Lexical Summary aposunagógos: Expelled from the synagogue Original Word: ἀποσυνάγωγος Strong's Exhaustive Concordance put out of the synagogues. From apo and sunagoge; excommunicated -- (put) out of the synagogue(-s). see GREEK apo see GREEK sunagoge NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom apo and sunagógé Definition expelled from the congregation NASB Translation outcasts from the synagogue (1), put out of the synagogue (2). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 656: ἀποσυνάγωγοςἀποσυνάγωγος, ἀποσυναγωγον (συναγωγή, which see), excluded from the sacred assemblies of the Israelites; excommunicated, (A. V. put out of the synagogue): John 9:22; John 12:42; John 16:2. Whether it denotes also exclusion from all contact with Israelites (2 Esdr. 10:8), must apparently be left in doubt; cf. Winers (or Riehm) RWB under the word Bann; Wieseler on Galatians 1:8, p. 45ff (reproduced by Prof. Riddle in Schaff's Lange's Romans, pp. 304-306; cf. B. D. under the word Topical Lexicon Meaning and Usage Strong’s Greek 656 designates the condition of being expelled from the synagogue community. In first-century Judaism, the synagogue was not only a place of worship but also the hub of social life, education, and local justice. To be “put out of the synagogue” therefore meant religious, social, and often economic deprivation—losing one’s spiritual home, public standing, and livelihood in one stroke. Occurrences in the New Testament 1. John 9:22 – The parents of the man born blind withhold open testimony about Jesus “for fear of the Jews,” because “anyone who confessed Him to be the Christ would be put out of the synagogue.” Biblical Context The Gospel of John was written when the breach between the Jewish synagogue and the emerging body of Christian believers had become pronounced. The expulsions mentioned reflect official opposition to the confession of Jesus as Messiah. Such excommunication functioned as a means of social control: by threatening loss of community, leaders sought to suppress the growing testimony to Christ. Theological Significance • Confession of Christ over Community Approval: The term highlights the tension between allegiance to Jesus and allegiance to human institutions. Faith must ultimately side with the Son of God, even at personal cost (Matthew 10:32-33). Historical Background Rabbinic sources mention various stages of ban (niddui, herem). By the late first century, sects deemed heretical were anathematized. The so-called Birkat ha-Minim (an addition to the Eighteen Benedictions) likely crystallized efforts to exclude Christ-followers. John’s references correspond to this historical milieu, where admitting Jesus as Messiah invited formal ostracism. Pastoral Applications • Counting the Cost: Modern believers may not face synagogue expulsion, yet similar pressures arise in academic, corporate, or familial settings. John’s Gospel encourages readiness to endure loss for Christ. Related Concepts • Persecution for Righteousness (Matthew 5:10-12) See Also Anathema (Galatians 1:8) Excommunication in Early Church (1 Corinthians 5:5) Forms and Transliterations απεσχίσθη αποσυναγωγοι αποσυνάγωγοι ἀποσυνάγωγοι αποσυναγωγος αποσυνάγωγος ἀποσυνάγωγος αποσυναγωγους αποσυναγώγους ἀποσυναγώγους αποσυριείς αποσφραγήτε αποσφράγισμα αποσχίσθητε aposunagogoi aposunagōgoi aposunagogos aposunagōgos aposunagogous aposunagōgous aposynagogoi aposynagōgoi aposynágogoi aposynágōgoi aposynagogos aposynagōgos aposynágogos aposynágōgos aposynagogous aposynagōgous aposynagṓgousLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance John 9:22 Adj-NMSGRK: ὁμολογήσῃ Χριστόν ἀποσυνάγωγος γένηται NAS: Him to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue. KJV: he should be put out of the synagogue. INT: should confess Christ put out of the synagogue he should be John 12:42 Adj-NMP John 16:2 Adj-AMP Strong's Greek 656 |
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