ἀπολύω G0630
To release, dismiss, divorce, or forgive; freeing captives, dispersing crowds, repudiating a spouse, pardoning sins.
Apoluo belongs to the luo ('loose') compound family and carries the fundamental image of untying or letting go. In the Gospels it operates across four distinct social spheres: the judicial (releasing Barabbas), the communal (dismissing crowds after feeding miracles), the domestic (divorce debates in Matt 5 and 19), and the spiritual (forgiving sins in Luke 6:37). What makes these boundaries sharp is the multilingual evidence: Arabic assigns entirely different roots — atlaqahu for release, sarafa for dismissal, yutalliqu for divorce, ighfiru for forgiveness. Korean and Swahili similarly deploy distinct lexical items across all four domains, confirming real conceptual boundaries.
5. sense 5 — To depart or take one's leave — a single occurrence at Acts 28:25 where the Jewish leaders in Rome 'were departing' after discussion with Paul. English 'they were departing' and Spanish se-iban ('they were leaving') both treat this as intransitive middle-voice departure rather than being released by another. Well attested in classical Greek but marginal in the New Testament. 1×
AR["انصَرَفوا"]·ben["চলিয়া-যাইতেছিল"]·DE["lässt-frei"]·EN["they-were-departing"]·FR["libérer"]·heb["הָלְכוּ"]·HI["चले-गए;"]·ID["pergi;"]·IT["rilasciare"]·jav["késah;"]·KO["떠났다"]·PT["despediam-se;"]·RU["расходились;"]·ES["se-iban"]·SW["waliondoka"]·TR["-o"]·urd["رخصت-ہوتے-تھے"]
▼ 4 more sense(s) below
Senses
1. release, set free — To release or set free from custody, bondage, or obligation — 32 occurrences concentrated in the Passion narratives around the Passover custom of releasing a prisoner (Matt 27:15-26; Mark 15:6-15; John 18:39). Also covers releasing from illness (Luke 13:12, the woman bound by Satan). Arabic atlaqa ('set free') and Swahili -achia ('release') map precisely to this liberation frame. Korean 놓아 주다 ('let go') similarly selects freedom-specific vocabulary. 32×
AR["أَطْلَقَ", "أَطْلَقُوهُمَا", "أَطْلَقُوهُمْ", "أَنْ-يُطْلِقَ", "أَنْ-يُطْلِقَهُ", "أُطْلِقَ", "سَأُطْلِقُهُ", "كَانَ-يُطْلِقُ", "مُطْلَقٌ", "يُطْلِقَ"]·ben["ছেড়ে-দিতেন", "ছেড়ে-দিলেন", "ছেড়ে-দেন", "মুক্ত", "মুক্ত-করতে", "মুক্ত-করব", "মুক্ত-করলেন", "মুক্ত-করি"]·DE["freilassen", "lässt-frei"]·EN["I-release", "I-should-release", "I-will-release", "having-been-released", "he-released", "he-should-release", "he-was-releasing", "released", "to-release"]·FR["libérer", "relâcher"]·heb["אֲשַׁחְרֵר", "יְשַׁחְרֵר", "לְ-הַתִּיר", "לְשַׁחְרֵר", "מְשֻׁחְרָר", "שִׁחְרְרוּ", "שִׁחְרֵר"]·HI["उन्हें", "छोड़-दिया", "छोड़-दूँगा", "छोड़-दे", "छोड़ता-था", "छोड़ना", "छोड़ूं", "छोड़े-गए", "मैं-छोड़ूँ"]·ID["Aku-membebaskan", "Dia-melepaskan", "aku-akan-melepaskan", "aku-lepaskan", "dia-melepaskan", "dibebaskan;", "melepaskan", "melepaskan.", "membebaskan"]·IT["apolelumenon", "rilasciare"]·jav["Kawula-luwar", "dipunlépas", "kula-luwari", "kula-ngluwari", "ngluwari", "ngluwari.", "nglépas", "nglépas-aken.", "sampun-dipunbebasaken"]·KO["그리고", "놓아주겠다", "놓아주기를", "놓아주도록", "놓아주려고", "놓아주었다", "석방-된-것을", "석방하고-있었다", "석방하기-를", "석방하도록", "석방하였다", "석방했다", "위협하고"]·PT["foi-solto", "soltar", "soltaram", "soltasse", "soltava", "solte", "soltou"]·RU["освобождённого", "отпускал", "отпускать", "отпустил", "отпустили", "отпустить", "отпустить.", "отпущу"]·ES["de-soltar", "liberado", "que-suelte", "soltaba", "soltar", "soltara", "soltaron", "soltaré", "soltó", "suelte"]·SW["akamtoa", "aliwaachia", "ameachiliwa;", "awaachie", "kukuachilia", "kumtoa", "kumwachia", "kumwachilia", "kutoa", "nimwachie", "nimwachilie", "nitamtoa", "waliwaachia"]·TR["bırakayım", "bırakmak", "bıraktı", "salacağım", "salmak", "salverdi", "salıverdi", "salıveriyordu", "salıversin", "serbest-bırakayım", "serbest-bırakmak", "serbest-bırakmaya", "serbest-bıraktılar", "serbest-bırakılmış-olduğunu"]·urd["رہا-کرنے-کے-لیے", "رہا-کیا-گیا", "چھوڑ دوں", "چھوڑ-دوں-گا", "چھوڑ-دُوں", "چھوڑ-دیا", "چھوڑا", "چھوڑتا-تھا", "چھوڑنا", "چھوڑنے کا", "چھوڑے"]
Matt 27:15, Matt 27:17, Matt 27:21, Matt 27:26, Mark 15:6, Mark 15:9, Mark 15:11, Mark 15:15, Luke 2:29, Luke 13:12, Luke 23:16, Luke 23:17 (+20 more)
2. dismiss, send away — To dismiss or send away a group or individual — 18 occurrences, prominent in the feeding narratives where Jesus refuses to 'send away' the crowds hungry (Matt 14:15, 22-23; 15:23, 32). The crucial evidence for separating this from sense 1 is Arabic sarafa ('dismiss'), a completely different root from atlaqa. Korean distinguishes 보내다 ('send away') from liberation vocabulary, and Swahili -ruhusu ('permit to leave') differs from -achia ('free'). 18×
AR["أَصْرِفْهُمْ", "أَطلَقوا", "أَطلَقوهُما", "أَطْلَقَهُ", "أَنْ-أَصْرِفَ", "أُرسِلوا", "اصْرِفِ", "اصْرِفْ", "اصْرِفْهُمْ", "اِصْرِفِ", "صَرَفَ", "صَرَفَهُ", "صَرَفَهُمْ", "يَصْرِفَ", "يَصْرِفُ"]·ben["ছেড়ে-দিল", "ছেড়ে-দিলেন", "ছেড়ে-দেওয়া", "তিনি-বিসর্জন-দিলেন", "পাঠিয়ে-দিলেন", "বিদায়-দাও", "বিদায়-দিই", "বিদায়-দিতে", "বিদায়-দিয়ে", "বিদায়-দিলেন", "বিদায়-দেন"]·DE["freilassen", "lässt-frei"]·EN["Dismiss", "I-send-away", "Send-away", "dismiss", "dismisses", "having-been-released", "having-dismissed", "having-sent-away", "he-dismissed", "he-sent-away", "released", "send-away", "sent-away", "they-released", "to-send-away"]·FR["libérer", "relâcher"]·heb["אֲשַׁלֵּחֵם", "לְשַׁלֵּחַ", "מְשַׁלֵּחַ", "מְשֻׁחְרָרִים", "שִׁלְּחָם", "שִׁלְּחוֹ", "שִׁלְּחוּ", "שִׁלֵּחַ", "שִׁלַּח", "שַׁלְּחֵם", "שַׁלְּחֶהָ", "שַׁלַּח"]·HI["चोद-दिय", "छोड़ा", "विदअ-कर", "विदअ-करके", "विदअ-करन", "विदअ-करे", "विदअ-करो", "विदा-कर", "विदा-करूं", "विदा-किया", "विदा-किया।", "विदा-होकर"]·ID["Aku-menyuruh-pergi", "Dia-menyuruh-pergi", "Lepaskanlah", "Suruhlah-pergi", "dia-membubarkan", "dilepaskan", "melepaskan", "menyuruh-pergi", "mereka-melepaskan", "suruhlah-pergi"]·IT["rilasciare"]·jav["Kawula-lila", "Kèndela", "Kéndela", "Luwèhna", "dipun-luwari", "lilakaken", "maringi-lilanipun", "mbubaraken", "ngeculaken", "nglipur", "ngluwari", "ngluwèh", "ngutus."]·KO["그가-해산했다", "그들이-석방했다", "놓아주었다", "보내다", "보내면", "보내셨다", "보내소서", "보내시고", "보내시는-동안", "보내시오", "보내십시오", "보내진", "보냈다", "해산시키신다"]·PT["Despede", "despedir", "despediram.", "despedisse", "despediu", "tendo-despedido", "tendo-sido-despedidos,"]·RU["Отпусти", "Отпустил", "отпускает", "отпусти", "отпустив", "отпустил", "отпустили", "отпустит", "отпустить", "отпущенные", "отпущу", "распустил"]·ES["Despídela", "despedidos", "despedirlos", "despide", "despidiera", "despidió", "despido", "despídelos", "habiendo-despedido", "lo-despidió", "lo-soltó", "los-despidieron", "soltaron"]·SW["Mwache-aende", "Waruhusu-waende", "akamwacha", "akiwaruhusu", "aliivunja", "alimruhusu-aende", "alimwachia", "aliwaaga", "anawaaga", "awaache", "kuwaruhusu", "nikiwaaga", "waache", "waache-waende", "wakawaruhusu.", "wakiachiliwa", "waliwaachilia"]·TR["Bırak", "Gönder", "bırak", "bıraktı", "bırakılınca", "bırakır", "bırakırsam", "dağıttı", "gönder", "gönderdi", "gönderip", "göndermek", "göndermesi", "salIverdi", "saldı", "salıverdiler", "serbest-bıraktılar"]·urd["برخاست-کیا", "رخصت-دے", "رخصت-کر", "رخصت-کر-کے", "رخصت-کرنا", "رخصت-کرے", "رخصت-کیا", "رُخصت-کر", "رُخصت-کیا", "رُخصت-ہو-کر", "رہا-کیا", "چھوڑ-دوں", "چھوڑ-دیا"]
Matt 14:15, Matt 14:22, Matt 14:23, Matt 15:23, Matt 15:32, Matt 15:39, Matt 18:27, Mark 6:36, Mark 6:45, Mark 8:3, Mark 8:9, Luke 8:38 (+6 more)
3. divorce, put away spouse — To divorce or repudiate a spouse — 15 occurrences in the synoptic marriage passages (Matt 1:19; 5:31-32; 19:3-9; Mark 10:2-12; Luke 16:18). Arabic yutalliqu uses the dedicated divorce root t-l-q in Form II, Korean 버리다 ('throw away') shifts to abandonment vocabulary, and Swahili -mwacha ('forsake a spouse') selects spousal separation language. The halakhic Hillel/Shammai backdrop of Matt 19 confirms this as a tightly bounded legal-domestic sense. 15×
AR["أَنْ-تُطَلِّقُوا", "أَنْ-يُطَلِّقَ", "أَنْ-يُطَلِّقَهَا", "المُطَلَّقَةَ", "مَنْ-يُطَلِّقْ", "مُطَلَّقَةً", "مُطَلِّقَةً", "يَتَزَوَّجْ-مُطَلَّقَةً", "يُطَلِّقَ", "يُطَلِّقُ", "يُطَلِّقْ"]·ben["ত্যাগ-করছে", "ত্যাগ-করতে", "ত্যাগ-করা", "ত্যাগ-করে", "ত্যাগপ্রাপ্ত", "ত্যাগপ্রাপ্তাকে"]·DE["freilassen", "lässt-frei"]·EN["divorced", "divorced-woman", "divorces", "divorcing", "having-been-divorced", "to-divorce"]·FR["relâcher"]·heb["גְּרוּשָׁה", "יְשַׁלֵּחַ", "לְשַׁלְּחָהּ", "לְשַׁלֵּחַ", "מְגָרֵשׁ", "מְגוּרֶשֶׁת", "מְשַׁלֵּחַ", "מְשֻׁלֶּחֶת", "שִׁלְּחָה"]·HI["छोड़-दे", "छोड़-देना", "छोड़कर", "छोड़ना", "छोड़नेवाला", "छोड़ी-हुई-से", "छोड़े", "त्यअगन", "त्यअगि-हुइ-से", "त्यअगे", "त्यागने-वाला", "त्यागी-हुई"]·ID["menceraikan", "yang-diceraikan", "yang-menceraikan"]·IT["rilasciare"]·jav["dipegat", "ingkang-dipun-pegat", "megat", "negakaken", "sampun-dipun-pegat", "sasampunipun-megat"]·KO["끊다", "내보내는-것이", "내보내도록", "내보내면", "내보낸-여자-와", "버리고", "버리기-를", "버리는", "버리는-자", "버리리라", "버리면", "버림-받은-여자-를", "버림받은-여자와"]·PT["a-despedida", "com-a-despedida", "com-repudiada", "despedi", "despedi-la", "despedindo", "despedir", "que-despede", "que-repudia"]·RU["на-отпущенной", "отпускать", "отпускающий", "отпустив", "отпустит", "отпустить", "отпущенную", "разведённую", "разведётся", "разводящийся"]·ES["a-la-despedida", "a-repudiada", "con-la-despedida", "despedir", "despedirla", "despida", "despidiere", "habiendo-despedido", "que-despide", "que-repudia"]·SW["-", "akaoa", "akimwacha", "aliyeachwa", "anayemwacha", "atakayemwacha", "kumwacha", "mwache", "yeye"]·TR["boşamak", "boşamaya", "boşanmış", "boşanmış-olanla", "boşanmış-olanı", "boşarsa", "boşayan", "boşayıp"]·urd["طلاق-دینے-والا", "طلاق-دے", "طلاق-یافتہ", "مطلقہ-سے", "چھوڑ-دینا", "چھوڑ-کر", "چھوڑنا", "چھوڑی-ہوئی-سے", "چھوڑے"]
4. forgive, pardon — To forgive or pardon — two occurrences in Luke 6:37 ('forgive and you will be forgiven'). The 'loosing' metaphor extends from physical bonds to moral debts. Arabic deploys the entirely distinct root gh-f-r (ighfiru), Swahili uses -samehe ('pardon'), Korean 용서하다 ('forgive') — all dedicated forgiveness vocabulary with no overlap to release, dismissal, or divorce. Cross-linguistic unanimity confirms a real sense. 2×
AR["اغفِروا", "تُغفَروا"]·ben["ক্ষমা-কর", "ক্ষমা-পাবে"]·DE["lässt-frei"]·EN["release", "you-will-be-released"]·FR["relâcher"]·heb["שַׁחְרְרוּ", "תְּשֻׁחְרַרוּ"]·HI["छोड़े-जाओगे", "छोड़ो"]·ID["Ampunilah", "kalian-akan-diampuni"]·IT["rilasciare"]·jav["ngapuntena", "panjenengan-sedaya-badhe-dipun-apunten"]·KO["놓아주라", "놓임-받을-것이다"]·RU["будете-отпущены", "отпускайте"]·ES["perdonad", "seréis-perdonados"]·SW["mtasamehewa", "sameheni"]·TR["bırakılacaksınız.", "bırakın,"]
Related Senses
G0859 1. forgiveness (15×)G2644 1. reconcile, restore to right relationship (6×)H8059 1. (5×)G0447 1. (4×)G2643 1. (4×)H8058 1. release, remit (debts/land) (4×)G0604 1. (3×)H3722a 3. forgive, pardon directly (Piel) (3×)H5547 1. (3×)G1245 1. (2×)H3722a 5. cover, conceal sin (Piel) (2×)G1259 1. (1×)G3929 1. (1×)G4774 1. (1×)H3722a 6. (1×)H3722a 7. (1×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἀπολύω [see. λύω], future -λύσω, etc.: future passive __A ἀπολελύσομαιRefs 5th c.BC+:—loose from, ἱμάντα θοῶς ἀπέλυσε κορώνηςRefs 8th c.BC+; ὄφρ᾽ ἀπὸ τοίχους λῦσε κλύδων τρόπιος the sides of the ship from the keel, Refs; undo, ἀπὸ κρήδεμνον ἔλυσενRefs 5th c.BC+ __A.2 set free, release, relieve from, ἀ. τινὰ τῆς φρουρῆςRefs 5th c.BC+; ἀ. τῆς μετρήσεως save them from the trouble of measuring, Refs…