Word Study for G853 (ἀφανίζω)

aphanízō /af-an-id'-zo/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom ἀφανής

Meaningto render unapparent, i.e. (actively) consume (becloud), or (passively) disappear (be destroyed)

KJV usagecorrupt, disfigure, perish, vanish away.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of aphanízō — 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 aphanízō, represented by G853, means to render something unapparent. It appears 5 times in 5 unique verses. The word carries a range of meanings related to destruction or disappearance, including to corrupt, disfigure, perish, or vanish away.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the Bible, G853 is used to illustrate different forms of disappearance or ruin. It describes the physical decay of earthly treasures, which moth and rust corrupt Matthew 6:19-20. It is also used to describe the intentional act of hypocrites who disfigure their faces to appear holy to others Matthew 6:16. The word emphasizes impermanence, as in the description of human life as a vapor that vanisheth away James 4:14. Finally, it serves as a stern warning, where those who are despisers are told they will perish Acts 13:41.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words provide context for the various meanings of G853:

G1035 brōsis (eating, food, meat): In the context of corruptible items, this word is translated as "rust," referring to a consuming decay that works alongside moth to corrupt earthly treasures Matthew 6:19.
G822 atmís (mist): This word for vapour is used to create a direct parallel for G853. Human life is described as a vapour that appears briefly and then "vanisheth away" James 4:14.
G2343 thēsaurízō (to amass or reserve): This word, meaning to lay up treasure, establishes the context in which G853 functions. The warning is against laying up treasures on earth where they can be corrupted or destroyed Matthew 6:19.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G853 is significant, highlighting key spiritual truths.

The Impermanence of Earthly Treasure: The word is used to contrast fleeting earthly possessions with eternal heavenly treasures. It emphasizes that material things are subject to being corrupted and made to disappear by natural decay Matthew 6:19-20.
The Warning Against Hypocrisy: By using G853 to describe how hypocrites disfigure their faces, the text highlights a spiritual corruption. They make their true appearance vanish in order to gain a reward from men, obscuring their inner state Matthew 6:16.
The Brevity of Human Life: The use of G853 to describe life as a vapor that vanisheth away serves as a powerful reminder of human frailty and the temporary nature of our existence on earth James 4:14.

Summary

In summary, G853 is a versatile word that signifies making something unapparent, whether through active destruction or passive disappearance. Its applications range from the physical decay of treasure to the intentional deception of a disfigured face, and from the swift passing of human life to the prophesied end for despisers. Ultimately, aphanízō serves as a recurring scriptural warning about the instability of the seen world, urging a focus on that which cannot be corrupted, disfigured, or made to vanish away.

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

Present Active Indicative 3rd Singular 2×
Aorist Passive Imperative 2nd Plural 1×
Present Active Indicative 3rd Plural 1×
Present Passive Participle Nominative Singular Feminine 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Feminine: Feminine 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.
Passive: The subject is acted upon.
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 5 verses across 3 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Matthew (3 verses); never once in the other 24.

Matthew

Acts

James

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.