Word Study for G4495 (ῥιπτέω)

rhiptéō /hrip-teh'-o/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom a derivative of ῥίπτω

Meaningto toss up

KJV usagecast off.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of rhiptéō — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Greek word rhiptéō, represented by G4495, means to toss up or cast off. This term is exceptionally rare in the Bible, appearing only 1 time across 1 unique verse in scripture. Its specific meaning is derived from its singular, dramatic context.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

The sole use of G4495 is found in Acts, where it captures a moment of extreme public agitation. As the crowd became enraged, they "cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air" Acts 22:23. In this narrative, the action of casting off garments is a physical expression of the crowd's uncontrollable fury and rejection of the message being delivered.

Related Words & Concepts

Two other words used in the same verse help illustrate the chaotic scene:

G2905 kraugázō (to clamor:--cry out): This word describes the vocal part of the crowd's outburst, happening at the same time they cast off their clothes. It is often used to describe the shouting of a mob, as when the crowd demanded "Crucify him" John 19:15.
G906 bállō (to throw): Used to describe the crowd throwing dust into the air Acts 22:23, this word signifies a more general and often violent act of casting. It is used in contexts like casting out the "great dragon" Revelation 12:9 and perfect love casting out fear 1 John 4:18.

Theological Significance

The significance of G4495 is rooted entirely in its narrative function within its single appearance.

A Sign of Rage: The act of casting off clothes is a physical manifestation of violent emotion. It is presented as part of a trio of furious actions—crying out, casting off clothes, and throwing dust—that together paint a vivid picture of a mob's frenzy Acts 22:23.
An Act of Rejection: In this context, to cast off is not merely to remove an item but to forcefully and symbolically reject a person and their message. The action visually communicates the crowd's complete and utter dismissal of what they have just heard.

Summary

In summary, G4495 is a highly specific verb that, while appearing only once, offers a powerful and descriptive detail. Its singular use in the book of Acts to mean cast off provides a unique glimpse into the physical expression of intense anger and rejection. Paired with the surrounding actions of crying out and throwing dust, it helps to create one of the most vivid scenes of crowd fury in the New Testament.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Greek New Testament, this word appears as a verb across 8 occurrences, inflected in 7 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Aorist Active Indicative 3rd Plural 2×
Aorist Active Participle Nominative Plural Masculine 1×
Aorist Active Participle Nominative Singular Masculine 1×
Aorist Active Participle Nominative Singular Neuter 1×
Perfect Passive Indicative 3rd Singular 1×
Perfect Passive Participle Nominative Plural Masculine 1×
Present Active Participle Genitive Plural Masculine 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Genitive: Possession or source — often "of".
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
Neuter: Neuter grammatical gender.
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Present: Action in progress or repeated — happening now or continually.
Aorist: Action viewed as a single whole — usually a simple past event.
Perfect: A completed act whose results continue.
Active: The subject performs the action.
Passive: The subject is acted upon.
Indicative: A plain statement of fact.
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

1 verse, all in Acts — and none of the other 26 New Testament books.

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.