Brief Overview of ἀπολύω (G630: Apolýō)

1. Brief Overview:

Transliteration: Apolýō

Root Words: The term ἀπολύω (apolýō) is derived from ἀπό (apó, “from”) and λύω (lýō, “to loosen or release”).

Primary Meanings:

• To release or set free.
• To dismiss or send away.
• To forgive or pardon, particularly in a legal or formal context.
• In the New Testament, it often refers to the release of prisoners or the forgiveness of sins.

2. Detailed Description:

BDAG (Bauer-Danker-Arndt-Gingrich): BDAG defines ἀπολύω as “to set free, release,” emphasizing its use in various contexts including the release of prisoners, the dismissal of employees or soldiers, and the forgiveness of debts or sins. It implies a formal or legal act of releasing or letting go.

Thayer’s: Thayer’s Greek Lexicon describes ἀπολύω as “to release, dismiss, or let go.” It is used in the context of freeing someone from imprisonment or obligations, and it also includes the idea of granting forgiveness or pardon.

Vines: Vines’ Expository Dictionary notes that ἀπολύω means “to release” or “to let go,” including the broader sense of dismissing someone from a role or obligation, or the act of forgiving. It highlights the term’s application in both personal and legal contexts.

LSJ (Liddell-Scott-Jones): LSJ defines ἀπολύω as “to release, set free, or dismiss,” with a focus on its use in contexts such as freeing prisoners, releasing servants, or allowing someone to depart. It includes both literal and figurative senses of release.

Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance: Strong’s describes ἀπολύω as “to release” or “to let go,” with applications to both physical release and the act of forgiveness or dismissal.

3. Usage in Classic Greek Literature:

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Xenophon (Cyropaedia, 4th century BCE): Xenophon uses ἀπολύω in the context of releasing soldiers from service or dismissing them from their duties, illustrating its practical use in administrative contexts.

Aristotle (Politics, 4th century BCE): Aristotle employs the term to describe the formal release or dismissal of individuals from certain roles or obligations, reflecting its use in political and social contexts.

Plato (Phaedo, 4th century BCE): Plato uses ἀπολύω metaphorically to describe the release of the soul from the body, highlighting its broader philosophical application.

4. Summary:

ἀπολύω (apolýō) primarily means “to release” or “to set free,” with applications ranging from the physical release of individuals from imprisonment or service to the formal dismissal of obligations. In classical Greek literature, it appears in contexts related to administrative, political, and philosophical discussions of release or forgiveness. The term is versatile, covering both literal and metaphorical senses of freeing or letting go, and is significant in legal and personal contexts, including the forgiveness of debts or sins in the New Testament.