Lexical Summary apoplunó: To wash off, to wash away Original Word: ἀποπλύνω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance wash. From apo and pluno; to rinse off -- wash. see GREEK apo see GREEK pluno NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originvariant reading for plunó, q.v. Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 637: ἀποπλύνωἀποπλύνω: (1 aorist ἀπέπλυνα (?)); to wash off: Luke 5:2 (where L Tr WH text ἔπλυνον, T WH marginal reading ἀποπλυναν, for R G ἀπέπλυναν (possibly an imperfect form, cf. Buttmann, 40 (35); Sophocles Glossary, etc., p. 90)). (Homer, Odyssey 6, 95; Plato, Plutarch, and subsequent writings; the Sept. 2 Samuel 19:24 (cf. Jeremiah 2:22; Jeremiah 4:14; Ezekiel 16:9 variant).) Topical Lexicon Overview ἀποπλύνω expresses a complete removal of defilement by washing. While the verb never appears in the Greek New Testament, its two Septuagint occurrences help frame the Bible’s wider doctrine of cleansing that is fulfilled in Christ. Septuagint Witness Job 9:30 — “If I wash myself with snow and cleanse my hands with lye,” Proverbs 30:12 — “There is a generation—how pure are their own eyes—yet they are not washed from their filth.” Both contexts expose the futility of self-achieved purity: Job doubts even snow water can reach his inner guilt, and Proverbs rebukes a self-righteous society still stained with sin. Contrast with New Testament Revelation Other Greek verbs carry the theme forward—λούω (Acts 22:16; Revelation 7:14), καθαρίζω (1 John 1:9). These passages announce the washing “away” of sins through Jesus Christ and the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5). The total cleansing implied by ἀποπλύνω thus comes to full expression in the gospel. Theological Significance 1. Totality: The prefix ἀπό intensifies the act—nothing of the stain remains. Historical and Cultural Background Ancient cleansing used snow water and alkali-based soaps. By employing ἀποπλύνω, the Septuagint acknowledges these powerful agents yet demonstrates their insufficiency for spiritual cleansing. Early Christians contrasted such human means with baptism into Christ’s death and resurrection. Ministerial Application • Preaching: Expose self-righteousness with Job 9:30; Proverbs 30:12, then proclaim the perfect washing of the cross (Hebrews 9:14). Related Terms ἀπολούω — wash away sins (Acts 22:16) λούω — wash the body (Hebrews 10:22) καθαρίζω — cleanse from unrighteousness (1 John 1:9) ἀποπλύνω completes the picture by stressing finality. Summary Though absent from the New Testament text, ἀποπλύνω deepens our grasp of biblical cleansing. It highlights humanity’s inability to self-purify and magnifies the decisive, all-sufficient washing accomplished by the blood of Jesus Christ, calling believers to live in the freedom and purity that such grace secures. Forms and Transliterations απέπλυνα απέπλυναν απόπλυνε αποπλύνηςLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance ἀπόλυσον — 6 Occ.ἀπολυθήσεσθε — 1 Occ. ἀπολυθῆτε — 1 Occ. Ἀπολυθέντες — 2 Occ. ἀπομασσόμεθα — 1 Occ. ἀπονέμοντες — 1 Occ. ἀπενίψατο — 1 Occ. ἀπέπεσαν — 1 Occ. ἀπεπλανήθησαν — 1 Occ. ἀποπλανᾷν — 1 Occ. ἀποπλεῖν — 1 Occ. ἀποπλεύσαντες — 1 Occ. ἀπεπνίγη — 1 Occ. ἀπέπνιξαν — 1 Occ. ἀπορεῖσθαι — 1 Occ. ἀποροῦμαι — 1 Occ. ἀπορούμενοι — 2 Occ. ἀπορούμενος — 1 Occ. ἠπόρει — 1 Occ. ἀπορίᾳ — 1 Occ. |
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