Original Word: ἀπέχει
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: apechei
Pronunciation: ä-pe'-khā
Phonetic Spelling: (ap-ekh'-i)
KJV: it is enough
Word Origin: [third person singular present indicative active of G568 (ἀπέχω - abstain) used impersonally]

1. it is sufficient

it is enough.

Third person singular present indicative active of apecho used impersonally; it is sufficient -- it is enough.

see GREEK apecho

Cognate: 566 apéxei – literally, "have from," referring to having "enough" – i.e. all that something deserves (what is due, Mk 14:41). See 568 (apexō).

Word Origin
third pers. sing. pres. ind. act. of apechó, q.v.

Root Idea and Sense

ἀπέχει is an inflected form of the verb ἀπέχω, “to have wholly, to keep off, to be distant, to be paid in full, to be sufficient.” In everyday Koine it could mark physical distance, a completed commercial transaction, or the decisive cry “Enough!” The form ἀπέχει itself does not appear in the New Testament text, yet its cognates supply a rich network of ideas that illuminate biblical theology and Christian living.

Canonical Connections through Related Forms

1. Full Payment Received
• Matthew 6:2, 5, 16; Luke 6:24 – “Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.” Here ἀπέχουσιν mirrors the business receipt stamped paid-in-full, underscoring the tragedy of a reward exhausted in this life.
• Philippians 4:18 – “I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied.” Paul applies the same commercial nuance to the generosity of the Philippians, assuring them their gift is completely credited.

2. Moral and Spiritual Distance
• 1 Timothy 4:3 – “They forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods…” The middle voice ἀπέχεσθαι expresses purposeful withdrawal.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:22 – “Abstain from every form of evil.” Separation from sin is portrayed as keeping a measured distance.
• 1 Peter 2:11 – “Beloved, I urge you… to abstain from the passions of the flesh.” The term frames holiness as active, deliberate distancing from corruption.

3. Sufficiency or Finality

Critical witnesses of Mark 14:41 read ἀπέχει in Christ’s words at Gethsemane: “Enough! The hour has come.” Whether or not a particular printed edition retains the form, the textual tradition shows the verb conveying decisive closure—prayer is finished; the redemptive hour is now.

Historical Usage Beyond Scripture

Business papyri: A scribe writes ἀπέχει before listing the final balance, signaling that the debtor “has in full.”

Military dispatches: A scout may note a city ἔτι δύο σταδίους ἀπέχει, “still two stadia distant,” tracking literal space between two points.

These secular echoes clarify why Gospel hearers would grasp the force of Jesus’ warning: the hypocrite’s “paid-in-full” receipt empties any hope of future recompense.

Theological Threads

1. Reward Theology

Earth-bound acclaim expends its currency now; heavenly reward accrues interest untouched by moth or rust. The vocabulary of full payment contrasts temporal glory with eternal treasure.

2. Sanctification as Separation

Holiness demands not mere avoidance but positive distancing. The believers at Thessalonica and scattered exiles addressed by Peter learn that abstinence is relational—stepping back from evil to step toward God.

3. Christ’s Sufficiency

Where ἀπέχει signifies “enough,” it echoes the sufficiency of Christ’s person and work. At Gethsemane the decisive moment arrives, moving the narrative toward the cross where the final cry “It is finished” consummates redemption.

Pastoral and Ministry Implications

• Evaluate Motives: Public piety pursued for applause cashes out quickly; private devotion seeks the Father “who sees in secret.”
• Teach Stewardship: Gifts to gospel work are never lost; they are receipts stamped ἀπέχει in heaven’s ledger.
• Counsel Holiness: Encourage believers to mark clear, observable distance from practices that provoke fleshly passions.
• Preach Sufficiency: In seasons of struggle, remind congregations that there is a point when God says “Enough,” assuring hearts of His perfect timing and provision.

Practical Applications for Believers

1. Examine prayer, fasting, giving—are they aimed at the Father’s reward or human recognition?
2. Keep tangible records of God’s faithfulness; each answered need testifies, “Paid in full—ἀπέχει.”
3. Draw visible boundaries—media choices, relationships, business ethics—where abstinence demonstrates love for Christ over culture.
4. Rest in divine sufficiency. When the Lord declares “Enough,” yield to His timing, trusting that the hour appointed for deliverance or endurance perfectly serves His redemptive plan.

In these ways the seemingly obscure ἀπέχει becomes a vivid reminder that Scripture calls the believer both to distance from sin and to the fullness found only in Christ.

απέσχηκεν απεσχηκώς απεσχήμεθα απέσχον απέχει απέχεσθαι απέχεσθε απέχετε απέχη απέχομεν απεχόμενος απέχον απέχοντος απέχου απεχούσαις απέχουσαν απέχουσι απέχουσιν απέχω απόσχη απόσχου αφέξεσθε αφέξεταιInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts