Word Study for G588 (ἀποδέχομαι)

apodéchomai /ap-od-ekh'-om-ahee/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom ἀπό and δέχομαι

Meaningto take fully, i.e. welcome (persons), approve (things)

KJV usageaccept, receive (gladly).

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of apodéchomai — 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 apodéchomai, represented by G588, means to take fully, which includes welcoming people and approving of things. It is derived from ἀπό and δέχομαι and can be translated as accept or receive gladly. This specific term appears 6 times in 6 unique verses of the Bible, highlighting its role in contexts of welcome and acceptance.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, G588 is used to describe a heartfelt and positive reception. Following Peter's sermon, those who gladly received his word were baptized, resulting in about three thousand souls being added to their number Acts 2:41. Similarly, when Jesus returned, the people gladly received him, for they were all waiting for him Luke 8:40. The word also describes the official acceptance of individuals by the church, as when the apostles and elders in Jerusalem received Paul and his companions Acts 15:4. Paul himself, during his time in a hired house, received all who came to him Acts 28:30.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the context and meaning of G588:

G780 asménōs (with pleasure:--gladly): This adverb is used to emphasize the joyful nature of the reception, as seen when the people gladly received the word Acts 2:41.
G4328 prosdokáō (to anticipate...to await): This word shows the state of mind of those who welcome. The crowd received Jesus because they were all waiting for him, indicating eager anticipation Luke 8:40.
G1531 eisporeúomai (to enter): This word describes the action of those being welcomed. Paul received all who came in unto him, showing his open reception of visitors Acts 28:30.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G588 is demonstrated in its application to core aspects of the early church's life and mission.

Reception of the Gospel: The act of receiving the word is directly linked to conversion and joining the church. Those who received the message in Acts were baptized and added to the community of believers Acts 2:41.
Fellowship and Hospitality: The term underscores the importance of welcoming God's messengers. The church in Jerusalem received Paul, and the brethren in Achaia were encouraged to receive Apollos, which in turn helped those who had believed (Acts 15:4, Acts 18:27).
Acceptance with Thankfulness: The word can also signify formal approval or acknowledgment. In his address to Felix, Tertullus states, "We accept it always... with all thankfulness" Acts 24:3, connecting the act of acceptance with gratitude.

Summary

In summary, G588 is a significant term that conveys more than a passive reception. It signifies a full, willing, and often glad welcome. Whether applied to the acceptance of the gospel message, the welcoming of Christian brethren, or the acknowledgment of a person, apodéchomai describes a positive and wholehearted embrace that was essential to the fellowship, growth, and mission of the early believers.

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

Aorist Middle Deponent Indicative 3rd Plural 1×
Aorist Middle Deponent Indicative 3rd Singular 1×
Aorist Middle Deponent Infinitive 1×
Aorist Middle Deponent Participle Nominative Plural Masculine 1×
Aorist Middle Deponent Participle Nominative Singular Masculine 1×
Aorist Passive Indicative 3rd Plural 1×
Imperfect Middle Or Passive Deponent Indicative 3rd Singular 1×
Present Middle Or Passive Deponent Indicative 1st Plural 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
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.
Middle: The subject acts on or for itself.
Passive: The subject is acted upon.
Middle Deponent: Middle in form but active in meaning.
Passive Deponent: Passive in form but active in meaning.
Middle Or Passive: Can be read as middle or passive; context decides.
Indicative: A plain statement of fact.
Infinitive: The verb as a noun — "to do".
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

Appears in 6 verses across 2 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Acts (5 verses); never once in the other 25.

Luke

Acts

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.