Lexical Summary apechó: To have in full, to receive, to be distant, to abstain Original Word: ἀπέχω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance be, have, receive. From apo and echo; (actively) to have out, i.e. Receive in full; (intransitively) to keep (oneself) away, i.e. Be distant (literally or figuratively) -- be, have, receive. see GREEK apo see GREEK echo HELPS Word-studies 568 apéxō (from 575 /apó, "away from" and 2192 /éxō, "have") – properly, to have one thing by separating from (letting go of) another. 568 /apéxō ("to have by separating from") includes what is gained by discarding something else (cf. Phm15). In each case, 568 /apéxō ("relate from") retains its root-meaning, "to have something, because far away from something else" (J. Thayer). [568/apexō ("have from") has two foci: away from (the source); to then have what is separated from that source.] NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom apo and echó Definition to hold back, keep off, to be away, be distant NASB Translation abstain (5), abstaining (1), away (1), away* (1), enough (1), have...back (1), have...in full (3), have received (1), have received in full (1), off (1), receiving...in full (1). Topical Lexicon Overview Appearing nineteen times in the Greek New Testament, ἀπέχω moves in three principal directions: (1) spatial separation, (2) receipt or sufficiency in matters of reward, and (3) deliberate abstinence. Together these nuances reveal how Scripture depicts distance that can be bridged, accounts that can be settled, and desires that must be restrained—all under the sovereignty of God. Spatial Separation in Narrative Settings Several Gospel writers employ the term to measure literal distance. Matthew 14:24 notes that the disciples’ boat “was already many stadia from land,” highlighting their vulnerability before Jesus walks on the water. Luke uses the word when Jesus approaches the centurion’s house (Luke 7:6), when the prodigal “was still a long way off” (Luke 15:20), and when the Emmaus road lay “about sixty stadia from Jerusalem” (Luke 24:13). Each scene gains dramatic force from the physical gap—one that Christ’s presence or compassion soon closes. Hypocrisy and Inner Distance Matthew 15:8 and Mark 7:6, quoting Isaiah, indict religious lip service: “This people honors Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me”. The verb here exposes a grim irony: the worshiper stands in the temple courts yet remains spiritually remote. The text insists that outward ritual can never substitute for inward devotion, a theme that continues to resonate in every generation. Reward in Full: Commercial Language in Spiritual Accounting In Matthew 6:2, 5, and 16 Jesus warns that ostentatious giving, praying, and fasting secure no future recompense—“they have received their reward in full.” Luke echoes the idea: “Woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort” (Luke 6:24). By contrast, Paul testifies, “I have received full payment, and even more” (Philippians 4:18), using the same verb to acknowledge the Philippians’ generous gift. The term thus frames both earthly and heavenly bookkeeping: hypocrites close their own accounts prematurely, while faithful saints store treasures above. Climactic Sufficiency at Gethsemane Mark 14:41 records Jesus’ arrest: “Enough! The hour has come.” The single word “Enough!” translates ἀπέχει, signaling that the appointed time has reached its fullness. What looks like the darkest hour is in fact the exact moment foreordained for redemption. Grace-Filled Restoration: Philemon and Onesimus Paul tells Philemon that the runaway slave was separated “so that you might have him back forever” (Philemon 15). The verb here turns from loss to gain: what was once missing is now returned in a deeper, eternal bond, portraying the gospel’s restorative power in social relationships. The Apostolic Call to Abstinence After the Jerusalem Council the church writes Gentile believers “to abstain from food polluted by idols” (Acts 15:20, 29). Paul expands the mandate: “You must abstain from sexual immorality” (1 Thessalonians 4:3) and “abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:22). Peter exhorts, “abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul” (1 Peter 2:11). Abstinence is never mere denial; it is warfare for holiness grounded in grace and empowered by the Spirit. False Asceticism Exposed In stark contrast, 1 Timothy 4:3 brands as demonic the teaching that commands believers “to abstain from foods that God created.” The same verb that calls for genuine moral restraint unmasks counterfeit spirituality that denies divine goodness. True abstinence refuses sin; false asceticism rejects God’s gifts. Pastoral and Discipleship Applications • Bridge gaps: God delights to close every distance—geographical, relational, or spiritual—through Christ. Historical and Theological Notes Early Christian writings (e.g., the Didache) echo Acts 15 in urging abstention from idolatrous food, indicating that the apostolic directive shaped communal life for decades. Patristic commentators also drew on Matthew 6, warning that clerical showmanship forfeited heavenly reward. In liturgical usage, the Gethsemane “Enough!” became a solemn marker of Passion Week, reminding the church that the predetermined hour had indeed arrived. Intercanonical Connections The Septuagint often uses cognate terms for measured distances in wilderness wanderings and temple regulations, providing Old Testament texture to the Gospel narratives. Isaiah’s critique of hollow worship, cited in Matthew and Mark, underlines the unbroken prophetic witness against externalism. Eschatological Perspective The verb’s three dimensions direct hope toward the consummation: the spatial gap disappears when believers see Christ face to face; full reward is granted at His appearing; and abstinence ends when sin is no more. Until that day, ἀπέχω summons the church to pilgrimage, stewardship, and holy self-denial. Forms and Transliterations απειχεν ἀπεῖχεν απεχει ἀπέχει απεχεσθαι ἀπέχεσθαι απεχεσθε ἀπέχεσθε απεχετε ἀπέχετε απεχης ἀπέχῃς απεχοντος ἀπέχοντος απεχουσαν ἀπέχουσαν απεχουσιν ἀπέχουσιν απεχω ἀπέχω απηλιώτου απίων apechei apéchei apécheis apéchēis apeches apechēs apechesthai apéchesthai apechesthe apéchesthe apechete apéchete apecho apechō apécho apéchō apechontos apéchontos apechousan apéchousan apechousin apéchousin apeichen apeîchenLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Matthew 6:2 V-PIA-3PGRK: λέγω ὑμῖν ἀπέχουσιν τὸν μισθὸν NAS: I say to you, they have their reward KJV: unto you, They have their INT: I say to you they have the reward Matthew 6:5 V-PIA-3P Matthew 6:16 V-PIA-3P Matthew 14:24 V-IIA-3S Matthew 15:8 V-PIA-3S Mark 7:6 V-PIA-3S Mark 14:41 V-PIA-3S Luke 6:24 V-PIA-2P Luke 7:6 V-PPA-GMS Luke 15:20 V-PPA-GMS Luke 24:13 V-PPA-AFS Acts 15:20 V-PNM Acts 15:29 V-PNM Philippians 4:18 V-PIA-1S 1 Thessalonians 4:3 V-PNM 1 Thessalonians 5:22 V-PMM-2P 1 Timothy 4:3 V-PNM Philemon 1:15 V-PSA-2S 1 Peter 2:11 V-PNM Strong's Greek 568 |
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