Understanding ἀφοράω (aphoraō) Strong’s G872: The Spiritual Gaze That Turns From Distractions to Focus on Messiah

Pronunciation Guide: af-or-ah’-o (ἀφοράω)

Basic Definition

Strong’s G872: ἀφοράω (aphoraō) means to look away from one thing to focus intently on another, combining the ideas of deliberate attention and fixed perspective. It conveys the action of turning one’s gaze from all distractions to concentrate on a single object of focus. This word powerfully communicates not just casual seeing but an intentional, sustained, and purposeful redirection of vision.

Etymology and Morphology

• Part of speech: Verb
• Compound word formed from ἀπό (apo, “away from”) + ὁράω (horaō, “to see/perceive”)
• Primary usage in teaching and exhortation passages
• Relatively rare in the New Testament, appearing only twice
• Middle voice verb, indicating personal involvement in the action

ἀφοράω Morphology:

• ἀφορῶντες (aphorōntes) – present active participle, nominative plural masculine – “looking away to/fixing our eyes on” (Hebrews 12:2)
• ἀφορῶ (aphorō) – present indicative, 1st person singular – “I am looking away to” (Philippians 2:23)

Origin & History

The compound verb ἀφοράω has ancient roots in classical Greek literature, where it was used to describe focused attention that required turning away from other objects. In Xenophon’s “Memorabilia,” the term appears when describing how one must look away from distractions to focus on matters of true importance. The prefix ἀπό emphasizes separation or detachment from one thing to concentrate on another.

In the Septuagint (LXX), the word appears in contexts involving watchful anticipation, such as in Psalm 10:14 (LXX 9:35) where it describes how the afflicted “looks intently” to God for help. The early Church Fathers, particularly Chrysostom in his homilies, expanded on the word’s meaning to describe the spiritual discipline of fixing one’s gaze on Christ while deliberately turning away from worldly concerns. Clement of Alexandria, in his “Stromateis,” uses it to describe the philosophical contemplation that leads to spiritual understanding.

Expanded Definitions & Translation Options

• To look away from everything else to focus intently on a single object
• To concentrate one’s vision with deliberate purpose and sustained attention
• To observe with anticipation and expectation of what is to come
• To gaze upon with fixed determination, as if nothing else exists

ἀφοράω Translation Options:

• “Fix one’s eyes on” – Captures the intensity and sustained nature of the gaze
• “Look intently upon” – Emphasizes the deliberate attention given to the object
• “Turn one’s gaze to” – Highlights the movement away from other things to focus on one thing
• “Watch expectantly” – Conveys the anticipatory aspect of the looking
• “Concentrate vision upon” – Expresses the deliberate focusing of attention

Biblical Usage

In the New Testament, ἀφοράω appears in contexts that carry profound theological significance despite its rare occurrence. Its first appearance is in Philippians 2:23, where Paul uses it to describe his careful watching of circumstances to determine when to send Timothy. Here, the term conveys Paul’s focused attention on unfolding events with expectant anticipation.

The more theologically significant usage occurs in Hebrews 12:2, where believers are exhorted to run the race of faith while “fixing our eyes on” (ἀφορῶντες εἰς) Jesus. This powerful metaphor portrays the Christian life as requiring deliberate focus on the Messiah while turning away from all distractions, discouragements, and competing loyalties. This usage perfectly illustrates the full semantic range of the term—both the turning away from hindrances and the concentrated focus on the proper object of attention.

• “Him I shall send presently, so soon as I shall see [ἀφίδω] how it will go with me.” Philippians 2:23
• “Looking away [ἀφορῶντες] to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith…” Hebrews 12:2

Cultural Insights

In the ancient Greco-Roman world, athletic competitions were central to cultural life, and spectators would “fix their gaze” on the competitors with rapt attention. The writer of Hebrews draws on this cultural understanding when using ἀφοράω to describe how believers should focus on Jesus. Just as spectators in the stadium would ignore everything else to follow the movements of their favorite athlete, so believers are called to turn away from worldly distractions to focus completely on the Messiah.

This imagery would have been particularly powerful for Jewish readers familiar with the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-5), which calls for complete devotion to יהוה (Yahweh). The concept of “looking to” God was deeply embedded in Jewish spiritual practice through the Temple worship. During sacrifices, worshippers would “look toward” the Holy of Holies as the dwelling place of the Divine Presence. The use of ἀφοράω in Hebrews transfers this intense focus from the Temple to the person of Jesus as the ultimate revelation of God.

Theological Significance

The theological implications of ἀφοράω are profound, particularly in Hebrews 12:2 where it forms the foundation for understanding Christian discipleship. By instructing believers to “fix their eyes on Jesus,” the author identifies the Messiah as the proper object of spiritual attention and devotion. This “looking away to Jesus” is not merely an occasional glance but a continuous, deliberate redirection of one’s entire spiritual focus.

This concept reveals God’s desire for our undivided attention and wholehearted devotion. Just as a bride and groom focus exclusively on each other during their wedding vows, ignoring all others present, so the Lord calls us to a relationship of exclusive spiritual focus. The term ἀφοράω captures the essence of what it means to be singularly devoted to the Messiah—to look away from competing allegiances, temptations, and even legitimate concerns to concentrate on Him alone.

Moreover, this word reveals the transformative power of sustained spiritual attention. When we “fix our eyes” on Jesus, we are gradually changed into His image (2 Corinthians 3:18). The omnipotent God works through our focused attention to reshape our character, priorities, and desires. This reveals His gracious design: our transformation comes not primarily through self-effort but through God’s power as we maintain an unwavering gaze upon His Son.

Personal Application

In our distraction-filled world, the concept of ἀφοράω offers a powerful spiritual discipline—the practice of deliberately turning our attention away from lesser things to focus completely on the Messiah. This isn’t merely about occasional moments of devotion but developing a lifestyle of concentrated spiritual attention. When we feel overwhelmed by life’s concerns, the practice of ἀφοράω calls us to consciously redirect our focus from problems to the Problem-Solver, from our limitations to His limitlessness.

This spiritual gaze transforms our perspective on suffering and hardship. Just as Jesus endured the cross by focusing on “the joy set before Him” (Hebrews 12:2), we can endure our present difficulties by fixing our eyes on His example, presence, and promises. When we practice this redirected gaze, our challenges diminish in significance as our vision is filled with His glory and sufficiency. The spiritual discipline of ἀφοράω doesn’t remove our problems, but it places them in their proper perspective against the backdrop of His omnipotence and faithful love.

Related Words

• βλέπω (blepō, “to see/perceive”) – A general term for seeing that doesn’t necessarily imply the same intensity or redirection; denotes ordinary visual perception rather than the deliberate turning away from distractions to focus on something specific. See G991
• θεάομαι (theaomai, “to behold/contemplate”) – Involves careful observation with a sense of wonder or amazement, but lacks the specific connotation of turning away from one thing to focus on another. See G2300
• σκοπέω (skopeō, “to look at/consider”) – Involves careful consideration or watchfulness but without the strong sense of redirection found in ἀφοράω. Often used for watching out for potential dangers. See G4648
• ἀτενίζω (atenizō, “to gaze intently”) – Denotes fixing one’s eyes with intense concentration, similar to ἀφοράω but without the specific aspect of looking away from other things. See G816
• ἀποβλέπω (apoblepō, “to look away from everything else”) – Very similar to ἀφοράω, emphasizing turning one’s gaze from other things to focus on a particular object, especially used for focusing on future reward. See G578

Did you Know?

• Did you know that ancient Greek athletes would train themselves to maintain focused vision (ἀφοράω) during competitions, believing that allowing their eyes to wander to spectators would diminish their performance? This practice provides the perfect backdrop for understanding Hebrews 12:2, where believers are encouraged to maintain unwavering focus on Jesus while running the race of faith. The spiritual discipline mirrors the athletic discipline—both require turning away from distractions to focus on what matters most.
• Did you know that in ancient Jewish mystical practices, particularly in merkabah mysticism, practitioners would speak of “fixing their gaze” on heavenly visions? Early Jewish believers would have recognized in ἀφοράω a spiritual practice that transcended mere physical seeing to enter into a transformative encounter with the Divine. The difference, of course, is that in Messianic faith, this gaze is fixed not on abstract visions but on the person of Jesus the Messiah.
• Did you know that modern neuroscience has confirmed what the concept of ἀφοράω implies—that humans cannot truly multitask but must turn their attention from one thing to focus on another? Research shows that our brains perform best when we focus on one thing at a time, suggesting that the biblical instruction to “fix our eyes on Jesus” aligns perfectly with how we are neurologically designed to function. Our Creator built into our very minds the capacity for the kind of focused attention that ἀφοράω describes.

Remember This

ἀφοράω embodies the transformative spiritual discipline of deliberately turning our gaze away from everything that distracts—even good things—to fix our eyes exclusively on Jesus the Messiah, who alone can sustain, empower, and perfect our faith journey.