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σπλάγχνον

splanchnon

Viscera, bowels — the seat of compassion and deep feeling

Etymology

Literally the internal organs (liver, heart, lungs). In Homer, the splanchna are consumed in sacrifice — the gods' portion. In the NT, σπλαγχνίζομαι ("to be moved in one's bowels") becomes the verb for Christ's compassion, the visceral response to another's suffering.

Why splanchnon matters

In Homer the splanchna are consumed at sacrifice before the feast, belonging to the gods because they are the intimate, living core of the animal, the parts that still pulse. This sacrificial identity lodges the term in a register of immediate, boundary-crossing contact between mortal and divine. When the NT verb splagchnizomai becomes the word for Christ's compassion, it inherits this Homeric freight: to be moved in the splanchna is not a gentle sentiment but a visceral disruption — a being-seized at the sacrificial organs, which is why the Gospels reserve the verb exclusively for divine or kingly figures responding to radical human need.

splanchnon in the corpus

35 instances
34 passages
62% in direct speech

Grammatical voice

When splanchnon appears in the middle voice, the subject acts upon or for itself — the grammatical home of interiority.

10 passive
2 middle

Which characters in Homer use splanchnon most?

Related terms

Distribution by work

The Odyssey
5
Matthew
5
Mark
4
Luke
4
Philemon
3
The Iliad
2
2 Corinthians
2
Philippians
2
Discourses
2
Acts
1
Colossians
1
Olympian Odes
1
Republic
1
Timaeus
1

Key passages

Showing 30 of 34 passages containing σπλάγχνον.

The Iliad 1.457–471

ὣς ἔφατʼ εὐχόμενος, τοῦ δʼ ἔκλυε Φοῖβος Ἀπόλλων. αὐτὰρ ἐπεί ῥʼ εὔξαντο καὶ οὐλοχύτας προβάλοντο, αὐέρυσαν μὲν πρῶτα καὶ ἔσφαξαν καὶ ἔδειραν, μηρούς τʼ ἐξέταμον κατά τε κνίσῃ ἐκάλυψαν δίπτυχα ποιήσαντε...

with a double layer of fat, and laid raw flesh thereon. And the old man burned them on stakes of wood, and made libation over them of gleaming wine; and beside him the young men held in their hands th...

The Iliad 2.419–433

ὣς ἔφατʼ, οὐδʼ ἄρα πώ οἱ ἐπεκραίαινε Κρονίων, ἀλλʼ ὅ γε δέκτο μὲν ἱρά, πόνον δʼ ἀμέγαρτον ὄφελλεν. αὐτὰρ ἐπεί ῥʼ εὔξαντο καὶ οὐλοχύτας προβάλοντο, αὐέρυσαν μὲν πρῶτα καὶ ἔσφαξαν καὶ ἔδειραν, μηρούς τʼ...

nay, he accepted the sacrifice, but toil he made to wax unceasingly. Then, when they had prayed and had sprinkled the barley grains, they first drew back the victims' heads and cut their throats, and ...

The Odyssey 3.1–13

Ἠέλιος δʼ ἀνόρουσε, λιπὼν περικαλλέα λίμνην, οὐρανὸν ἐς πολύχαλκον, ἵνʼ ἀθανάτοισι φαείνοι καὶ θνητοῖσι βροτοῖσιν ἐπὶ ζείδωρον ἄρουραν· οἱ δὲ Πύλον, Νηλῆος ἐυκτίμενον πτολίεθρον, ἷξον· τοὶ δʼ ἐπὶ θινὶ...

And now the sun, leaving the beauteous mere, sprang up into the brazen heaven to give light to the immortals and to mortal men on the earth, the giver of grain; and they came to Pylos, the well-built ...

The Odyssey 3.29–42

ὣς ἄρα φωνήσασʼ ἡγήσατο Παλλὰς Ἀθήνη καρπαλίμως· ὁ δʼ ἔπειτα μετʼ ἴχνια βαῖνε θεοῖο. ἷξον δʼ ἐς Πυλίων ἀνδρῶν ἄγυρίν τε καὶ ἕδρας, ἔνθʼ ἄρα Νέστωρ ἧστο σὺν υἱάσιν, ἀμφὶ δʼ ἑταῖροι δαῖτʼ ἐντυνόμενοι κρ...

quickly; but he followed in the footsteps of the goddess; and they came to the gathering and the companies of the men of Pylos. There Nestor sat with his sons, and round about his people, making ready...

The Odyssey 3.460–474

λεῖβε· νέοι δὲ παρʼ αὐτὸν ἔχον πεμπώβολα χερσίν. αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ κατὰ μῆρʼ ἐκάη καὶ σπλάγχνα πάσαντο, μίστυλλόν τʼ ἄρα τἆλλα καὶ ἀμφʼ ὀβελοῖσιν ἔπειραν, ὤπτων δʼ ἀκροπόρους ὀβελοὺς ἐν χερσὶν ἔχοντες. τόφρα...

and beside him the young men held in their hands the five-pronged forks. But when the thigh-pieces were wholly burned, and they had tasted the inner parts, they cut up the rest and spitted and roasted...

The Odyssey 12.361–375

δίπτυχα ποιήσαντες, ἐπʼ αὐτῶν δʼ ὠμοθέτησαν. οὐδʼ εἶχον μέθυ λεῖψαι ἐπʼ αἰθομένοις ἱεροῖσιν, ἀλλʼ ὕδατι σπένδοντες ἐπώπτων ἔγκατα πάντα. αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ κατὰ μῆρʼ ἐκάη καὶ σπλάγχνα πάσαντο, μίστυλλόν τʼ ἄρ...

they cut up the rest and spitted it. Then it was that sweet sleep fled from my eyelids, and I went my way to the swift ship and the shore of the sea. But when, as I went, I drew near to the curved shi...

The Odyssey 20.247–261

ὣς ἔφατʼ Ἀμφίνομος, τοῖσιν δʼ ἐπιήνδανε μῦθος. ἐλθόντες δʼ ἐς δώματʼ Ὀδυσσῆος θείοιο χλαίνας μὲν κατέθεντο κατὰ κλισμούς τε θρόνους τε, οἱ δʼ ἱέρευον ὄϊς μεγάλους καὶ πίονας αἶγας, ἵρευον δὲ σύας σιάλ...

and men fell to slaying great sheep and fat goats, aye, and fatted swine, and the heifer of the herd. Then they roasted the entrails and served them out, and mixed wine in the bowls, and the swineherd...

Matthew 9:33–38 Jesus

καὶ ἐκβληθέντος τοῦ δαιμονίου ἐλάλησεν ὁ κωφός καὶ ἐθαύμασαν οἱ ὄχλοι λέγοντες οὐδέποτε ἐφάνη οὕτως ἐν τῷ Ἰσραήλ οἱ δὲ Φαρισαῖοι ἔλεγον ἐν τῷ ἄρχοντι τῶν δαιμονίων ἐκβάλλει τὰ δαιμόνια Καὶ περιῆγεν ὁ ...

Matthew 14:9–16 Jesus

καὶ λυπηθεὶς ὁ βασιλεὺς διὰ τοὺς ὅρκους καὶ τοὺς συνανακειμένους ἐκέλευσεν δοθῆναι καὶ πέμψας ἀπεκεφάλισεν Ἰωάννην ἐν τῇ φυλακῇ καὶ ἠνέχθη ἡ κεφαλὴ αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ πίνακι καὶ ἐδόθη τῷ κορασίῳ καὶ ἤνεγκεν τῇ...

Matthew 15:25–32 Jesus

ἡ δὲ ἐλθοῦσα προσεκύνει αὐτῷ λέγουσα κύριε βοήθει μοι ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν οὐκ ἔξεστιν λαβεῖν τὸν ἄρτον τῶν τέκνων καὶ βαλεῖν τοῖς κυναρίοις ἡ δὲ εἶπεν ναί κύριε καὶ γὰρ τὰ κυνάρια ἐσθίει ἀπὸ τῶν ψιχ...

Matthew 18:26–33 Unknown Speaker

πεσὼν οὖν ὁ δοῦλος ἐκεῖνος προσεκύνει αὐτῷ λέγων μακροθύμησον ἐπ’ ἐμοί καὶ πάντα ἀποδώσω σοι σπλαγχνισθεὶς δὲ ὁ κύριος τοῦ δούλου ἐκείνου ἀπέλυσεν αὐτόν καὶ τὸ δάνειον ἀφῆκεν αὐτῷ ἐξελθὼν δὲ ὁ δοῦλος ...

Matthew 20:33–34 Jesus

λέγουσιν αὐτῷ κύριε ἵνα ἀνοιγῶσιν οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ ἡμῶν σπλαγχνισθεὶς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἥψατο τῶν ὀμμάτων αὐτῶν καὶ εὐθέως ἀνέβλεψαν καὶ ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῷ

Mark 1:41–45 Moses

καὶ σπλαγχνισθεὶς ἐκτείνας τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ἥψατο καὶ λέγει θέλω καθαρίσθητι καὶ εὐθὺς ἀπῆλθεν ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ ἡ λέπρα καὶ ἐκαθερίσθη καὶ ἐμβριμησάμενος αὐτῷ εὐθὺς ἐξέβαλεν αὐτόν καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ ὅρα μηδενὶ μη...

Mark 6:33–40 Unknown Speaker

καὶ εἶδον αὐτοὺς ὑπάγοντας καὶ ἐπέγνωσαν αὐτοὺς πολλοί καὶ πεζῇ ἀπὸ πασῶν τῶν πόλεων συνέδραμον ἐκεῖ καὶ προῆλθον αὐτούς Καὶ ἐξελθὼν εἶδεν πολὺν ὄχλον καὶ ἐσπλαγχνίσθη ἐπ’ αὐτοὺς ὅτι ἦσαν ὡς πρόβατα μ...

Mark 8:1–8 Unknown Speaker

Ἐν ἐκείναις ταῖς ἡμέραις πάλιν πόλλου ὄχλου ὄντος καὶ μὴ ἐχόντων τί φάγωσιν προσκαλεσάμενος τοὺς μαθητὰς λέγει αὐτοῖς σπλαγχνίζομαι ἐπὶ τὸν ὄχλον ὅτι ἤδη ἡμέραι τρεῖς προσμένουσίν μοι καὶ οὐκ ἔχουσιν ...

Mark 9:17–24 Jesus

καὶ ἀπεκρίθη αὐτῷ εἷς ἐκ τοῦ ὄχλου διδάσκαλε ἤνεγκα τὸν υἱόν μου πρὸς σέ ἔχοντα πνεῦμα ἄλαλον καὶ ὅπου ἐὰν αὐτὸν καταλάβῃ ῥήσσει καὶ ἀφρίζει καὶ τρίζει τοὺς ὀδόντας καὶ ξηραίνεται καὶ εἶπα τοῖς μαθητα...

Luke 1:73–80 Unknown Speaker

ὅρκον ὃν ὤμοσεν πρὸς Ἀβραὰμ τὸν πατέρα ἡμῶν τοῦ δοῦναι ἡμῖν ἀφόβως ἐκ χειρὸς ἐχθρῶν ῥυσθέντας λατρεύειν αὐτῷ ἐν ὁσιότητι καὶ δικαιοσύνῃ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας ἡμῶν καὶ σὺ δέ παιδίον προφήτης ὑ...

Luke 7:9–16 Jesus

ἀκούσας δὲ ταῦτα ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐθαύμασεν αὐτόν καὶ στραφεὶς τῷ ἀκολουθοῦντι αὐτῷ ὄχλῳ εἶπεν λέγω ὑμῖν οὐδὲ ἐν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ τοσαύτην πίστιν εὗρον καὶ ὑποστρέψαντες εἰς τὸν οἶκον οἱ πεμφθέντες εὗρον τὸν δοῦλον ...

Luke 10:33–40 Jesus

Σαμαρίτης δέ τις ὁδεύων ἦλθεν κατ’ αὐτὸν καὶ ἰδὼν ἐσπλαγχνίσθη καὶ προσελθὼν κατέδησεν τὰ τραύματα αὐτοῦ ἐπιχέων ἔλαιον καὶ οἶνον ἐπιβιβάσας δὲ αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὸ ἴδιον κτῆνος ἤγαγεν αὐτὸν εἰς πανδοκίον καὶ...

Luke 15:17–24 Unknown Speaker

εἰς ἑαυτὸν δὲ ἐλθὼν ἔφη πόσοι μίσθιοι τοῦ πατρός μου περισσεύουσιν ἄρτων ἐγὼ δὲ λιμῷ ὧδε ἀπόλλυμαι ἀναστὰς πορεύσομαι πρὸς τὸν πατέρα μου καὶ ἐρῶ αὐτῷ πάτερ ἥμαρτον εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ ἐνώπιόν σου οὐκ...

Acts 1:17–24 Jesus

ὅτι κατηριθμημένος ἦν ἐν ἡμῖν καὶ ἔλαχεν τὸν κλῆρον τῆς διακονίας ταύτης οὗτος μὲν οὖν ἐκτήσατο χωρίον ἐκ μισθοῦ τῆς ἀδικίας καὶ πρηνὴς γενόμενος ἐλάκησεν μέσος καὶ ἐξεχύθη πάντα τὰ σπλάγχνα αὐτοῦ ὃ κ...

2 Corinthians 6:9–16 Unknown Speaker

ὡς ἀγνοούμενοι καὶ ἐπιγινωσκόμενοι ὡς ἀποθνῄσκοντες καὶ ἰδοὺ ζῶμεν ὡς παιδευόμενοι καὶ μὴ θανατούμενοι ὡς λυπούμενοι ἀεὶ δὲ χαίροντες ὡς πτωχοὶ πολλοὺς δὲ πλουτίζοντες ὡς μηδὲν ἔχοντες καὶ πάντα κατέχ...

2 Corinthians 7:9–16 Unknown Speaker

νῦν χαίρω οὐχ ὅτι ἐλυπήθητε ἀλλ’ ὅτι ἐλυπήθητε εἰς μετάνοιαν ἐλυπήθητε γὰρ κατὰ θεόν ἵνα ἐν μηδενὶ ζημιωθῆτε ἐξ ἡμῶν ἡ γὰρ κατὰ θεὸν λύπη μετάνοιαν εἰς σωτηρίαν ἀμεταμέλητον ἐργάζεται ἡ δὲ τοῦ κόσμου ...

Philippians 1:1–8

Παῦλος καὶ Τιμόθεος δοῦλοι Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ πᾶσιν τοῖς ἁγίοις ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τοῖς οὖσιν ἐν Φιλίπποις σὺν ἐπισκόποις καὶ διακόνοις χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη ἀπὸ θεοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν καὶ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ Εὐχα...

Philippians 2:1–8

Εἴ τις οὖν παράκλησις ἐν Χριστῷ εἴ τι παραμύθιον ἀγάπης εἴ τις κοινωνία πνεύματος εἴ τις σπλάγχνα καὶ οἰκτιρμοί πληρώσατέ μου τὴν χαρὰν ἵνα τὸ αὐτὸ φρονῆτε τὴν αὐτὴν ἀγάπην ἔχοντες σύνψυχοι τὸ ἓν φρον...

Colossians 3:9–16 Unknown Speaker

μὴ ψεύδεσθε εἰς ἀλλήλους ἀπεκδυσάμενοι τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον σὺν ταῖς πράξεσιν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐνδυσάμενοι τὸν νέον τὸν ἀνακαινούμενον εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν κατ’ εἰκόνα τοῦ κτίσαντος αὐτόν ὅπου οὐκ ἔνι Ἕλλην καὶ Ἰου...

Philemon 1:1–8

Παῦλος δέσμιος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ καὶ Τιμόθεος ὁ ἀδελφὸς Φιλήμονι τῷ ἀγαπητῷ καὶ συνεργῷ ἡμῶν καὶ Ἀπφίᾳ τῇ ἀδελφῇ καὶ Ἀρχίππῳ τῷ συστρατιώτῃ ἡμῶν καὶ τῇ κατ’ οἶκόν σου ἐκκλησίᾳ χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη ἀπὸ θε...

Philemon 1:9–16 Jesus

διὰ τὴν ἀγάπην μᾶλλον παρακαλῶ τοιοῦτος ὢν ὡς Παῦλος πρεσβύτης νυνὶ δὲ καὶ δέσμιος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ παρακαλῶ σε περὶ τοῦ ἐμοῦ τέκνου ὃν ἐγέννησα ἐν τοῖς δεσμοῖς Ὀνήσιμον τόν ποτέ σοι ἄχρηστον νυνὶ δὲ καὶ...

Philemon 1:17–24 Jesus

εἰ οὖν με ἔχεις κοινωνόν προσλαβοῦ αὐτὸν ὡς ἐμέ εἰ δέ τι ἠδίκησέν σε ἢ ὀφείλει τοῦτο ἐμοὶ ἐλλόγα ἐγὼ Παῦλος ἔγραψα τῇ ἐμῇ χειρί ἐγὼ ἀποτίσω ἵνα μὴ λέγω σοι ὅτι καὶ σεαυτόν μοι προσοφείλεις ναί ἀδελφέ ...

Olympian Odes 6.37–48

ἀλλʼ ὁ μὲν Πυθώναδʼ, ἐν θυμῷ πιέσαις χόλον οὐ φατὸν ὀξείᾳ μελέτᾳ, ᾤχετʼ ἰὼν μαντευσόμενος ταύτας περʼ ἀτλάτου πάθας. ἁ δὲ φοινικόκροκον ζώναν καταθηκαμένα κάλπιδά τʼ ἀργυρέαν, λόχμας ὑπὸ κυανέας τίκτε...

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Explore splanchnon in the texts

34 passages across Homer, Hesiod, Pindar, and the New Testament contain splanchnon.

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