Word Study for G569 (ἀπιστέω)

apistéō /ap-is-teh'-o/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom ἄπιστος

Meaningto be unbelieving, i.e. (transitively) disbelieve, or (by implication) disobey

KJV usagebelieve not.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of apistéō — 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 apistéō, represented by G569, means to be unbelieving or to disbelieve. It appears 8 times across 7 unique verses in the Bible. The term specifically denotes an active refusal to believe or a failure to accept something as true, particularly in response to divine revelation or miraculous events.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, G569 is frequently used to describe the disciples' reaction to the news of Christ's resurrection. When they first heard that Jesus was alive, they believed not Mark 16:11. Their report was dismissed as "idle tales G3026," and the others believed them not Luke 24:11. Even when faced with the risen Christ, they "believed not G569 for G575 joy G5479, and G2532 wondered G2296" Luke 24:41. The term also describes the split response to apostolic preaching, where some believed the message while others believed not Acts 28:24. The ultimate consequence of this disbelief is stated in Mark 16:16, where he that "believeth not G569 shall be damned G2632."

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the concept of belief and unbelief:

G4100 pisteúō (to have faith): As the direct opposite of G569, this word is central to the Christian message. The contrast is starkly presented in Mark 16:16, where salvation is linked to one who believeth G4100, while condemnation is for one who believeth not G569.
G570 apistía (unbelief): This is the noun form, signifying the state of faithlessness. Paul uses it in Romans 3:3 to ask if the unbelief of some could negate God's faithfulness, linking the act of disbelieving G569 with the condition of unbelief.
G4103 pistós (faithful): This adjective describes God's trustworthy nature, which remains constant regardless of human doubt. Even if "we believe not G569," God "abideth G3306 faithful G4103" 2 Timothy 2:13.
G2632 katakrínō (to condemn): This word reveals the consequence of disbelief. It means to sentence or judge against, and it is the outcome for the one who believes not in Mark 16:16, who "shall be damned."

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G569 is significant, highlighting the critical nature of belief.

A Condition for Judgment: The act of not believing is directly tied to spiritual condemnation. Mark 16:16 establishes a clear dividing line where disbelief, not just sinful actions, results in being damned.
Human Frailty vs. Divine Power: The use of G569 to describe the disciples' reaction to the resurrection underscores the difficulty the human mind has in accepting the supernatural, even among those closest to Jesus (Luke 24:11, Mark 16:11).
God's Unchanging Faithfulness: The most profound theological point is that human unbelief cannot alter the nature or promises of God. Though some may not believe G569, their unbelief does not nullify God's faithfulness Romans 3:3. God's character is absolute, for as 2 Timothy 2:13 states, "he cannot G3756{G1410} deny G720 himself G1438."

Summary

In summary, G569 is more than just doubt; it is an active state of disbelief with eternal consequences. Its usage in Scripture frames the essential choice between faith and unbelief, particularly in response to the core truths of the gospel like the resurrection. While human belief is presented as a pivotal decision, apistéō ultimately serves to elevate the immutable faithfulness of God, whose integrity remains perfect even in the face of our disbelief.

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 6 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Aorist Active Indicative 3rd Plural 2×
Imperfect Active Indicative 3rd Plural 2×
Aorist Active Participle Nominative Singular Masculine 1×
Present Active Indicative 1st Plural 1×
Present Active Participle Dative Plural Masculine 1×
Present Active Participle Genitive Plural Masculine 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Genitive: Possession or source — often "of".
Dative: The indirect object — often "to" or "for".
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
1st: First person — the speaker ("I"/"we").
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Present: Action in progress or repeated — happening now or continually.
Imperfect: Ongoing or repeated action in the past — "was doing".
Aorist: Action viewed as a single whole — usually a simple past event.
Active: The subject performs the action.
Indicative: A plain statement of fact.
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.

Related Words

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

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 7 verses across 5 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Mark and Luke (2 verses each); never once in the other 22.

Mark

Luke

Acts

Romans

2 Timothy

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.