Brief Overview of ἀποφέρω (G667: Apophérō)

1. Brief Overview:

Transliteration: Apophérō

Root Words: The term ἀποφέρω is composed of the prefix ἀπό (apó), meaning “away from” or “off,” and the verb φέρω (phérō), meaning “to carry” or “to bear.” The combination suggests the idea of carrying or bringing away.

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Primary Meanings:

• To carry off or take away.
• To bear away or remove something.
• To take up or away, often implying a sense of removal or transfer.

2. Detailed Description:

BDAG (Bauer-Danker-Arndt-Gingrich): BDAG defines ἀποφέρω as “to carry off” or “to bear away.” It is used to describe the action of taking something away, often with a focus on the process of removal or transfer.

Thayer’s: Thayer’s Greek Lexicon describes ἀποφέρω as “to carry away” or “to remove,” highlighting its use in contexts where something is taken from one place to another.

Vines: Vines’ Expository Dictionary notes that ἀποφέρω means “to bring away” or “to carry off,” used in contexts where the action involves removing or transferring something.

LSJ (Liddell-Scott-Jones): LSJ defines ἀποφέρω as “to carry away” or “to bear off,” emphasizing its usage in conveying the action of taking something away or removing it from its original location.

Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance: Strong’s describes ἀποφέρω as “to bear off” or “to carry away,” reflecting its meaning of removing or transferring something.

Bible Verses:

• Matthew 12:11 (NIV): “He said to them, ‘If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out?’” (In this context, ἀποφέρω is used in a related sense of removing or lifting something away.)
• John 20:15 (NIV): “He asked her, ‘Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?’ Thinking he was the gardener, she said, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.’” (Here, ἀποφέρω refers to the action of taking something away, specifically Jesus’ body.)

3. Usage in Classic Greek Literature:

Homer (Iliad, 8th century BCE): Homer uses related terms to describe the act of carrying away spoils of war or removing objects from the battlefield, reflecting the idea of transferring items from one place to another.

Herodotus (Histories, 5th century BCE): Herodotus employs similar concepts to describe the removal or carrying away of items, often in the context of historical events or transactions.

Plato (Dialogues, 4th century BCE): Plato uses related terms in philosophical discussions to convey the idea of carrying away or removing certain qualities or concepts from one context to another.

4. Summary:

ἀποφέρω (apophérō) primarily means “to carry off” or “to take away,” reflecting the action of removing or transferring something from one place to another. In classical Greek literature, it conveys the notion of removing or carrying items, while in biblical texts, it is used to describe the act of taking away or removing objects, such as in the context of Jesus’ body or other items. The term underscores the process of removal or transfer in both everyday and philosophical contexts.