συκοφαντέω

sukofantevw sukofantevw,
sukofavntw; 1 aorist
ejsukofavnthsa; (from
sukofavnth", and this from
su'kon `fig', and
faivnw `to show'. At Athens those were called
sukofantai 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
sukofavnth" 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
sukofavntw 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: (here R. V. margin accuse wrongfully); with a genitive of the person and accusative of the thing, (
triavkonta
mna'"
parav
tivno" Lysias, p. 177, 32. The Septuagint for qv'[;, to oppress, defraud, ; ; ();
pevnhta, ; ;
ptwcouv", ).*