ἀπώλεια G0684
Destruction, perdition, utter ruin; also waste or loss of something valuable.
A weighty noun in the New Testament's eschatological vocabulary, apoleia names the final, irreversible ruin of persons or things. Jesus speaks of the 'broad way that leads to destruction' (Matt 7:13), calls Judas the 'son of perdition' (John 17:12), and Peter warns of false teachers bringing 'swift destruction' upon themselves (2 Pet 2:1). Spanish alternates revealingly between 'destrucción' (annihilation) and 'perdición' (perdition, being utterly lost), while Arabic 'halak' drives home the totality of the ruin. Yet in two Gospel passages (Matt 26:8; Mark 14:4), the same word describes the disciples' complaint about the 'waste' of expensive ointment poured on Jesus — a startling shift from cosmic ruin to domestic economics, where Spanish 'desperdicio' (waste) replaces 'destrucción.'
Senses
1. destruction, perdition — Destruction, perdition, or utter ruin — especially in eschatological and theological contexts. Denotes the final, total loss or annihilation of persons under divine judgment. Jesus contrasts the narrow way to life with the broad way to apoleia (Matt 7:13); Judas is the 'son of destruction' (John 17:12); Paul describes 'vessels of wrath prepared for destruction' (Rom 9:22). Spanish toggles between 'perdición' (emphasizing being lost) and 'destrucción' (emphasizing annihilation); French uses 'perdition'; German 'Verderben' captures both ruin and corruption. The word signals irreversibility — this is not temporary setback but final, complete ruin. 16×
AR["الدَّمارِ", "الهَلاكِ", "الْهَلَاكِ", "هَلاكًا", "هَلاكٌ", "هَلاكٍ", "هَلاكُهُم", "هَلاكِ", "هَلاكِهِم", "هَلَاك", "هَلَاكٍ", "هَلَاكِ"]·ben["ধ্বংস", "ধ্বংসে", "ধ্বংসের", "ধ্বংসের,", "বিনাশে", "বিনাশে।"]·DE["Verderben", "ἀπώλειαν"]·EN["destruction", "of-destruction"]·FR["perdition"]·heb["אֲבַדְּוֹן", "אֲבַדָּן,", "אֲבַדָּן;", "אֲבַדּוֹן", "אֲבַדוֹן", "שֶׁל-אֲבַדּוֹן"]·HI["नश", "नाश-को", "विनअश", "विनअश,", "विनअश;", "विनाश", "विनाश,", "विनाश-के"]·ID["kebinasaan", "kebinasaan,", "kebinasaan.", "kebinasaan;"]·IT["apoleian", "apoleias", "distruzione", "perdizione"]·jav["kabinasaan", "karisakan", "karisakan,", "karisakan.", "karisakan;", "karusakan,", "karusakan.", "karusakan;", "kasirnakan,"]·KO["멸망", "멸망,", "멸망-으로", "멸망-의", "멸망-의,", "멸망.", "멸망에", "멸망을", "멸망을.", "멸망의", "멸망의;", "멸망이"]·PT["de-perdição", "destruição", "destruição;", "perdição", "é-perdição"]·RU["гибель", "погибели", "погибели,", "погибель", "погибельные"]·ES["de-destrucción", "de-perdición", "destrucción", "perdición"]·SW["maangamizi", "uharibifu", "uharibifu,", "upotevu", "wa-uharibifu", "ya-uharibifu"]·TR["helak", "helaka", "helake", "helakın", "helâkin", "yikim", "yikimin", "yıkıma", "yıkımlarına", "yıkımı", "yıkımın", "yıkımına"]·urd["تباہی؛", "تباہی۔", "ہلاکت", "ہلاکت-کی", "ہلاکت-کے،", "ہلاکت۔"]
2. waste, squandering — Waste, squandering, or needless loss of something valuable. Appears only in the Synoptic accounts of the anointing at Bethany (Matt 26:8; Mark 14:4), where the disciples protest the pouring of costly ointment as 'waste.' Spanish 'desperdicio' (waste) and 'pérdida' (loss) clearly distinguish this from the eschatological sense. The same root that elsewhere names eternal perdition here names the perceived destruction of economic value — an ironic juxtaposition, since what the disciples call 'waste' Jesus calls a beautiful act of devotion. 2×
AR["إِتْلَافُ", "الْإِتْلَافُ"]·ben["অপচয়", "নষ্ট"]·DE["Verderben", "ἀπώλεια"]·EN["waste"]·FR["perdition"]·heb["אֲבַדָּה", "אַבְדָן"]·HI["नाश"]·ID["pemborosan"]·IT["apoleia"]·jav["kapitunan", "kasiyasian"]·KO["낭비-가", "낭비가"]·PT["desperdício"]·RU["расточение", "растрата"]·ES["desperdicio", "pérdida"]·SW["kupoteza", "upotevu"]·TR["israf", "israfı"]·urd["ضائع-کرنا", "ضیاع"]
Related Senses
H4421 1. war, battle, armed conflict (319×)H0341 1. enemy, adversary, foe (284×)H3898a 1. Nifal: to fight, wage war (167×)H2026 1. kill, slay (active) (146×)H2451 1. wisdom, discernment (146×)H5483b 1. horse (the animal) (138×)H0006 1. to perish, be destroyed (105×)H7843 1. Hifil: destroy, annihilate (83×)H2491a 1. slain, fatally pierced (74×)H6862c 1. adversary, enemy, foe (69×)H8045 1. destroy, exterminate (69×)G0615 1. kill, put to death (60×)H6571b 1. horseman, cavalryman (52×)H8077a 1. desolation, waste (abstract state) (52×)G4678 1. of wisdom (51×)G4717 1. crucify, fasten to a cross (46×)H2763a 1. utterly destroy (Hifil active) (44×)G0622 1. perish, be destroyed (intransitive) (41×)H0006 2. to destroy, annihilate (Piel) (38×)H8074 1. be desolate, lie waste (36×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἀπώλεια, ἡ, destruction, Refs 4th c.BC+ __II loss, Refs; opposed to τήρησις, Refs 2nd c.BC+; τῶν χρόνων ἀ.Refs 2nd c.AD+ __II.2 perdition, NT __II.3 thing lost, LXX