Word Study for G525 (ἀπαλλάσσω)

apallássō /ap-al-las'-so/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom ἀπό and ἀλλάσσω

Meaningto change away, i.e. release, (reflexively) remove

KJV usagedeliver, depart.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of apallássō — 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 apallássō, represented by G525, signifies a release or removal. It appears 3 times in 3 unique verses in the Bible. Its base definition is "to change away, i.e. release, (reflexively) remove," and it is used in scripture to mean deliver or depart.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical usage, G525 applies to different kinds of liberation. In a judicial context, it is used to advise being delivered from a legal adversary to avoid being brought before a judge Luke 12:58. It is also used to describe physical healing, where diseases departed from the sick and evil spirits went out of them Acts 19:12. Theologically, it describes the act to deliver those who, through fear of death, were all their lifetime subject to bondage Hebrews 2:15.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the contexts in which G525 is used:

G1777 énochos (liable to): This term, meaning subject to, is used in Hebrews 2:15 to define the state of vulnerability from which one is delivered.
G1397 douleía (slavery): This word for bondage describes the condition caused by the fear of death in Hebrews 2:15.
G2694 katasýrō (to drag down): In Luke 12:58, this word for hale describes the action one avoids by being delivered G525 from an adversary.
G3860 paradídōmi (to surrender): This term for deliver up is used in contrast within the same verse, where the judge might deliver a person to an officer Luke 12:58.

Theological Significance

The significance of G525 is seen in the distinct types of freedom it represents.

Judicial Release: The word is used in a civil sense to describe being freed from a legal entanglement before it results in a formal, negative judgment Luke 12:58.
Physical Restoration: Its use in Acts 19:12 demonstrates a release from physical affliction, as diseases and evil spirits are made to depart from people.
Spiritual Deliverance: The term's most profound application is in Hebrews 2:15, where it points to a spiritual liberation from the lifelong bondage G1397 that comes from the fear of death.

Summary

In summary, G525 is a dynamic word for release that operates on multiple levels. It is more than a simple departure; it conveys a definitive removal from a negative condition. Whether from a legal opponent, a physical illness, or spiritual bondage, apallássō illustrates the concept of being set free from that which constrains or afflicts.

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 3 occurrences, inflected in 3 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Aorist Active Subjunctive 3rd Singular 1×
Perfect Passive Infinitive 1×
Present Passive Infinitive 1×

Singular: One.
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.
Subjunctive: Possibility or purpose — "might", "should".
Infinitive: The verb as a noun — "to do".

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

Appears in 3 verses across 3 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Luke, Acts, and Hebrews (1 verse each); never once in the other 24.

Luke

Acts

Hebrews

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.