Word Study for G683 (ἀπωθέομαι)

apōthéomai /ap-o'-thom-ahee/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom ἀπό and the middle voice of or (to shove)

Meaningto push off, figuratively, to reject

KJV usagecast away, put away (from), thrust away (from).

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of apōthéomai — 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 apōthéomai, represented by G683, is a strong term meaning to push off or, figuratively, to reject. It is used in scripture with force, conveying actions like "cast away," "put away," or "thrust away." This word appears 10 times across 6 unique verses, highlighting pivotal moments of rejection.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, G683 is used to describe decisive acts of rejection against God's authority and message. In Stephen's address, he recounts how an Israelite thrust Moses away, questioning his authority as a ruler G758 and judge G1348 Acts 7:27. This pattern of rejection continued when their fathers refused to obey Moses and thrust him from them Acts 7:39. Similarly, Paul and Barnabas declare that because the Jews put the word of God from them, they were turning to the Gentiles Acts 13:46. The term is also used theologically when Paul asks if God has cast away His people, asserting that God has not rejected those whom He foreknew G4267 Romans 11:1-2.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the context and consequences of this rejection:

G4762 stréphō (to turn quite around or reverse): This word often appears alongside G683 to show the alternative action taken after rejection. When the fathers thrust Moses from them, they turned back again in their hearts to Egypt Acts 7:39.
G3489 nauagéō (to be shipwrecked): This illustrates the dire consequence of rejecting faith. In 1 Timothy, those who have put away a good conscience have made shipwreck concerning the faith 1 Timothy 1:19.
G758 árchōn (a first (in rank or power)): This word defines what is being rejected. The Israelites thrust Moses away after he was appointed to be a ruler over them Acts 7:27.
G5255 hypḗkoos (attentively listening, i.e. (by implication) submissive): This highlights the disobedience inherent in the act of rejection. The fathers would not obey, but instead thrust Moses from them Acts 7:39.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G683 is significant, centering on the human response to divine initiative.

Rejection of God's Messengers: The word is used to describe Israel's repeated rejection of God's appointed leader, Moses, setting a precedent for spurning divine authority (Acts 7:27, Acts 7:39).
Rejection of the Gospel: The act of putting from oneself the word of God is shown to have direct consequences, leading to the gospel being offered to the Gentiles Acts 13:46.
Contrasting Divine Faithfulness: The term is powerfully used to contrast human faithlessness with God's fidelity. While people may cast away faith, Paul uses the same word to affirm that God has not cast away His people Romans 11:1-2.
Personal Apostasy: To put away faith and a good conscience is portrayed as a deliberate, personal choice that results in spiritual ruin, or shipwreck 1 Timothy 1:19.

Summary

In summary, G683 is more than a simple refusal; it signifies a forceful and final act of pushing away or casting off. From the historical rejection of Moses to the personal act of forsaking faith, the word underscores the gravity of spurning God's revelation and authority. Its use also provides a stark contrast to God's own character, as He does not cast away the people He has chosen.

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 6 occurrences, inflected in 4 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Aorist Middle Deponent Indicative 3rd Singular 3×
Aorist Middle Deponent Indicative 3rd Plural 1×
Aorist Middle Deponent Participle Nominative Plural Masculine 1×
Present Middle Or Passive Deponent Indicative 2nd Plural 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.
Middle: The subject acts on or for itself.
Middle Deponent: Middle in form but active in meaning.
Middle Or Passive: Can be read as middle or passive; context decides.
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 6 verses across 3 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Acts (3 verses); never once in the other 24.

Acts

Romans

1 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.