Lexical Summary aphistémi: To depart, withdraw, remove, desert, fall away Original Word: ἀφίστημι Strong's Exhaustive Concordance depart, fall away, refrain, withdraw self. From apo and histemi; to remove, i.e. (actively) instigate to revolt; usually (reflexively) to desist, desert, etc. -- depart, draw (fall) away, refrain, withdraw self. see GREEK apo see GREEK histemi NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom apo and histémi Definition to lead away, to depart from NASB Translation abstain (1), depart (1), departed (1), deserted (1), drew away (1), fall away (2), falls away (1), leave (1), left (2), let go (1), stay away (1), withdrew (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 868: ἀφίστημιἀφίστημι: 1 aorist ἀπέστησα; 2 aorist ἀπέστην; middle, present ἀφισταμαι, imperative ἀφίστασο (1 Timothy 6:5 Rec.; cf. Winer's Grammar, § 14, 1 e.); (imperfect ἀφισταμην); future ἀποστήσομαι; 1. transitively, in present, imperfect, future, 1 aorist active, to make stand off, cause to withdraw, to remove; tropically, to excite to revolt: Acts 5:37 (ἀπέστησε λαόν ... ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ drew away after him; τινα ἀπό τίνος, Deuteronomy 7:4, and in Greek writings from Herodotus 1, 76 down). 2. intransitively, in perfect, pluperfect, 2 aorist active, to stand off, stand aloof, in various senses (as in Greek writings) according to the context: ἀπό with the genitive of person to go away, depart, from anyone, Luke 13:27 (from Psalm 6:9; cf. Matthew 7:23 ἀποχωρεῖτε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ); Acts 12:10; Acts 19:9; to desert, withdraw from, one, Acts 15:38; to cease to vex one, Luke 4:13; Acts 5:38; Acts 22:29; 2 Corinthians 12:8; to fall away, become faithless, ἀπό Θεοῦ, Hebrews 3:12; to shun, flee from, ἀπό τῆς ἀδικίας, 2 Timothy 2:19. Middle, to withdraw oneself from: absolutely, to fall away, Luke 8:13; (τῆς πίστεως, 1 Timothy 4:1, cf. Winers Grammar, 427, 428 (398)); to keep oneself away from, absent oneself from, Luke 2:37 (οὐκ ἀφίστατο ἀπό (T Tr WH omit ἀπό) τοῦ ἱεροῦ, she was in the temple every day); from anyone's society or fellowship, 1 Timothy 6:5 Rec. The verb appears fourteen times and consistently describes an act of stepping away—from a place, a person, a commitment, or from evil itself. The contexts cluster around five themes: (1) physical departure, (2) divine deliverance, (3) apostasy, (4) pastoral withdrawal from opposition, and (5) direct commands to separate from wickedness. Physical Departure Luke 2:37 shows the negative form: Anna “never left the temple, but worshiped night and day.” Her steadfastness highlights the verb’s ordinary, spatial sense. In Acts 12:10 the angel escorts Peter out of prison and then “the angel left him,” marking the end of a miraculous rescue. Acts 22:29 records a swift retreat: Roman soldiers “withdrew from him” once they learned of Paul’s citizenship. Each instance stresses movement in space yet serves larger theological ends—showing a life centered on worship, God’s power to liberate, and God-given human rights. Divine Deliverance and Cosmic Conflict Luke 4:13 frames the end of the temptation narrative: “When the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time.” The departure of Satan validates Christ’s moral victory and anticipates the ongoing but ultimately doomed opposition of the evil one. In 2 Corinthians 12:8 Paul prays that his “thorn” might “leave me,” and although the Lord declines, the verb highlights the believer’s freedom to appeal to God for relief while submitting to His sufficient grace. Spiritual Defection and Apostasy The sharpest warnings concern turning away from truth. Luke 8:13 pictures rocky-soil hearers who “believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away.” Hebrews 3:12 exhorts, “See to it, brothers, that none of you has a wicked heart of unbelief that turns away from the living God.” 1 Timothy 4:1 intensifies the future danger: “In later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits.” These texts tie the act of withdrawing not merely to doctrinal error but to a heart hardened by unbelief. Pastoral Withdrawal from Opposition Acts 19:9 records Paul “leaving them” when synagogue resistance hardened; he relocates ministry to the lecture hall of Tyrannus. At Antioch in Pisidia, John Mark had “deserted them in Pamphylia” (Acts 15:38), prompting later tension between Paul and Barnabas. Acts 5:37 recounts Judas the Galilean who “drew away” followers into a failed revolt, an example Gamaliel employs to caution against fighting God. Commands to Separate from Wickedness Three imperatives use the verb. Jesus will declare at the final judgment, “Away from Me, all you evildoers!” (Luke 13:27). Gamaliel advises the Sanhedrin, “Keep away from these men and leave them alone” (Acts 5:38). Paul insists, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness” (2 Timothy 2:19). The latter text couples divine sovereignty (“The Lord knows those who are His”) with human responsibility to renounce iniquity. Historical Perspective in Acts Luke employs the verb to trace both authentic and counterfeit movements. Physical releases (Acts 12:10), administrative retreats (Acts 22:29), and strategic relocations (Acts 19:9) advance the gospel, whereas desertion (Acts 15:38) and seditious uprisings (Acts 5:37) contrast kingdom motives with political zealotry. The early church discerned God’s hand in both preserving His servants and exposing false ventures. Ministry Implications 1. Perseverance: The contrast between Anna’s constancy and the rocky-soil hearers underscores the call to abide. Theological Reflection The verb paints a two-way street. God may graciously cause enemies to depart (Luke 4:13; Acts 12:10), yet human beings may also choose to depart from God (Hebrews 3:12). Scripture therefore unites divine sovereignty with human accountability, calling the church to cling to the living God, resist the devil, and stand firm in truth. Englishman's Concordance Luke 2:37 V-IIM/P-3SGRK: ἣ οὐκ ἀφίστατο τοῦ ἱεροῦ NAS: She never left the temple, KJV: years, which departed not from INT: who not departed the temple Luke 4:13 V-AIA-3S Luke 8:13 V-PIM/P-3P Luke 13:27 V-AMA-2P Acts 5:37 V-AIA-3S Acts 5:38 V-AMA-2P Acts 12:10 V-AIA-3S Acts 15:38 V-APA-AMS Acts 19:9 V-APA-NMS Acts 22:29 V-AIA-3P 2 Corinthians 12:8 V-ASA-3S 1 Timothy 4:1 V-FIM-3P 2 Timothy 2:19 V-AMA-3S Hebrews 3:12 V-ANA Strong's Greek 868 |
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