ἀφαιρέω
to take away
‘to take away’ is one of 2 main senses fuller range ↓
Full lexicon entry — Thayer's Greek Lexicon
From Thayer's Greek Lexicon
Where this word appears
See every Aorist-tense verb in the Greek New Testament →
Grammar key — what these labels mean
Part of speech
- Verb
- An action or state-of-being word.
Tense
- Aorist
- Action viewed as a simple whole, without regard to duration — often past (perfective aspect).
- Future
- Action expected in future time.
- Present
- Ongoing or general action in present time (imperfective aspect).
Voice
- Active
- The subject performs the action.
- Middle
- The subject acts on or for itself, or with special interest in the action.
- Passive
- The subject receives the action.
Mood
- Indicative
- States a fact or asks a factual question (the mood of reality).
- Infinitive
- A verbal noun (“to write”), unmarked for person or number.
- Subjunctive
- Expresses probability, purpose, or possibility (the mood of contingency).
Person
- 3rd person
- The one spoken about (“he / she / it / they”).
- 1st person
- The speaker (“I / we”).
Number
- Singular
- One.
1 verse where G851 appears in the Future tense in the Book of Revelation. Filtered view — show all forms. Click any verse to open its interlinear word-by-word view. Verse text shown in the World English Bible for context — . Each verse’s Greek form is shown with its reference; the English is not keyword-highlighted, since the data carries no word-level English alignment. Use “Compare translations” on any verse to read it across multiple English versions. This concordance covers the Greek New Testament; Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) occurrences of this word are not indexed here.
Revelation
About this entry
At a glance — auto-summarized from this page’s data, not written by a person. Every figure links to its source below. This summary describes the numbers; it doesn’t interpret them.
αφαιρεω (aphairéō) is a Greek verb most often rendered “to take away.” Scripture first uses it in Matthew 26:51. It turns up in 9 verses across 6 books, an uncommon footprint. It concentrates in Luke, which alone accounts for 44% of its uses. Ranging over 2 senses, it is not a single-sense word. For the data behind this summary, explore the sense tree and the renderings breakdown below.
Gloss history
Strong's 1890 vs modern scholarship
About this word
Strong's G851 catalogs a Greek word from the Greek New Testament.
These counts are not copied from any lexicon or concordance. They are computed here, from the morphology-tagged Greek New Testament. What Lemma adds →
- 9
- distinct verses
- The word appears in 9 distinct verses.
- 6 / 27
- NT books
- The word appears in 6 of 27 New Testament books.
- #1,056
- by frequency
- Top 2500 most frequent Greek words (rank 1,056 of 5,347 Greek words by occurrence).
View all 9 occurrences in the concordance →
By section of the New Testament
By traditional corpus
Conventional, traditional groupings — biblical authorship is debated, so this is a traditional corpus grouping, not an authorship claim. Some books belong to more than one corpus (Luke is in both the Gospels and the Lukan corpus, and so on), so these shares overlap and need not total 100%. Each figure is a share of the word’s 9 distinct verses.
- Gospels 6 verses · 67%
- Lukan (Luke–Acts) 4 verses · 44%
- Johannine 1 verse · 11%
- Pauline corpus 1 verse · 11%
- Hebrews 1 verse · 11%
- Revelation 1 verse · 11%
How translations render this word
Counts come from each version’s own published word-to-Strong’s tagging or interlinear alignment — an approximate guide to how each version renders this word, not a word-level alignment the data otherwise carries. Because each total is that version’s own tagged count, the per-version totals vary from one another and need not match the appearance or distinct-verse counts above. These counts may also differ from a printed concordance because Lemma counts each distinctly tagged rendering and does not collapse phrase taggings into a single head-word total. This is a fixed set of word-tagged versions (KJV, ASV, BSB, ULT) and does not change with the reading translation you choose elsewhere. Each version’s license is shown beside its name below (and on Sources).
- King James Version: Cut off 2×, Shall take away 2×
- American Standard Version: Struck off 3×, Shall take away 2×
- Berean Standard Bible: Cutting off 3×
- unfoldingWord Literal Text: Cut off 3×, Take away 2×
King James Version Public Domain
Renders G851 across 11 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 7 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
American Standard Version Public Domain
Renders G851 across 12 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 7 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
Berean Standard Bible Public Domain
Renders G851 across 10 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 7 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
unfoldingWord Literal Text CC BY-SA 4.0
Renders G851 across 11 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 6 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
Senses in Thayer's
The 2 senses Thayer's distinguishes for this word, in lexicon order (not ranked by frequency or importance). The full entry — with sub-senses — is in the Lexicon Entry tab.
- to take from, take away, remove, carry off
- to cut off
Word origin
Derived from απο (apó) (G575) — from.
Forms in the corpus
The 8 distinct written forms G851 takes in the Greek New Testament, most frequent first — each parse links to that tense’s occurrences in the concordance.
| Form | Parsing | Example | Uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| ἀφεῖλεν apheîlen | Verb, Aorist, Active, Indicative, 3rd person, Singular | Matthew 26:51 | 3 |
| ἀφέλωμαι aphélōmai | Verb, Aorist, Middle, Subjunctive, 1st person, Singular | Romans 11:27 | 1 |
| ἀφέλῃ aphélē | Verb, Aorist, Active, Subjunctive, 3rd person, Singular | Revelation 22:19 | 1 |
| ἀφαιρεθήσεται aphairethḗsetai | Verb, Future, Passive, Indicative, 3rd person, Singular | Luke 10:42 | 1 |
| ἀφαιρεῖν aphaireîn | Verb, Present, Active, Infinitive | Hebrews 10:4 | 1 |
| ἀφαιρεῖται aphaireîtai | Verb, Present, Middle, Indicative, 3rd person, Singular | Luke 16:3 | 1 |
| ἀφελεῖ apheleî | Verb, Future, Active, Indicative, 3rd person, Singular | Revelation 22:19 | 1 |
| ἀφελεῖν apheleîn | Verb, Aorist, Active, Infinitive | Luke 1:25 | 1 |
Same root — word family
Other Thayer's entries built from the same root as G851, grouped by Strong’s listed origin. These share a root / origin per the lexicon — not necessarily a shared meaning. Each links to that word’s own entry.
Derives from
Shares the same root
- απαγγελλω apangéllō G518 to report
- απαγχομαι apánchomai G519 to strangle
- απαγω apágō G520 to lead away
- απαιρω apaírō G522 to take away
- απαιτεω apaitéō G523 to demand back
- απαλγεω apalgéō G524 to cease grieving
- απαλλασσω apallássō G525 to depart
- απαλλοτριοω apallotrióō G526 to estrange
- απανταω apantáō G528 to meet
- απαρνεομαι aparnéomai G533 to deny
- απαρτι apárti G534 henceforth
- απαρχη aparchḗ G536 to offer firstfruits
- απαυγασμα apaúgasma G541 brightness
- απειδω apeídō G542 to look away
- απειμι ápeimi G548 to depart
- απειμι ápeimi G549 to depart
- απειπομην apeipómēn G550 to declare
- απεκδεχομαι apekdéchomai G553 waiting for
- απεκδυομαι apekdýomai G554 to despoil
- απελαυνω apelaúnō G556 to drive away
- απελεγμος apelegmós G557 censure
- απελευθερος apeleútheros G558 freedman
- απελπιζω apelpízō G560 not despairing
- απεναντι apénanti G561 opposite
+85 more words share this root (not shown).
Compare all same-root words → Showing 4 of 111 — not the complete family. They share a root, not necessarily a meaning.
Septuagint usage
The same Greek word αφαιρεω appears 138 times in the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint), across 131 verses in 23 books.
- 138
- LXX occurrences
- Tagged occurrences of this Greek word in the Septuagint.
- 131
- verses
- Distinct Septuagint verses containing this word.
- 23 / 39
- OT books
- The word appears in 23 of the 39 Old Testament books.
Sample Septuagint occurrences
- Genesis 21:25 ἀποαἱρέω
- Exodus 5:8 ἀποαἱρέω
- Leviticus 1:16 ἀποαἱρέω
- Numbers 11:17 ἀποαἱρέω
- Deuteronomy 4:2 ἀποαἱρέω
- Joshua 5:9 ἀποαἱρέω
- 1 Samuel 5:4 ἀποαἱρέω
- 2 Samuel 4:7 ἀποαἱρέω
- 1 Kings 15:12 ἀποαἱρέω
- 2 Kings 6:32 ἀποαἱρέω
- 1 Chronicles 11:23 ἀποαἱρέω
- Esther 4:4 ἀποαἱρέω
Septuagint occurrences (same lexeme)
Every verse where the same Strong’s number (G851) appears in the Greek Septuagint — showing the first 50 of 131. Verse text shown in the World English Bible for context; the Greek form is the matched word — the English is not keyword-highlighted.
- Genesis 21:25 ἀποαἱρέω Abraham complained to Abimelech because of a water well, which Abimelech's servants had violently taken away.
- Genesis 30:23 ἀποαἱρέω She conceived, bore a son, and said, "God has taken away my reproach."
- Genesis 31:9 ἀποαἱρέω Thus God has taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me.
- Genesis 31:16 ἀποαἱρέω For all the riches which God has taken away from our father, that is ours and our children's. Now then, whatever God has said to you, do."
- Genesis 31:31 ἀποαἱρέω Jacob answered Laban, "Because I was afraid, for I said, 'Lest you should take your daughters from me by force.'
- Genesis 40:19 ἀποαἱρέω Within three more days, Pharaoh will lift up your head from off you, and will hang you on a tree; and the birds will eat your flesh from off you."
- Genesis 48:17 ἀποαἱρέω When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him. He held up his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head.
- Exodus 5:8 ἀποαἱρέω The number of the bricks, which they made before, you require from them. You shall not diminish anything of it, for they are idle; therefore they cry, saying, 'Let us go and sacrifice to our God.'
- Exodus 5:11 ἀποαἱρέω Go yourselves, get straw where you can find it, for nothing of your work shall be diminished."
- Exodus 13:12 ἀποαἱρέω that you shall set apart to Yahweh all that opens the womb, and every firstborn which you have that comes from an animal. The males shall be Yahweh's.
- Exodus 29:27 ἀποαἱρέω You shall sanctify the breast of the wave-offering, and the thigh of the heave-offering, which is waved, and which is heaved up, of the ram of consecration, even of that which is for Aaron, and of that which is for his sons:
- Exodus 33:5 ἀποαἱρέω Yahweh said to Moses, "Tell the children of Israel, 'You are a stiff-necked people. If I were to go up into your midst for one moment, I would consume you. Therefore now take off your jewelry from you, that I may know what to do to you."
- Exodus 33:23 ἀποαἱρέω then I will take away my hand, and you will see my back; but my face shall not be seen."
- Exodus 34:7 ἀποαἱρέω keeping loving kindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and disobedience and sin; and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the children's children, on the third and on the fourth generation."
- Exodus 34:9 ἀποαἱρέω He said, "If now I have found favor in your sight, Lord, please let the Lord go in the midst of us; although this is a stiff-necked people; pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance."
- Exodus 35:24 ἀποαἱρέω Everyone who did offer an offering of silver and brass brought Yahweh's offering; and everyone, with whom was found acacia wood for any work of the service, brought it.
- Leviticus 1:16 ἀποαἱρέω and he shall take away its crop with its filth, and cast it beside the altar on the east part, in the place of the ashes.
- Leviticus 2:9 ἀποαἱρέω The priest shall take from the meal offering its memorial, and shall burn it on the altar, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor to Yahweh.
- Leviticus 4:10 ἀποαἱρέω as it is taken off of the ox of the sacrifice of peace offerings. The priest shall burn them on the altar of burnt offering.
- Leviticus 6:3 ἀποαἱρέω or has found that which was lost, and dealt falsely therein, and swearing to a lie; in any of all these things that a man does, sinning therein;
- Leviticus 6:8 ἀποαἱρέω Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
- Leviticus 8:29 ἀποαἱρέω Moses took the breast, and waved it for a wave offering before Yahweh. It was Moses' portion of the ram of consecration, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
- Leviticus 9:21 ἀποαἱρέω and the breasts and the right thigh Aaron waved for a wave offering before Yahweh, as Moses commanded.
- Leviticus 10:17 ἀποαἱρέω "Why haven't you eaten the sin offering in the place of the sanctuary, seeing it is most holy, and he has given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before Yahweh?
- Leviticus 22:15 ἀποαἱρέω The priests shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, which they offer to Yahweh,
- Numbers 11:17 ἀποαἱρέω I will come down and talk with you there: and I will take of the Spirit which is on you, and will put it on them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you not bear it yourself alone.
- Numbers 14:18 ἀποαἱρέω Yahweh is slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, forgiving iniquity and disobedience; and that will by no means clear [the guilty], visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation.
- Numbers 15:19 ἀποαἱρέω then it shall be that when you eat of the bread of the land, you shall offer up a heave-offering to Yahweh.
- Numbers 15:20 ἀποαἱρέω Of the first of your dough you shall offer up a cake for a heave-offering: as the heave-offering of the threshing floor, so shall you heave it.
- Numbers 18:19 ἀποαἱρέω All the heave-offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer to Yahweh, have I given you, and your sons and your daughters with you, as a portion forever: it is a covenant of salt forever before Yahweh to you and to your seed with you.
- Numbers 18:26 ἀποαἱρέω Moreover you shall speak to the Levites, and tell them, When you take of the children of Israel the tithe which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you shall offer up a heave-offering of it for Yahweh, a tithe of the tithe.
- Numbers 18:28 ἀποαἱρέω Thus you also shall offer a heave-offering to Yahweh of all your tithes, which you receive of the children of Israel; and of it you shall give Yahweh's heave-offering to Aaron the priest.
- Numbers 18:29 ἀποαἱρέω Out of all your gifts you shall offer every heave-offering of Yahweh, of all the best of it, even the holy part of it out of it.
- Numbers 18:30 ἀποαἱρέω Therefore you shall tell them, When you heave the best of it from it, then it shall be reckoned to the Levites as the increase of the threshing floor, and as the increase of the wine-press.
- Numbers 18:32 ἀποαἱρέω You shall bear no sin by reason of it, when you have heaved from it the best of it: and you shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, that you not die.
- Numbers 21:7 ἀποαἱρέω The people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, because we have spoken against Yahweh, and against you; pray to Yahweh, that he take away the serpents from us. Moses prayed for the people.
- Numbers 31:28 ἀποαἱρέω Levy a tribute to Yahweh of the men of war who went out to battle: one soul of five hundred, [both] of the persons, and of the oxen, and of the donkeys, and of the flocks:
- Numbers 31:52 ἀποαἱρέω All the gold of the heave-offering that they offered up to Yahweh, of the captains of thousands, and of the captains of hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven hundred fifty shekels.
- Numbers 36:3 ἀποαἱρέω If they be married to any of the sons of the [other] tribes of the children of Israel, then will their inheritance be taken away from the inheritance of our fathers, and will be added to the inheritance of the tribe whereunto they shall belong: so will it be taken away from the lot of our inheritance.
- Numbers 36:4 ἀποαἱρέω When the jubilee of the children of Israel shall be, then will their inheritance be added to the inheritance of the tribe whereunto they shall belong: so will their inheritance be taken away from the inheritance of the tribe of our fathers.
- Deuteronomy 4:2 ἀποαἱρέω You shall not add to the word which I command you, neither shall you diminish from it, that you may keep the commandments of Yahweh your God which I command you.
- Deuteronomy 13:1 ἀποαἱρέω If there arise in the midst of you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and he give you a sign or a wonder,
- Joshua 5:9 ἀποαἱρέω Yahweh said to Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Therefore the name of that place was called Gilgal, to this day.
- 1 Samuel 5:4 ἀποαἱρέω When they arose early on the next day morning, behold, Dagon was fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of Yahweh; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands [lay] cut off on the threshold; only [the stump of] Dagon was left to him.
- 1 Samuel 7:14 ἀποαἱρέω The cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even to Gath; and the border of it did Israel deliver out of the hand of the Philistines. There was peace between Israel and the Amorites.
- 1 Samuel 17:16 ἀποαἱρέω The Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.
- 1 Samuel 17:19 ἀποαἱρέω Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.
- 1 Samuel 17:26 ἀποαἱρέω David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man who kills this Philistine, and takes away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?
- 1 Samuel 17:31 ἀποαἱρέω When the words were heard which David spoke, they rehearsed them before Saul; and he sent for him.
- 1 Samuel 21:7 ἀποαἱρέω Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before Yahweh; and his name was Doeg the Edomite, the best of the herdsmen who belonged to Saul.
These are occurrences of the same Greek lexeme (G851) in the Septuagint — not a translation of any one Hebrew word. The store carries no word-level Hebrew↔Greek alignment, so no Hebrew original is asserted here. Counts come from the recovered LXX Strong's tagging — high-frequency vocabulary is well covered, while rare or late forms may be untagged — so they reflect tagged occurrences and may slightly undercount.
