, take by false accusation.

see GREEK sukon

see GREEK phaino

STRONGS NT 4811: συκοφαντέω

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).