Greek word · G577

ἀποβάλλω

apoballō

to throw away

To throw off or away (Mark 10:50, Bartimaeus throws off his cloak); to shed (leaves, teeth); to get rid of something as useless; and, in a weaker sense, to lose (property, a ship, a right). In papyri and literary Greek both the active 'discard' and the passive 'lose' senses are common.

Appears 2 times in 2 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

ἀπο-βάλλω

[in LXX: Isaiah 1:30 (נָבֵל) and elsew. without Heb. equiv. ;]

to throw off: Mark 10:50; metaphorically, to lose, let go (Field, Notes, 231 f.; MM, see word): Hebrews 10:35.†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Hebrews 10:35

Range of meaning

To throw off or away (Mark 10:50, Bartimaeus throws off his cloak); to shed (leaves, teeth); to get rid of something as useless; and, in a weaker sense, to lose (property, a ship, a right). In papyri and literary Greek both the active 'discard' and the passive 'lose' senses are common.

Against the English

'Throw away' / 'cast away' (KJV, BSB, NIV, ESV, WEB) capture the active sense. The Vulgate's amittere ('let go, lose') leans to the weaker sense.

Used elsewhere in the period

Mark 10:50; in the Septuagint e.g. Deuteronomy 28:40 (olives dropping off), Isaiah 1:30. Greek writers use apoballein ta hopla, 'throw away one's weapons', for a soldier who flees, a disgraceful act. Some commentators hear that picture here, though the verse does not make it explicit.

Where it appears

Mark · 1

  1. Mark 10:50 ἀποβαλὼν having cast away

    Throwing off his cloak, Bartimaeus jumped up and came to Jesus.

Hebrews · 1

  1. Hebrews 10:35 ἀποβάλητε may throw away

    So do not throw away your confidence; it holds a great reward.

    Here: Literally "throw off from yourselves", as one throws off a cloak or drops something as worthless. The verb form forbids the act from ever happening, not a habit already under way: "don't ever toss this aside".

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.