ἀπογρᾰφ-ω G0583
to register, enroll; to have oneself recorded in an official census or list
Used in the New Testament exclusively for the Roman census that brought Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem (Luke 2:1-5), this verb denotes official enrollment or registration, typically for purposes of taxation. In Hebrews 12:23 it shifts to a heavenly register — the names of the firstborn enrolled in heaven. Spanish 'empadronado' and French 'inscrire' both capture the census-enrollment nuance, while English 'enrolled' and German 'eingeschrieben' reflect the broader idea of being written into an official record.
Senses
1. sense 1 — To register or enroll oneself in an official census or tax list, as commanded by a governing authority. The middle voice predominates in the NT, emphasizing voluntary compliance with an imperial decree. All four Lukan occurrences (Luke 2:1, 3, 5) refer to the census under Augustus. Cross-lingual glosses — Spanish 'empadronado,' French 'se faire inscrire' — uniformly point to civic registration. In Hebrews 12:23, the image transfers to a heavenly enrollment of the firstborn, using the perfect passive participle to indicate a completed, permanent inscription. 4×
AR["بِأَنْ-يُكْتَتَبَ", "لِيُكْتَتَبَ", "لِيُكْتَتَبُوا", "مَكْتُوبِينَ"]·ben["নাম-লেখাতে", "নাম-লেখানো-হতে", "নিবন্ধিত"]·DE["eingeschrieben", "ἀπογράφεσθαι", "ἀπογράψασθαι"]·EN["having-been-enrolled", "to-be-registered"]·FR["se-faire-inscrire"]·heb["כְּתוּבִים", "לְהִתְפָּקֵד"]·HI["नाम-लिखवाने", "लिखे-हुए"]·ID["terdaftar", "untuk-didaftarkan", "untuk-mendaftarkan", "untuk-mendaftarkan-diri"]·IT["apogegrammenōn", "apographesthai", "apograpsasthai"]·jav["kaseratan", "supados-dipun-catheti", "supados-dipun-catheti,"]·KO["등록-된", "호적하기-위하여"]·PT["inscritos", "para-registrar-se", "para-ser-registrado"]·RU["записанных", "переписаться", "переписывать", "переписываться"]·ES["a-ser-empadronado", "a-ser-empadronados", "inscritos", "ser-empadronada"]·SW["kuandikishwa", "waandikishwe", "walioandikwa"]·TR["kaydedilmiş", "yazılmak", "yazılmak-için"]·urd["لکھوانے", "لکھوانے-کو", "لکھے-گئے"]
Related Senses
H0559 1. say, speak, tell (5297×)G3004 1. say, tell, speak (2226×)H1696 1. speak, say, tell (Piel) (1105×)H7121 1. call, summon, name (575×)H6680 1. command, order, charge (483×)H6030b 1. answer, respond, reply (289×)G2980 1. speak, talk (277×)H5046 1. Hifil: to tell, report (237×)G0611 1. answer or respond verbally (232×)H1288 1. Piel: bless, invoke blessing (227×)H7650 1. swear, take an oath (Niphal) (154×)H3789 1. Qal passive participle: written, recorded (112×)H1984b 1. praise, laud (Piel) (111×)H7592 1. ask, inquire, question (96×)H3034 1. give thanks, praise (Hifil) (94×)G1321 1. teach, instruct actively (92×)H3789 2. Qal active: write, compose (89×)G1125 1. to write, compose (a letter or document) (84×)H5046 2. Hifil: to declare, proclaim (79×)H7892a 1. song, musical composition (78×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἀπογρᾰφ-ω, write off, copy, and in middle, have a thing copied, have a copy made of, τι Refs 5th c.BC+; commit to writing, ὀνόματαRefs 5th c.BC+ __II enter in a list, register, ἔθνος ἓν ἕκαστον ἀπέγραφον οἱ γραμματισταίRefs 5th c.BC+:—passive, to be registered, παρὰ τοῖς ἄρχουσιRefs 5th c.BC+:—frequently middle, register as one's own property, ἄρνας δέκα δύοRefs 1st c.AD+; declare as liable to…