Abarim Publications' online Biblical Greek Dictionary
νικη
The noun νικη (nike) means victory (hence the sport brand Nike). It's not clear where this word comes from but one candidate is a Proto-Indo-European root "neyk-", to attack or beat violently (hence also λικμαω, likmao, to winnow, see below). Another candidate, at least that's the guess of us here at Abarim Publications, is the Hebrew verb נכה (naka), to smite (and see our article on the many Hebrew roots of Greek).
In Greek mythology, Νικη (Nike) was a minor goddess, and considered a consort of Zeus and Athena. In the Latin world she became Victoria.
Our noun νικη (nike) occurs only once in the New Testament, but rather spectacularly in the First Letter of John's: "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith" (1 John 5:4; and see our article on the word πιστις, pistis, meaning faith, for more on this).
Our noun's alternative, νικος (nikos), see below, occurs four more times, and even more ubiquitous are our noun's derivatives:
- The verb νικαω (nikao) means to be victorious, to prevail or overcome. It is used 28 times, see full concordance, and from it in turn yields:
- Together with the preposition υπερ (huper), meaning over or beyond: the verb υπερνικαω (hupernikao), meaning to be more than victorious. This verb was probably designed to indicate the consequences of a complete military victory: utter destruction or perhaps annexation and conversion of the conquered party. In the Bible this verb occurs only in Romans 8:37.
- The noun νικος (nikos), which is the same word as νικη (nike), meaning victory, but of a more modern spelling. It's employed 4 times; see full concordance.
λικμαω
The verb λικμαω (likmao) appears to have originally described part of the winnowing process: to violently beat harvested grain stalks so as to separate the kernels from the chaff. But this verb also became used figuratively in the sense of to beat the crap out of, to beat to pulver (Matthew 21:44 and Luke 20:18 only). In the classics, this verb also occurs in the forms νικμαω (nikmao) and νικναω (niknao), which implies that it is simply an emphatic duplication of the word νικη (nike), or its source word (which we here at Abarim Publications propose to be נכה, naka, to smite).
In Latin there is the noun lictor, which described an officer who bore the fasces (a bundle of rods and mark of communal authority: see the US grant seal, or the front of the throne of the Lincoln Memorial), and whose job it was to punish criminals: hence our English verb "lick" in the sense of beat or defeat someone. The etymology of this word is unclear as well, but here at Abarim Publications we suspect relations with the noun לקח (leqah), a lesson taught.