Lexical Summary chórizó: To separate, divide, part, put asunder, depart Original Word: χωρίζω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance separate, depart, put asunderFrom chora; to place room between, i.e. Part; reflexively, to go away -- depart, put asunder, separate. see GREEK chora HELPS Word-studies 5563 xōrízō (from 5561 /xṓra, "open, vacated space") – properly, separate, divide ("put asunder"), i.e. depart, vacate; create "space" (which can be very undesirable or unjustified). 5563 /xōrízō ("vacate"), as in the papyri, refers to divorcing a marriage partner who vacates the relationship in soul or body (cf. Moulton-Milligan, 696). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom chóris Definition to separate, divide NASB Translation leave (5), leaves (1), left (1), separate (4), separated (2). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 5563: χωρίζωχωρίζω; future χωρίσω (Buttmann, 37 (33)); 1 aorist infinitive χωρίσαι; present middle χωρίζομαι; perfect passive participle κεχωρισμένος; 1 aorist passive ἐχωρίσθην; (χωρίς, which see); from Herodotus down; to separate, divide, part, put asunder: τί, opposed to συζεύγνυμι, Matthew 19:6; Mark 10:9; τινα ἀπό τίνος, Romans 8:35, 39,(Wis. 1:3); perfect passive participle Hebrews 7:26. Middle and 1 aorist passive with a reflexive significance: to separate oneself from, to depart; a. to leave a husband or wife: of divorce, 1 Corinthians 7:11, 15; ἀπό ἀνδρός, 1 Corinthians 7:10 (a woman κεχωρισμενη ἀπό τοῦ ἀνδρός, Polybius 32, 12, 6 (others)). b. to depart, go away: (absolutely, Philemon 1:15 (euphemism for ἔφυγε), R. V. was parted from thee); followed by ἀπό with a genitive of the place, Acts 1:4; ἐκ with a genitive of the place, Acts 18:1f. ((Winer's Grammar, § 36, 6 a.); εἰς with an accusative of the place, 2 Macc. 5:21 2Macc. 12:12; Polybius, Diodorus, others). (Compare: ἀποχωρίζω, διαχωρίζω.) Strong’s Greek 5563 appears thirteen times in the New Testament and always concerns some sort of “separation,” whether physical, relational, or spiritual. The contexts range from marriage covenants and missionary travel to profound statements about believers’ union with Christ and the holiness of the High Priest. The verb’s flexibility allows it to convey both a wrongful sundering that God forbids and a rightful distancing that God ordains for His purposes. Marriage and Covenant Faithfulness Matthew 19:6 and Mark 10:9 record Jesus’ injunction: “Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate”. Here the word underscores the inviolability of the one–flesh bond. Paul echoes the Lord’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 7:10-11, warning a believing wife “not to separate from her husband.” When separation does occur (1 Corinthians 7:15), the church is counseled to recognize it without compromising the believer’s peace. The consistent witness is that marriage is a divine creation which humans are not free to dissolve at will. Pastoral ministry therefore treats marital separation as a grave matter, permissible only within the narrow limits Scripture provides. Assurance of Salvation and Divine Love In Romans 8:35, 39 Paul lifts the term from the domestic sphere to the cosmic: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? … neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord”. The climax of the chapter rests on the absolute impossibility of any created force severing believers from God’s redemptive love. The verb that once described an unlawful divorce now highlights the unbreakable union between Christ and His redeemed. Missionary Movements and Providential Detours Acts 1:4 records the risen Lord’s command that the disciples “not leave Jerusalem” until the Spirit came. Later, Acts 18:1-2 shows Paul “departing from Athens” and meeting Aquila and Priscilla, who themselves had been “ordered to leave Rome.” Their forced separation from Italy becomes the circumstance God uses to partner them with Paul in Corinth. Philemon 1:15 reflects the same theme: “For perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back for good.” What appears as an unwelcome rupture proves to be God’s strategic redirection in service of the gospel. Holiness and the High Priest Hebrews 7:26 says of Jesus: “He is holy, innocent, undefiled, set apart from sinners, and exalted above the heavens”. The verb marks the moral distance between the sinless High Priest and fallen humanity, even while He remains the mediator who brings them near to God. This separation is not relational alienation but a declaration of His transcendent purity, fulfilling the Old Testament shadow in a perfect and eternal priesthood. Theological and Pastoral Implications 1. Permanence of Covenant: God joins, humans must not separate—guiding church discipline and marital counseling. Historical Reception Early church fathers cited Romans 8 to fortify saints facing martyrdom, while Reformation leaders appealed to Matthew 19 against lax divorce practices. In modern missions history, Acts-based separations—whether expulsions or strategic redeployments—have repeatedly spread the gospel to unreached regions. Application in Contemporary Ministry • Marriage ministry emphasizes reconciliation, using 1 Corinthians 7 as the framework for any separation discussions. Summary Strong’s 5563 weaves through Scripture to portray wrongful human sundering, rightful divine distancing, and the God-given impossibility of separation between Christ and His people. Whether guarding marital fidelity, assuring salvation, or advancing the mission of the church, the term consistently testifies to God’s sovereign design and faithful love. Englishman's Concordance Matthew 19:6 V-PMA-3SGRK: ἄνθρωπος μὴ χωριζέτω NAS: let no man separate. KJV: not man put asunder. INT: man not let separate Mark 10:9 V-PMA-3S Acts 1:4 V-PNM/P Acts 18:1 V-APP-NMS Acts 18:2 V-PNM/P Romans 8:35 V-FIA-3S Romans 8:39 V-ANA 1 Corinthians 7:10 V-ANP 1 Corinthians 7:11 V-AIP-3S 1 Corinthians 7:15 V-PIM-3S 1 Corinthians 7:15 V-PMM/P-3S Philemon 1:15 V-AIP-3S Hebrews 7:26 V-RPM/P-NMS Strong's Greek 5563 |
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