ἀπωθέω G0683
To push away, thrust aside, or reject; used metaphorically for repudiating God's word, covenant, or people.
Apotheo combines 'away' with 'push' to yield a vivid image of forceful rejection. In the NT it appears almost exclusively in a metaphorical sense -- not physical shoving, but the deliberate repudiation of divine truth or authority. Stephen recounts how Israel's ancestors pushed Moses away (Acts 7:27, 39), Paul and Barnabas declare that their audience 'thrust aside' the word of God (Acts 13:46), Paul insists God has not 'rejected' his people (Rom 11:1-2), and the shipwrecked faith of Hymenaeus and Alexander is described as having 'rejected' a good conscience (1 Tim 1:19). The translation evidence underscores the metaphorical weight: Spanish 'rechazaron,' French 'rejeter,' German 'verstossen.'
Senses
1. push away, reject, repudiate — To push away or thrust aside, used almost entirely in the metaphorical sense of rejecting, repudiating, or refusing something of value. In Acts 7:27 and 7:39, Israel pushes Moses away both physically and covenantally; in Acts 13:46, the synagogue audience thrusts aside the word of God. Paul's rhetorical question in Rom 11:1-2 -- has God rejected his people? -- uses the same verb to deny any such divine repudiation. In 1 Tim 1:19, the rejection is of one's own conscience. Cross-lingual evidence (Spanish 'rechazar,' French 'rejeter/repousser,' German 'verstossen') consistently renders the word as deliberate, forceful refusal. 6×
AR["إِذْ-رَفَضوهُ", "تَرفُضونَ", "دَفَعَهُ", "رَفَضَ", "رَفَضُوهُ", "يَرْفُضْ"]·ben["ঠেলে-দিল", "প্রত্যাখ্যান-করছ", "প্রত্যাখ্যান-করে,", "প্রত্যাখ্যান-করেছেন"]·DE["verstossen", "ἀπωθεῖσθε", "ἀπώσαντο", "ἀπώσατο"]·EN["did-reject", "having-rejected", "pushed-away", "you-thrust-away"]·FR["rejeter", "repousser"]·heb["דָּחָה", "דָּחוּ", "דּוֹחִים", "דּוֹחִים-אַתֶּם", "הִדְּחָה"]·HI["ठुकराते-हो", "तुक्रकर", "त्याग-दिया", "धकेला"]·ID["mendorong", "menolak", "menolak,"]·IT["apōsamenoi", "respingere"]·jav["nampik", "nampik,", "nulak", "nulak,", "panjenengan-nampik"]·KO["밀쳐냈다", "밀치니", "밀친-자들,", "버리셨는다", "버리지"]·PT["a-rejeitais", "rejeitando", "rejeitaram", "rejeitou", "repeliu"]·RU["-отверг", "отвергаете", "отвергнув", "оттолкнул", "оттолкнули"]·ES["habiendo-rechazado", "rechazaron", "rechazáis", "rechazó"]·SW["alimsukuma", "aliwakataa", "mnalikataa", "wakataa", "wakiikataa", "walimsukuma"]·TR["iterek", "itiyorsunuz", "ittiler", "komşusuna", "reddetti"]·urd["دھکیلا", "دھکیلتے-ہو", "رد-کرتے-ہوئے", "رد-کیا"]
Related Senses
G4102 1. faith, trust, belief (239×)G4100 1. believe / have faith in (233×)H0982 1. trust in, rely on (105×)H3988a 1. reject, refuse (56×)G4103 1. faithful, trustworthy, reliable (54×)H0530 1. faithfulness, fidelity, reliability (47×)H0539 1. believe, accept as true (42×)H3985 1. refuse, be unwilling (41×)H0539 2. faithful, trustworthy, sure (39×)H8582 1. lead astray, cause to err (22×)H2623 1. faithful ones / saints (community) (21×)G0571 1. unbelieving, unbeliever (20×)G3982 1. be persuaded or convinced (19×)H8582 2. go astray, err morally (19×)G4105 1. to deceive, lead astray (18×)G3982 2. trust or have confidence in (17×)H2186a 1. reject, spurn (Qal) (16×)H3988a 2. despise, scorn (14×)G3982 3. persuade or convince someone (13×)G4103 2. believing, a believer (13×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἀπωθέω, future infinitive ἀπωσέμενRefs 8th c.BC+: aorist ἀπέωσαRefs 8th c.BC+ probably corrupt in Refs 5th c.BC+:—middle, future ἀπεώσομαιLXX: aorist ἀπωσάμηνRefs 8th c.BC+perfect ἀπῶσμαι· ἀπώθησα, Refs 5th c.AD+, infinitive ἀπεῶσθαιRefs 5th c.BC+:—passive, perfect participle ἀπωσμένοςRefs 1st c.BC+ W.:—thrust away, push back, ὤϊξε πύλας καὶ ἀπῶσεν ὀχῆαςRefs 8th c.BC+; ἀ. ἐπάλξεις pushed them off…