Lexical Summary andrapodistés: Slave trader, kidnapper Original Word: ἀνδραποδιστής Strong's Exhaustive Concordance kidnapper, slave trader.From a derivative of a compound of aner and pous; an enslaver (as bringing men to his feet) -- menstealer. see GREEK aner see GREEK pous NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom andrapodon (a slave) Definition a slave dealer NASB Translation kidnappers (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 405: ἀνδραποδιστήςἀνδραποδιστής, ἀνδραποδιστου, ὁ (from ἀνδραποδίζω, and this from τό ἀνδράποδον — from ἀνήρ and πούς — a slave, a man taken in war and sold into slavery), a slave-dealer, kidnapper, man-stealer, i. e. as well one who unjustly reduces free men to slavery, as one who steals the slaves of others and sells them: 1 Timothy 1:10. (Aristophanes, Xenophon, Plato, Demosthenes, Isocrates, Lysias, Polybius) Topical Lexicon Meaning and Background The term designates those who kidnap or otherwise seize human beings in order to reduce them to the status of property and sell them for profit. It stands at the extreme end of offenses against the dignity of persons created in the image of God, converting a life into merchandise. Biblical Usage The word occurs once in the New Testament, within Paul’s summary of sins that stand “contrary to sound doctrine” (1 Timothy 1:10). The surrounding list moves from sexual immorality to violence and finally to the commercialized dehumanization embodied in the slave-dealer. By placing the crime among such notorious transgressions, the apostle emphasizes its utter incompatibility with a life shaped by the Gospel. “...for the sexually immoral, for homosexuals, for slave traders, liars, perjurers, and for anyone else who is averse to sound teaching.” (1 Timothy 1:10) Old Testament Foundations Long before Rome’s slave markets, the Mosaic Law treated kidnapping for slave-selling as a capital offense: • “Whoever kidnaps a man and sells him, or if he is found in his possession, must surely be put to death.” (Exodus 21:16) These statutes underline the continuity between the Testaments: the God who liberated Israel from Egypt tolerates no re-enslavement of His creatures. Relationship to the Decalogue Man-stealing violates multiple commandments. It steals a person, bears false witness by denying his true status as God’s image-bearer, and—when brutality accompanies the seizure—moves toward murder. Paul’s catalogue in 1 Timothy 1 echoes this Decalogue structure, showing that the moral law remains a fixed measure of sin. Historical Context in the Greco-Roman World The first-century Mediterranean economy trafficked prisoners of war, abandoned infants, and victims of piracy. Kidnappers operated along coastal routes, in the countryside, and wherever legal protection was weak. Though slavery itself was widespread, Roman law still branded abduction a crime; yet enforcement was sporadic. Against this backdrop, the church’s categorical condemnation of the practice marked a counter-cultural stand, offering refuge to some of society’s most vulnerable. Theological Significance 1. Image of God: Reducing people to chattel denies their God-given worth. Application for Ministry • Preaching and Teaching: Highlight the biblical ban on kidnapping to address modern human trafficking, forced labor, and child soldiering. Related Scriptures for Study Exodus 21:16; Deuteronomy 24:7; Job 31:13-15; Amos 1:6; Matthew 7:12; 1 Corinthians 7:21-23; Colossians 4:1; Philemon 15-16; Revelation 18:11-13. Forms and Transliterations ανδραποδισταις ανδραποδισταίς ἀνδραποδισταῖς andrapodistais andrapodistaîsLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |
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