Lexical Summary hapas: All, every, whole, entire Original Word: ἅπας Strong's Exhaustive Concordance all things, everyone, whole. From a (as a particle of union) and pas; absolutely all or (singular) every one -- all (things), every (one), whole. see GREEK a see GREEK pas HELPS Word-studies 537 hápas (from 260 /háma, "all together" and 3956 /pás, "each, every") – each and every one (as a comprehensive unit), i.e. "each and every part" making up a complete unit. 537 (hápas) focuses on the individual parts and their totality and thus "sweeps with a wider broom" than 3956 /pás ("each, every"). Example: Ac 11:10: "This happened three times, and everything (537 /hápas) was drawn back up into the sky" (NASU). In this verse, "everything" ("all," 537 /hápas) has two foci: each and every animal; and the entire Levitical food-system. Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 537: ἅπαςἅπας, ά῾πασα, ἅπαν (from ἅμα (or rather ἅ (Sanskritsa; cf. ἆ copulative), see Curtius, § 598; Vanicek, p. 972) and πᾶς; stronger than the simple πᾶς) (from Homer down); quite all, the whole, all together, all; it is either placed before a substantive having the article, as Luke 3:21; Luke 8:37; Luke 19:37; or placed after, as Mark 16:15 (εἰς τόν κόσμον ἅπαντα into all parts of the world); Luke 4:6 (this dominion wholely- i. e. all parts of this dominion which you see); STRONGS NT 537a: ἀπασπάζομαιἀπασπάζομαι: 1 aorist ἀπησπασαμην; to salute on leaving, bid farewell, take leave of: τινα, Acts 21:6 L T Tr WH. (Himerius, eclog. ex Phot. 11, p. 194.) The term ἅπας and its inflected forms (masculine, feminine, neuter; singular and plural) appear thirty-four times in the Greek New Testament. Like the more common πᾶς, it conveys the idea of totality, yet it often heightens the sense of comprehensiveness by gathering individuals into a single collective or by underscoring the entirety of a group, event, or object. When Scripture wishes to stress that nothing and no one is left outside the statement, ἅπας is frequently chosen. Distinctive Nuance While πᾶς can refer either to each piece considered separately or to the whole viewed together, ἅπας tends to merge the two, presenting a unified whole made up of every part. It often functions where an author desires to remove ambiguity about whether “all” really means “all.” Thus it serves apologetic, pastoral, and doctrinal aims by eliminating loopholes in the human heart’s tendency to qualify divine claims. Synoptic Emphasis on Universality Matthew, Mark, and Luke use ἅπας to spotlight moments when crowds unanimously react or when Jesus’ authority addresses the totality of creation. • Matthew 24:39 depicts the comprehensive judgment of the flood: “They were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away”. In each text ἅπας strengthens the sense that no hearer, location, or circumstance sits outside Christ’s sovereign claim or gracious invitation. Luke–Acts: Corporate Response and Witness Luke’s Gospel and its companion volume Acts employ ἅπας more than any other writer, revealing the Spirit’s work to gather disparate individuals into a Spirit-filled community. 1. Unified Crowds around Christ – Luke 3:21 notes that at Jesus’ baptism “all the people were being baptized.” The forerunner’s call elicited an across-the-board response, prefiguring Pentecost. Pauline and Catholic Epistles: Doctrinal Breadth and Pastoral Care • Ephesians 6:13 exhorts believers to “take up the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground.” By using ἅπαντα for “full,” Paul insists that no piece of equipment is optional in spiritual warfare. Christological and Missional Significance The term repeatedly frames Christ as Lord over every element of creation and every category of person. Matthew 6:32 contrasts pagan anxiety with the Father’s comprehensive knowledge: “Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.” In Luke 4:6 Satan falsely offers Jesus “all authority and splendor,” yet after His resurrection Jesus genuinely receives “all authority in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18, with ἅπας implied in context). This linguistic pattern affirms the unrestricted dominion of the Son and the unrestricted reach of the gospel. Ecclesiological Implications Occurrences in Acts illuminate early church life: • Radical generosity: possessions are held in common because the claim of Christ encompasses every believer and every asset (Acts 2:44; Acts 4:32). The vocabulary thus rebukes individualism and sustains biblical community. Pastoral Application 1. Total Surrender – Believers are called to yield every compartment of life since God’s commands and promises envelop the whole person. Historical Reception Church Fathers such as Chrysostom noted the intensifying power of ἅπας, using it to argue for the universality of divine judgment and mercy. Councils citing Matthew 28 appealed to the term when formulating global missionary responsibilities. Reformation expositors emphasized ἅπας in Romans and Ephesians to uphold the sufficiency of grace for every believer, countering the notion of a spiritual elite. Doctrinal Consistency Whether describing the sweep of Noah’s flood, the reach of Christ’s healing, or the breadth of gospel proclamation, the Spirit-inspired authors employ ἅπας to bind Scripture into a coherent testimony about God’s total sovereignty and salvation’s total adequacy. No competing authority, need, or possibility stands outside His power; no penitent soul stands outside His promise. Englishman's Concordance Matthew 6:32 Adj-GNPGRK: χρῄζετε τούτων ἁπάντων NAS: knows that you need all these things. KJV: that ye have need of all these things. INT: you have need of these things all Matthew 24:39 Adj-AMP Matthew 28:11 Adj-ANP Mark 1:27 Adj-NMP Mark 8:25 Adj-ANP Mark 11:32 Adj-NMP Mark 16:15 Adj-AMS Luke 3:21 Adj-AMS Luke 4:6 Adj-AFS Luke 4:40 Adj-NMP Luke 5:26 Adj-AMP Luke 8:37 Adj-NNS Luke 9:15 Adj-AMP Luke 19:37 Adj-NNS Luke 19:48 Adj-NMS Luke 20:6 Adj-NMS Luke 21:15 Adj-NMP Luke 23:1 Adj-NNS John 4:25 Adj-ANP Acts 2:7 Adj-NMP Acts 2:44 Adj-ANP Acts 4:31 Adj-NMP Acts 4:32 Adj-NNP Acts 5:12 Adj-NMP Acts 5:16 Adj-NMP Strong's Greek 537 |
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