519. apagchó
Lexical Summary
apagchó: To hang oneself, to strangle

Original Word: ἀπάγχω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: apagchó
Pronunciation: ä-pä'-ŋkho
Phonetic Spelling: (ap-ang'-khom-ahee)
KJV: hang himself
NASB: hanged
Word Origin: [from G575 (ἀπό - since) and agcho "to choke" (akin to the base of G43 (ἀγκάλη - arms))]

1. to strangle oneself off (i.e. to death)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
hang himself.

From apo and agcho (to choke; akin to the base of agkale); to strangle oneself off (i.e. To death) -- hang himself.

see GREEK apo

see GREEK agkale

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from apo and agchó (to press, strangle)
Definition
to strangle, hang oneself
NASB Translation
hanged (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 519: ἀπάγχω

ἀπάγχω (cf. Latinangustus,anxius, English anguish, etc.; Curtius, § 166): 1 aorist middle ἀπηγξαμην; to throttle, strangle, in order to put out of the way (ἀπό away, cf. ἀποκτείνω to kill off), Homer, Odyssey 19, 230; middle to hang oneself, to end one's life by hanging: Matthew 27:5. (2 Samuel 17:23; Tobit 3:10; in Attic from Aeschylus down.)

Topical Lexicon
Narrative Context

The single New Testament appearance of ἀπήγξατο (Middle Aorist of Strong’s 519) occurs in Matthew 27:5: “So Judas threw the silver into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself” (Berean Standard Bible). The verb stands at the climax of Judas Iscariot’s betrayal narrative. Having acknowledged “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood” (Matthew 27:4), Judas receives no absolution from the chief priests. His self-execution therefore functions literarily as the tragic resolution of unrepentant remorse in contrast to the restoration of Peter (John 21:15-19).

Theological Implications

1. Finality of Rejecting Christ: Judas’ hanging seals his rejection of the only One who could bear his guilt. Matthew’s deliberate placement of the suicide between the condemnation of Jesus and the purchase of the “Field of Blood” (Matthew 27:6-8) underscores the sterility of human solutions to sin.
2. Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility: Matthew immediately cites Jeremiah (Matthew 27:9-10), affirming that Scripture foresaw even the price of betrayal. Judas’ free act of despair nevertheless fulfills prophecy without excusing his guilt (cf. Acts 1:16).
3. Curse Motif: Deuteronomy 21:22-23 associates a body hung on a tree with a curse. Judas’ choice graphically pictures the curse of sin he refused to transfer to Christ, who Himself would soon “become a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13).

Judas’ Despair Versus Godly Repentance

• Remorse (metamelētheis, Matthew 27:3) is an emotional reaction to consequences; repentance (metanoia) is a Spirit-wrought change of mind that turns to God.
• Peter weeps bitterly (Matthew 26:75) yet runs to the empty tomb (Luke 24:12). Judas retreats into solitary destruction. The two disciples illustrate the difference between sorrow that “leads to repentance” and sorrow that “produces death” (2 Corinthians 7:10).

Prophetic Resonance and Old Testament Echoes

Psalm 41:9; Psalm 55:12-14—intimate friend’s betrayal foreshadowed.
Zechariah 11:12-13—thirty pieces of silver and the potter’s field.
2 Samuel 17:23—Ahithophel, David’s betrayer, “went home and hanged himself,” providing a typological precedent.

Matthew’s incorporation of these texts frames Judas as the culmination of a biblical pattern in which betrayal ends in self-destruction, validating Scriptural unity.

Suicide in Biblical Perspective

Scripture records five suicides (Judges 9:54; 1 Samuel 31:4-5; 2 Samuel 17:23; 1 Kings 16:18; Matthew 27:5; Acts 16:27 is aborted). None are commended, none portray suicide as an acceptable escape, and all occur in contexts of defeat or divine judgment. Human life remains God’s possession (Genesis 9:5-6). The biblical answer to despair is refuge in the Lord (Psalm 34:18), not self-termination.

Ministry Application

• Preach Christ as sufficient to cleanse even the gravest sin. Judas’ account warns against hopeless guilt while pointing to the Savior Judas refused.
• Counsel those in despair that remorse must move toward repentance and faith. Use passages such as 1 John 1:9 and Hebrews 4:16 to offer assurance.
• Guard the heart against incremental compromise. Judas’ theft (John 12:6) progressed to betrayal and ended in suicide; small sins tolerate greater ones when left unchecked.
• Address suicide proactively. While Scripture condemns self-murder, it also commands believers to “bear one another’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2), offering community and gospel hope to the hopeless.

Mission and Discipleship Significance

The lone occurrence of Strong’s 519 stands as a solemn footnote to the passion narrative, reminding disciples that proximity to Jesus and participation in ministry (Matthew 10:1-4) do not guarantee saving faith. True discipleship perseveres in humble dependence on grace, whereas counterfeit allegiance may collapse under the weight of unconfessed sin.

Forms and Transliterations
απηγξατο απήγξατο ἀπήγξατο apenxato apēnxato apḗnxato
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Matthew 27:5 V-AIM-3S
GRK: καὶ ἀπελθὼν ἀπήγξατο
NAS: and he went away and hanged himself.
KJV: and went and hanged himself.
INT: and having gone away hanged himself

Strong's Greek 519
1 Occurrence


ἀπήγξατο — 1 Occ.

518
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