Understanding ἀφίημι (aphiēmi) Strong’s G863: The Divine Act of Forgiveness, Release, and Leaving Behind

Pronunciation Guide: ah-FEE-ay-mee

Basic Definition

Strong’s G863: ἀφίημι (aphiēmi) fundamentally means to send away, release, let go, or forgive. It encompasses the action of intentionally releasing something or someone from obligation, debt, or presence. In its spiritual dimension, it reflects יהוה (Yahweh)’s merciful character in pardoning sins and releasing the penitent from guilt and condemnation.

Etymology and Morphology

• Part of Speech: Verb
• Root Words: Compound of ἀπό (apo, “from, away from”) and ἵημι (hiēmi, “to send”)
• Language Origin: Classical Greek
• Primary Usage: Narrative passages (particularly in forgiveness contexts), teaching sections, and Messianic declarations
• Semantic Field: Forgiveness, departure, permission, abandonment

ἀφίημι Morphology:

• ἀφίημι (present active indicative, 1st person singular) – I forgive/release
• ἀφίης (present active indicative, 2nd person singular) – you forgive/release
• ἀφίησι(ν) (present active indicative, 3rd person singular) – he/she/it forgives/releases
• ἀφίεμεν (present active indicative, 1st person plural) – we forgive/release
• ἀφήσω (future active indicative, 1st person singular) – I will forgive/release
• ἄφες (aorist active imperative, 2nd person singular) – forgive!/release!
• ἀφῆκα (aorist active indicative, 1st person singular) – I forgave/released
• ἀφέωνται (perfect passive indicative, 3rd person plural) – they have been forgiven

Origin & History

The compound verb ἀφίημι appears in classical Greek literature as early as Homer’s works, where it carried the basic meaning of “sending away” or “letting go.” In Herodotus’ “Histories,” it often denoted the dismissal of troops or the release of prisoners. By the time of Plato and Xenophon, the term had expanded to include the concepts of abandoning a position or relinquishing a claim.

The Septuagint (LXX) translators chose ἀφίημι to render several Hebrew concepts, most notably סָלַח (salach, “to forgive”) and נָשָׂא (nasa, “to lift, carry away”), especially in contexts where יהוה (Yahweh) pardons the sins of His people. This theological usage prepared the way for its prominent New Testament application to divine forgiveness. In the writings of early Church fathers like Clement of Rome and Ignatius of Antioch, ἀφίημι became firmly established as the primary term for both God’s forgiveness and the interpersonal forgiveness expected among believers.

Expanded Definitions & Translation Options

• To send away/dismiss – The basic physical action of releasing someone or something from one’s presence
• To permit/allow – To grant permission for an action to occur
• To leave/depart from – To physically move away from a location or person
• To abandon/forsake – To deliberately cease support or presence
• To forgive/pardon – To release from guilt, obligation, or punishment (especially of sins)

ἀφίημι Translation Options:

• Forgive – Best used when the object involves sin, debt, or moral obligation; highlights the cancellation of what is owed
• Release – Appropriate when emphasizing freedom from constraint or burden; captures the lifting of restrictions
• Leave behind – Preferable when the focus is on physical or emotional separation; emphasizes the spatial dimension
• Allow/permit – Optimal when the context involves granting freedom for an action; stresses the element of permission
• Let go – Most fitting when conveying emotional release or surrender; communicates the cessation of holding on

Biblical Usage

The New Testament employs ἀφίημι 143 times, with its most profound usage in contexts of divine forgiveness. The Messiah Jesus deliberately highlighted this term in His model prayer (Matthew 6:12), creating a direct connection between God’s forgiveness of humanity and our forgiveness of others. This reciprocal relationship appears again in the Messiah’s sobering parable of the unforgiving servant (Matthew 18:21-35).

In the Septuagint, ἀφίημι often translates Hebrew terms related to יהוה (Yahweh)’s covenant forgiveness, emphasizing the complete removal of sin from the relationship between God and His people. Particularly significant is its usage in Psalm 32:1 (31:1 LXX), which Paul quotes in Romans 4:7 to illustrate justification by faith. The term also appears in Isaiah’s Messianic prophecies, foreshadowing the coming redemption.

Cross-reference verses:

• “Then Jesus answering said to him, ‘Permit it [ἄφες] to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.'” Matthew 3:15
• “And forgive [ἄφες] us our debts, as we forgive [ἀφίεμεν] our debtors.” Matthew 6:12
• “When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven [ἀφέωνταί] you.'” Mark 2:5
• “Father, forgive [ἄφες] them, for they do not know what they do.” Luke 23:34
• “If you forgive [ἀφῆτε] the sins of any, they are forgiven [ἀφέωνται] them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” John 20:23
• “Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.” Hebrews 10:18
• “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive [ἀφῇ] us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

Cultural Insights

In the ancient Near Eastern world, the forgiveness of debts was a well-established practice with profound social implications. The Jubilee year prescribed in Leviticus 25 mandated the release (ἄφεσις in LXX) of debts and the return of ancestral lands, restoring economic equilibrium. When the Messiah Jesus employed ἀφίημι in His teachings on forgiveness, His Jewish audience would have immediately connected this with the Torah’s concept of Jubilee—a complete economic and social reset that preserved the covenant community.

The Jewish practice of tashlikh, which continues to this day during Rosh Hashanah, provides another cultural backdrop for understanding ἀφίημι. In this ceremony, Jews cast bread crumbs into flowing water to symbolize the casting away of sins, based on Micah 7:19: “You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.” This physical enactment of forgiveness as a deliberate sending away of sin illuminates how the early Jewish believers would have understood the Messiah’s use of ἀφίημι in His teachings on divine forgiveness.

Theological Significance

The concept of ἀφίημι forms one of the central pillars of New Testament soteriology, revealing the very heart of יהוה (Yahweh)’s redemptive plan. When God forgives through the atoning sacrifice of the Messiah, He does not merely overlook sin; He actively releases the sinner from both the guilt and power of sin. This divine action demonstrates the perfect harmony of God’s justice and mercy—justice in requiring payment for sin and mercy in providing that payment Himself through His Son.

The connection between divine and human forgiveness established by the Messiah in the Lord’s Prayer creates a profound theological dynamic. Our extension of forgiveness to others becomes not the basis for receiving God’s forgiveness, but rather the evidence that we have truly comprehended and received it ourselves. The unforgiving servant in Matthew 18 failed to grasp the magnitude of the forgiveness he had received, revealing a heart untransformed by grace. Thus, ἀφίημι challenges believers to a radical reorientation of relationships, moving from the natural human tendency to hold grudges toward the supernatural capacity to release others from debt—just as we have been released.

Personal Application

Understanding ἀφίημι invites us to experience both dimensions of forgiveness—receiving and extending. Have you fully accepted the liberating reality that in the Messiah, your sins are completely sent away? The perfect passive form (ἀφέωνται) reminds us that forgiveness is a completed action with ongoing effects. You need not carry the burden of guilt for sins that God has already released through the blood of His Son.

Equally challenging is our call to forgive others as we have been forgiven. When we struggle to release others from their debts against us, we might prayerfully consider the proportions in the Messiah’s parable: the servant was forgiven a debt of 10,000 talents (equivalent to 200,000 years of wages) yet refused to forgive a debt of 100 denarii (about three months’ wages). Our unforgiveness often appears similarly disproportionate when viewed in light of the immeasurable forgiveness we’ve received. Today, identify one person toward whom you harbor resentment, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, practice the divine art of ἀφίημι—deliberately sending away your right to hold their offense against them.

Related Words

• συγχωρέω (sygchōreō) – [sing-kho-REH-oh] To grant pardon or forgiveness; differs from ἀφίημι by emphasizing reconciliation rather than release. See G4856
• χαρίζομαι (charizomai) – [kha-RID-zoh-mai] To show favor or kindness; forgive out of grace; differs from ἀφίημι in emphasizing the gracious motivation behind forgiveness. See G5483
• ἀπολύω (apolyō) – [ah-po-LOO-oh] To set free, release, dismiss; similar to ἀφίημι but often used in legal contexts of acquittal or divorce. See G630
• ἐλευθερόω (eleutheroō) – [eh-loo-the-RO-oh] To set free, liberate; while ἀφίημι focuses on the release from obligation, ἐλευθερόω emphasizes the resulting state of freedom. See G1659
• παρίημι (pariēmi) – [pah-REE-ay-mee] To let pass, disregard, neglect; related etymologically to ἀφίημι but implies passive allowance rather than active release. See G3935

Did you Know?

• The Messiah’s final word from the cross according to Luke 23:46, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit,” uses a form of παρατίθημι rather than ἀφίημι, suggesting not merely a release but an entrusting of His spirit to the Father. However, His declaration “It is finished” (τετέλεσται) in John 19:30 is followed by the statement that He “gave up His spirit”—using the verb παρέδωκεν, which carries a similar sense of deliberate release found in ἀφίημι. This linguistic precision highlights the voluntary nature of the Messiah’s sacrifice.
• The concept of forgiveness embedded in ἀφίημι has neurological implications. Modern neuroscience has discovered that the act of forgiveness activates the prefrontal cortex—the brain region associated with empathy and emotional regulation—while reducing activity in the amygdala, which processes fear and threat responses. Essentially, when we practice biblical forgiveness as described by ἀφίημι, we are rewiring our brains away from stress patterns toward healthier neural pathways, aligning modern science with ancient biblical wisdom.
• In contemporary Greek, derivatives of ἀφίημι are still used in everyday contexts. The Modern Greek verb αφήνω (afíno) means “to leave” or “to let,” while άφεση (áfesi) refers to forgiveness or release. The persistence of these terms in modern language testifies to the enduring relevance of the concept across millennia, connecting contemporary believers to the linguistic world of the New Testament through this crucial theological term.

Remember This

ἀφίημι embodies the radical, transformative power of divine forgiveness—a deliberate sending away of sin that simultaneously liberates the one who has been wronged and the one who did the wrong, mirroring the heart of a God who releases us from our debts that we might live in the freedom of His grace.