Word Study for G672 (ἀποχωρέω)

apochōréō /ap-okh-o-reh'-o/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom ἀπό and χωρέω

Meaningto go away

KJV usagedepart.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of apochōréō — 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 apochōréō, represented by G672, means to go away or depart. It is formed from the words G575 apó, meaning "away from," and chōréō. It appears only 3 times in the Bible, but each instance describes a significant act of separation.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, G672 is used in three distinct contexts. In a declaration of final judgment, Jesus commands those who work iniquity to depart from him Matthew 7:23. The word also describes a personal decision within the early church, where John Mark is recorded as departing from Paul and his company to return to Jerusalem Acts 13:13. Finally, it is used to illustrate a spiritual struggle, where an unclean spirit "hardly departeth" from a man it has tormented Luke 9:39.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words provide context for the act of departing:

G575 apó (a primary particle; "off," i.e. away): As a prefix, this word gives G672 its sense of separation and is used alongside it in every occurrence, such as to "depart from me" Matthew 7:23.
G5290 hypostréphō (to turn under (behind), i.e. to return): This action immediately follows John's departure, showing he departed from the group and then returned to Jerusalem Acts 13:13.
G321 anágō: In the narrative of John's departure, this word is used just before to describe how Paul's company loosed from Paphos, setting the scene for the subsequent separation Acts 13:13.
G2038 ergázomai (to toil... be engaged in or with): This word defines the character of those commanded to depart from Christ, as they are described as those that work iniquity Matthew 7:23.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G672 is demonstrated in its specific applications:

Final Separation: Its use in Matthew 7:23 establishes its role in eschatological judgment. The command to depart is a divine and final act of separation between Christ and those who practice lawlessness.
Spiritual Deliverance: In Luke's Gospel, the word highlights the difficulty of spiritual warfare. The spirit's reluctance to depart emphasizes the power required for deliverance and the violent nature of the conflict Luke 9:39.
Human Agency in Ministry: The account in Acts 13:13 shows departure as an act of human will. John's choice to depart from the mission field illustrates that separation is not always a divine or demonic action, but can be a personal decision.

Summary

In summary, G672 is a specific and potent term for separation. Though used rarely, it powerfully conveys the concept of departure in critical moments of judgment, spiritual conflict, and personal choice. Each use marks a definitive "going away" that alters relationships, whether between God and man, a spirit and a person, or among fellow believers in their mission.

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 Participle Nominative Singular Masculine 1×
Present Active Imperative 2nd Plural 1×
Present Active Indicative 3rd Singular 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
2nd: Second person — the one addressed ("you").
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.
Active: The subject performs the action.
Indicative: A plain statement of fact.
Imperative: A command or entreaty.
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 3 verses across 3 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Matthew, Luke, and Acts (1 verse each); never once in the other 24.

Matthew

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.