ἀπάγω G0520
Lead away (a person under custody); passive: be led away or carried off; figurative: of a path that leads somewhere.
The Greek verb apago carries the grim gravity of arrest and execution through most of its New Testament appearances. When soldiers seize Jesus in Gethsemane, the evangelists reach for this word to describe his being led away — first to Caiaphas (Matt 26:57), then to Pilate (Matt 27:2), then out to crucifixion (Matt 27:31). Spanish llevaban, Arabic اقتادوه, and Korean 끌고 가서 all converge on forceful, custodial movement. Yet in two quietly powerful verses, Jesus repurposes the word for roads themselves: the broad way 'leads away' to destruction and the narrow way 'leads away' to life (Matt 7:13-14), where German hinführt and Arabic يؤدي shift from person-centered arrest to path-centered destination.
Senses
1. lead away (a person) — To lead away or take away a person, typically one under arrest or custody, from one place to another. This dominant sense (11 occurrences) clusters around the passion narratives: Jesus is led away to the high priest (Matt 26:57; Mark 14:53), to Pilate (Matt 27:2), and out for crucifixion (Matt 27:31; Mark 15:16). Spanish lleva/llevaban, Arabic اقتادوه, and Korean 끌고 가서 all encode forceful custodial movement, confirming this as a technical arrest-and-transfer term. 11×
AR["أَحْضَروهُ", "أَخَذوهُ", "أَخَذُوهُ", "انْتَزَعَهُ", "خُذْ", "قَادُوا", "قُودُوهُ", "يَقُودُهُ"]·ben["নিয়ে-গিয়ে", "নিয়ে-গেল", "নিয়ে-গেলেন", "নিয়ে-যাও", "লইয়া-গেল", "লইয়া-যাও"]·DE["führt-weg", "ἀπάγετε", "ἀπήγαγον"]·EN["bring", "lead-away", "leading-away", "led-away", "they-led-away", "took-away"]·FR["emmener"]·heb["הוֹלִיךְ", "הוֹלִיכ-וּ", "הוֹלִיכוּ", "הוֹלֵךְ", "לָקַח"]·HI["ले-गए", "ले-जाओ", "ले-जाकर", "लेगया},", "लेजा"]·ID["bawalah", "bawalah-pergi", "membawa-pergi", "membawa-pergi,", "mereka-membawa", "mereka-membawa-pergi"]·IT["condurre-via", "portare-via"]·jav["bekta-késaha", "beto", "dipunbekta", "nggèret", "ngirid", "ngirid},", "sami-ngirid", "tiyang-tiyang-mbekta"]·KO["끌고-가라", "끌고-가서", "끌고-갔다", "데려가라", "데려갔다"]·PT["levai", "levando", "levaram"]·RU["отведи", "отведя", "отвели", "повели", "уведите", "увели", "увёл"]·ES["lleva", "llevaban", "llevad", "llevaron", "llevándolo", "lo-arrebató", "lo-llevaron"]·SW["akimpeleka", "alimchukua", "mpeleke", "mpelekeni", "wakamleta", "wakampeleka", "walimchukua", "walimpeleka"]·TR["aldı", "götür", "götürdüler", "götürün", "götürüp"]·urd["لے-جا", "لے-جا-کر", "لے-جاؤ", "لے-گئے", "لے-گیا"]
2. be led away (passive) — Passive forms expressing being led away or carried off, whether physically to execution (Acts 12:19, where guards are 'led away' to be put to death) or figuratively by false teaching (1 Cor 12:2, 'you were led astray to mute idols'). Arabic munsaqina (منساقين), Korean kkullyeo-gamyeo (끌려가며), and Swahili -ongozwayo all employ passive voice equivalents, preserving the sense of involuntary movement under another's power. Luke 21:12 uses the same passive form for being brought before authorities. 3×
AR["أَنْ-يُسَاقُوا", "مُقتادينَ", "مُنساقينَ"]·ben["টেনে-নেওয়া-হচ্ছিল।", "নিয়ে-যাওয়া-হবে", "নিয়ে-যেতে"]·DE["führt-weg", "ἀπαγόμενοι"]·EN["being-led-away", "to-be-led-away"]·FR["emmener"]·heb["לְהוֹלִיכָם", "מוּבָלִים", "נִדָּחִים"]·HI["ले-जाते-हुए", "ले-जाने-को"]·ID["dibawa", "dihukum-mati", "disesatkan"]·IT["condurre-via", "portare-via"]·jav["dipun-bekta", "kadusta.", "kaseret."]·KO["끌려가도록", "끌려가며", "이끌려가는-자들"]·PT["sendo-conduzidos.", "sendo-levados"]·RU["ведомых", "отвести", "увлекаемые."]·ES["ser-ejecutados", "siendo-arrastrados", "siendo-llevados"]·SW["mkichukuliwa", "mkipelekwa", "wapelekwe-kuuawa."]·TR["götürülen", "götürülmelerini"]·urd["بھٹکتے-ہوئے", "لے-جائیں", "لے-جائے-جاؤ-گے"]
3. lead to, bring along (of a way/path) — A figurative extension where a road or path 'leads' somewhere, used exclusively in Jesus' teaching on the two ways: 'the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction' and 'the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life' (Matt 7:13-14). Arabic يؤدي (yu'addi, 'leads to'), Korean 이끄는 (ikkuneun, 'that leads'), and German hinführt all shift from person-as-object to destination-as-goal, marking a genuine semantic extension from custodial movement to directional guidance. 2×
AR["يُؤَدِّي"]·ben["নিয়ে-যায়"]·DE["führt-weg"]·EN["leading"]·FR["emmener"]·heb["מוֹבִילָה"]·HI["ले-जाती-है"]·ID["menuju"]·IT["condurre-via"]·jav["nuntun"]·KO["이끄는"]·PT["que-leva"]·RU["ведущий"]·ES["que‒lleva"]·SW["i-pelekayo"]·TR["götüren"]·urd["لے-جانے-والا"]
Related Senses
H0935 1. come, arrive (Qal) (2413×)G1473 1. first person singular pronoun (2084×)H3318 1. Qal: go out, depart, come forth (891×)H7725 1. to return, come/go back (Qal) (874×)H5927 1. go up, ascend (Qal) (779×)H7971 1. to send, dispatch (Qal) (701×)G2064 1. come / arrive (physical movement toward) (588×)H5307 1. Qal: fall down physically (339×)H5375 1. Qal: to lift up, raise (330×)H5975 1. to stand, stand up (310×)H5674a 1. Qal: pass by, pass through (256×)H3381 1. Qal: to go down, descend (physical movement) (242×)G1831 1. go/come out physically (193×)H5337 1. deliver, rescue, save (Hifil) (188×)H7901 1. lie down, rest, sleep (183×)G1525 1. enter a place physically (179×)H7812 1. prostrate oneself, bow down, worship (173×)H3318 2. Hifil: bring out, lead out, take out (persons) (172×)H7725 2. to bring back, restore (Hifil) (151×)H5674a 2. Qal: cross over (134×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἀπάγω [ᾰγ], lead away, carry off, ἀπάγουσι βόας καὶ ἴφια μῆλαRefs 8th c.BC+; προσάγειν.., ἀπάγειν, bring near.., hold far off, Refs 4th c.BC+; ἀ. ἀχλὺν ἀπ᾽ ὀφθαλμῶν remove it, Refs 4th c.BC+; οὐκ ἀπάξετε ταῦτ; stop this fooling! Refs 4th c.AD+:—middle, take away for or with oneself, παρθένονRefs 5th c.BC+; or that which is one's own, Refs 5th c.BC+:—passive, ἐς ὀξὺ ἀπηγμένας brought to a point,…