ἀποπίπτω G0634
to fall off, drop away from something
This compound verb captures the image of something falling or dropping away from a surface or position. In Homer it describes dew falling from rocks, while later Greek uses it for a sword slipping from its sheath or metaphorically for failing to obtain something hoped for. The single biblical occurrence describes scales falling from Saul's eyes after his Damascus road encounter—a vivid physical detail marking the moment of spiritual sight being restored.
Senses
1. sense 1 — The physical act of falling off or dropping away. At Acts 9:18, Luke records that 'something like scales fell from [Saul's] eyes' immediately before he regained his sight and was baptized. The translations uniformly recognize this as a falling-off action (Spanish cayeron, French tomber, English fell-off), with the German preserving the Greek aorist form. The classical usage of objects slipping or falling from their positions provides the semantic background for Luke's striking detail of Saul's transformation from blindness to sight. 1×
AR["سَقَطَ"]·ben["পড়ে-গেল"]·DE["ἀπέπεσαν"]·EN["fell-off"]·FR["tomber"]·heb["נָפְלוּ"]·HI["गिरे"]·ID["jatuh"]·IT["cadere"]·jav["dhawah"]·KO["떨어졌다"]·PT["caíram"]·RU["отпали"]·ES["cayeron"]·SW["vilianguka"]·TR["düştü"]·urd["گرے"]
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
ἀποπίπτω, fall off from, ἐκ πέτρηςRefs 8th c.BC+; τοῦ κολεοῦ ἀ. ὁ μύκηςRefs 4th c.BC+slip off, Refs 2nd c.BC+ __2 absolutely, fall off, στιλπναὶ δ᾽ ἀπέπιπτον ἔερσαιRefs 8th c.BC+ __II miss or fail in obtaining, τῆς ἐλπίδος ἀ.Refs 2nd c.BC+; fail to record, let slip, τῶν ἀναγκαιοτέρωνRefs 1st c.BC+: absolutely, to be disappointed, fail, Refs 2nd c.BC+