Lexical Summary apotithémi: To put off, to lay aside, to remove Original Word: ἀποτίθημι Strong's Exhaustive Concordance cast off, lay aside, put away. From apo and tithemi; to put away (literally or figuratively) -- cast off, lay apart (aside, down), put away (off). see GREEK apo see GREEK tithemi NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom apo and tithémi Definition to put off, lay aside NASB Translation laid aside (1), lay aside (3), laying aside (1), put (1), put...aside (1), putting aside (2). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 659: ἀποτίθημιἀποτίθημι: 2 aorist middle ἀπεθεμην; (from Homer down); to put off or aside; in the N. T. only middle to put off from oneself: τά ἱμάτια, Acts 7:58; (to lay up or away, ἐν τῇ φυλακή (i. e., put), Matthew 14:3 L T Tr WH (so εἰς φυλακήν, Leviticus 24:12; Numbers 15:34; 2 Chronicles 18:26; Polybius 24, 8, 8; Diodorus 4, 49, ete.)); tropically those things are said to be put off or away which anyone gives up, renounces: as τά ἔργα τοῦ σκότους, Romans 13:12; — Ephesians 4:22 (cf. Winers Grammar, 347 (325); Buttmann, 274 (236)), 25; Colossians 3:8; James 1:21; 1 Peter 2:1; Hebrews 12:1; (τήν ὀργήν, Plutarch, Coriol. 19; τόν πλοῦτον, τήν μαλακίαν, etc. Luc. dial. mort. 10, 8; τήν ἐλευθερίαν καί παρρησίαν, ibid. 9, etc.). Topical Lexicon Overview Strong’s Greek 659 speaks of deliberately setting something aside. In the New Testament the word moves from a concrete act—laying down clothes—to a moral and spiritual imperative—casting off sinful habits and adopting Christ-like virtues. Nine occurrences trace a movement from narrative description (Matthew and Acts) to repeated exhortation in the epistles, shaping a theology of decisive renunciation followed by renewal. Literal Usage in Narrative Passages • Matthew 14:3 records that Herod “had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison”. Herod “laid him aside,” treating the prophet as disposable. These concrete scenes provide the backdrop for the word’s metaphorical expansion. As garments are discarded for unencumbered activity, so believers must discard what hinders their walk with God. Metaphorical Usage in Ethical Exhortations The remaining seven instances appear in paraenetic sections of the epistles. The imagery is that of stripping off a soiled garment so that a new life in Christ may be donned. • Romans 13:12: “So let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.” Across these contexts, the action is immediate and comprehensive; selective renunciation is not envisioned. Pauline Theology: Putting Off the Old Self Paul frames the word within his “old self / new self” motif. Ephesians 4 and Colossians 3 present a two-stage dynamic: 1. Lay aside the former identity governed by deceitful desires. This parallels Romans 6:6 (“our old self was crucified with Him”) and underlines that regeneration initiates a lifelong process of sanctification. The aorist tense in Ephesians 4:22 describes a definitive break, yet the present implications continue: the Christian life is lived out of a decisive event but requires ongoing choice. Hebraic and Old Testament Resonances The Septuagint frequently employs analogous verbs for removing garments of mourning or defilement (e.g., Zechariah 3:4). Isaiah 64:6 likens sin-stained deeds to polluted clothing. By echoing this imagery, the apostles present moral transformation as a fulfillment of prophetic hope: God supplies clean garments, yet His people must actively discard the filthy ones. Paraenetic Tradition in the Catholic Epistles James and Peter, writing to dispersed believers under pressure, employ the term to stress that persecution must not excuse moral compromise. Their vice lists mirror baptismal renunciation formulas attested in early church liturgies, suggesting that the command to “lay aside” functioned catechetically, reminding converts of vows made at immersion. Soteriological and Sanctification Dimensions The word bridges justification and sanctification. Believers lay aside sin because it has already been judged at the cross; they are empowered to do so because the Spirit supplies new garments (Galatians 3:27). Thus moral effort is grounded in accomplished redemption, preserving the unity of grace and obedience. Historical Reception in Early Church Patristic writers seized the garment metaphor. Chrysostom, commenting on Ephesians 4, exhorted congregants to “strip off the robes of the theatre” (Hom. on Ephesians 13). The Didache’s baptismal instructions (“renounce Satan and all his works”) echo the same concept, revealing that Strong’s 659 shaped early baptismal liturgies and moral instruction. Implications for Contemporary Ministry 1. Discipleship: Strong’s 659 calls for clear renunciation in conversion counseling—identifying specific sins to be forsaken. Key New Testament References Matthew 14:3; Acts 7:58; Romans 13:12; Ephesians 4:22, 25; Colossians 3:8; Hebrews 12:1; James 1:21; 1 Peter 2:1. Strong’s Greek 659 therefore presents a compelling portrait of decisive, Spirit-enabled renunciation that inaugurates and sustains a holy walk—an indispensable element of New Testament discipleship. Forms and Transliterations απεθεντο απεθέντο απέθεντο ἀπέθεντο απεθετο ἀπέθετο απέθηκαν απέθηκε απέθηκεν αποθεμενοι αποθέμενοι ἀποθέμενοι απόθες αποθεσθαι αποθέσθαι ἀποθέσθαι αποθεσθε απόθεσθε ἀπόθεσθε αποθήσει αποθήσεις αποθήσομεν απόθου αποθώμαθα αποθωμεθα ἀποθώμεθα apethento apéthento apetheto apétheto apothemenoi apothémenoi apothesthai apothésthai apothesthe apóthesthe apothometha apothōmetha apothṓmethaLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Matthew 14:3 V-AIM-3SGRK: ἐν φυλακῇ ἀπέθετο διὰ Ἡρῳδιάδα NAS: he bound him and put him in prison INT: in prison put [him] on account of Herodias Acts 7:58 V-AIM-3P Romans 13:12 V-ASM-1P Ephesians 4:22 V-ANM Ephesians 4:25 V-APM-NMP Colossians 3:8 V-AMM-2P Hebrews 12:1 V-APM-NMP James 1:21 V-APM-NMP 1 Peter 2:1 V-APM-NMP Strong's Greek 659 |
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