Greek word · G683

ἀπωθέω

apōtheō

to reject

Literally “to push or shove away.” In the middle voice used here it means to push something away from yourself: to repudiate, reject, disown, drive off.

Appears 6 times in 6 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

ἀπ-ωθέω, -ῶ

[in LXX for זָנַח, מָאַס, etc. ;]

to thrust away. Mid., to thrust away from oneself, refuse, reject: with accusative of person(s) (MM, see word), Acts 7:27, 39 13:46, Romans 11:1-2, 1 Timothy 1:19.†

(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 Romans 11:1

Range of meaning

Literally “to push or shove away.” In the middle voice used here it means to push something away from yourself: to repudiate, reject, disown, drive off. It is used of a man shoving aside someone who tries to make peace (Acts 7:27), of Israel pushing Moses away (Acts 7:39), of people thrusting aside God’s word (Acts 13:46), and of people discarding a good conscience (1 Timothy 1:19).

Against the English

“Reject” (BSB, NIV, ESV, WEB) is accurate but a bit abstract. “Cast away” (KJV, YLT) keeps the physical picture of pushing something away from yourself.

Used elsewhere in the period

In the Greek Old Testament (the Septuagint, or LXX) this is the verb of God’s possible repudiation of his people. 1 Samuel 12:22 LXX: “The Lord will not thrust away (ouk apōsetai) his people, for his great name’s sake.” Psalm 94:14 (93:14 LXX): “The Lord will not thrust away his people, and his inheritance he will not forsake.” See also Psalm 77:7 and 89:38, and Jeremiah 31:37 (38:37 LXX), where God says he would cast off Israel’s seed only if the heavens could be measured. Lamentations 3:31 adds: “The Lord will not cast off forever.”

From the study of Romans 11:2

Range of meaning

Literally "push away, thrust off". Figuratively "repudiate, reject, disown". In the middle voice (as here) it often means pushing something away from oneself.

Against the English

"Reject" (BSB, WEB) is accurate but abstract. KJV/YLT "cast away" keeps the physical picture of throwing something off.

Used elsewhere in the period

The Greek Old Testament uses this verb for God casting off or not casting off his people: Ps 93:14 LXX (= Ps 94:14) "the Lord will not cast off (ouk apōsetai) his people"; 1 Sam 12:22 "the Lord will not cast off his people for his great name's sake"; compare Jer 38:37 LXX (= Jer 31:37). It is also used for Israel thrusting away God's word (Acts 7:39; 13:46).

From the study of 1 Timothy 1:19

Range of meaning

To push or thrust away. In the middle voice, to repudiate, reject or drive off from oneself. It is a physical, forceful word used figuratively for decided rejection.

Against the English

KJV "put away" and BSB/NIV/NASB "rejected" are accurate but mild. WEB/YLT "thrust away" keeps more of the force. A modern reader might hear "rejected" as simply declining something. The Greek describes shoving it off.

Used elsewhere in the period

Septuagint, Hos 4:6: "Because you have rejected (apōsō) knowledge, I will reject (apōsomai) you." Ps 94(93):14: "the Lord will not thrust away his people." In the New Testament: Acts 7:27, 39 (Israel pushing Moses aside); Acts 13:46 ("you thrust it [God's word] from you"); Rom 11:1–2.

Similar words

Where it appears

Acts · 3

  1. Acts 7:27 ἀπώσατο pushed away

    But the man who was abusing his neighbor pushed Moses aside and said, ‘Who made you ruler and judge over us?

  2. Acts 7:39 ἀπώσαντο they thrust away

    But our fathers refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.

    Here: "They shoved [him] away". The verb is physical, meaning to push someone off from yourself, and is used figuratively for repudiating them. It is the same verb used in v.27 for the Israelite who shoved Moses aside in Egypt. Stephen is showing a repeated pattern.

  3. Acts 13:46 ἀπωθεῖσθε you thrust away

    Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “It was necessary to speak the word of God to you first. But since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.

    Here: Present middle: "you are shoving it away from yourselves." A physical picture of pushing something off, and an ongoing action. The same verb is used of Israel pushing Moses away in Stephen's speech (7:27, 39).

Romans · 2

  1. Romans 11:1 ἀπώσατο did reject

    I ask then, did God reject His people? Certainly not! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.

    Here: “Thrust away from himself.” The past tense asks whether God has, in one decisive act, shoved Israel away. The wording borrows the Greek of Psalm 94:14 and 1 Samuel 12:22 (“The LORD will not thrust away his people”).

  2. Romans 11:2 ἀπώσατο did reject

    God did not reject His people, whom He foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says about Elijah, how he appealed to God against Israel:

    Here: "Thrust away, repudiate." A physical picture of shoving someone off. Paul takes the word from the Greek Old Testament promise that the Lord will not cast off his people (Ps 94:14; 1 Sam 12:22).

1 Timothy · 1

  1. 1 Timothy 1:19 ἀπωσάμενοι having cast away

    holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and thereby shipwrecked their faith.

    Here: Middle voice (the subject acting for or on itself), aorist: they "shoved it away from themselves". The word describes a decided, forceful rejection, not a slow drifting off.

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