683. apótheó
Lexical Summary
apótheó: To reject, to thrust away, to push aside

Original Word: ἀποθέω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: apótheó
Pronunciation: ah-po-theh'-o
Phonetic Spelling: (ap-o-theh'-om-ahee)
KJV: cast away, put away (from), thrust away (from)
NASB: rejected, pushed away, repudiate, repudiated
Word Origin: [from G575 (ἀπό - since) and the middle voice of otheo or otho "to shove"]

1. to push off
2. (figuratively) to reject

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
cast away, thrust away from.

Or apothomai ap-o'-thom-ahee from apo and the middle voice of otheo or otho (to shove); to push off, figuratively, to reject -- cast away, put away (from), thrust away (from).

see GREEK apo

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from apo and ótheó (to thrust, push away)
Definition
to thrust away
NASB Translation
pushed...away (1), rejected (3), repudiate (1), repudiated (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 683: ἀπωθέω

ἀπωθέω, ἀπώθω: to thrust away, push away, repel; in the N. T. only the middle, present ἀπωθέομαι (ἀπωθοῦμαι); 1 aorist ἀπωσάμην (for which the better writings used ἀπεωσαμην, cf. W 90 (86); Buttmann, 69 (61)); to thrust away from oneself, to drive away from oneself, i. e. to repudiate, reject, refuse: τινα, Acts 7:27, 39; Acts 13:46; Romans 11:1; 1 Timothy 1:19. (Jeremiah 2:36 (37); Jeremiah 4:30; Jeremiah 6:19; Psalm 93:14 () and often. In Greek writings from Homer down.)

Topical Lexicon
Overview

The verb rendered “reject,” “push aside,” or “thrust away” portrays an active, deliberate dismissal of a person, truth, or divine purpose. Each New Testament occurrence centers on the tension between God’s gracious initiative and human response. Whenever the word appears, someone is either refusing a divinely appointed messenger or, conversely, Scripture affirms that the Lord Himself will never repudiate His covenant people.

Occurrences in Scripture

Acts 7:27 – An Israelite wrongdoer “pushed Moses aside,” prefiguring Israel’s later resistance to the Messiah.

Acts 7:39 – The wilderness generation “rejected” Moses and “in their hearts turned back to Egypt,” showing that unbelief is more than external disobedience; it is inward revolt.

Acts 13:46 – Paul and Barnabas declare to the synagogue audience, “Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles,” highlighting personal accountability for gospel refusal.

Romans 11:1–2 – Paul asks, “Did God reject His people? Certainly not! … God did not reject His people, whom He foreknew,” affirming the irrevocable nature of God’s calling despite widespread Jewish unbelief.

1 Timothy 1:19 – Some have “rejected” faith and a good conscience, wrecking their spiritual lives. The verb exposes apostasy as a decisive act, not an inevitable drift.

Patterns of Rejection

1. Rejection of God-sent leaders (Moses, Acts 7).
2. Rejection of God’s Word (Paul’s preaching, Acts 13).
3. Rejection of personal faith and conscience (1 Timothy 1).

The pattern is consistent: human refusal springs from a hardened heart, not from any insufficiency in the message or the messenger.

Theological Significance

Human rejection never nullifies divine faithfulness. Romans 11 balances Israel’s resistance with God’s covenant resolve: “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (Romans 11:29). The same verb that describes Israel’s spurning of Moses and Christ is used negatively—“God did not reject His people.” Thus, Scripture sets two certainties side by side: man can and often does push away God’s provision, yet God Himself never forsakes what He has promised.

Consequences of Rejection

• Spiritual Blindness – Acts 13:46 warns that rejecting the gospel forfeits “eternal life.”
• Loss of Privilege – The synagogue’s refusal opened the door of missionary focus to the Gentiles (Acts 13:46).
• Shipwrecked Faith – 1 Timothy 1:19 pictures moral compromise leading to theological ruin, a cautionary tale for church life.
• Generational Fallout – The wilderness generation’s rejection delayed entrance into the Land and shaped national history (Acts 7:39).

Promise of Restoration

Even when rejection appears final, divine mercy invites return. Paul’s assurance in Romans 11 implies future national restoration: “All Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:26). God’s non-rejection forms the backdrop for the prophetic hope that unbelief will one day give way to repentance and faith.

Application in Ministry

• Herald the Word boldly, knowing some will resist, but others are appointed to life (Acts 13:48).
• Guard personal faith and conscience; doctrinal fidelity is tethered to moral integrity (1 Timothy 1:19).
• Intercede for those presently rejecting the gospel, confident that God has not rejected them irreversibly (Romans 11:23).
• Expect opposition; the missionary pattern in Acts shows that rejection often precedes gospel expansion.

Historical Context

In the first-century synagogue, rejecting apostolic preaching often involved communal expulsion. For Jewish believers, the cost of acceptance was ostracism; for Gentiles, it was abandonment of idols. The verb captures the social and spiritual clash that accompanied early gospel proclamation.

Summary

Across its six New Testament uses, the word paints a sober picture: people can indeed thrust away God’s truth, yet God’s covenant fidelity stands firm. The recurring call is to listen, believe, and persevere, lest the tragic history of rejection repeat itself in the present generation.

Forms and Transliterations
απεώσαντο απωθείς απωθεισθε απωθείσθε ἀπωθεῖσθε απωθείται απωθουμένοις απωθούμενος άπωσαι απωσαμένη απωσαμενοι απωσάμενοι ἀπωσάμενοι απωσάμενος απωσαμένων απωσάμην απωσαντο απώσαντο απώσαντό ἀπώσαντο απώσασθαι απωσάσθωσαν απωσατο απώσατο ἀπώσατο απώσειεν απώσεται απώση απωσθή απωσθήναι απώσθησαν απωσθήσεται απώσμαι απωσμένην απωσμένον απώσομαι απώσομαί απώσται απώσω εξωσμένον aposamenoi aposámenoi apōsamenoi apōsámenoi aposanto apōsanto apṓsanto aposato apōsato apṓsato apotheisthe apotheîsthe apōtheisthe apōtheîsthe
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Englishman's Concordance
Acts 7:27 V-AIM-3S
GRK: τὸν πλησίον ἀπώσατο αὐτὸν εἰπών
NAS: his neighbor pushed him away, saying,
KJV: thrust him away, saying, Who
INT: the neighbor pushed away him having said

Acts 7:39 V-AIM-3P
GRK: ἡμῶν ἀλλὰ ἀπώσαντο καὶ ἐστράφησαν
NAS: to be obedient to him, but repudiated him and in their hearts
KJV: but thrust [him] from them, and
INT: of us but thrust [him] away and turned back

Acts 13:46 V-PIM/P-2P
GRK: θεοῦ ἐπειδὴ ἀπωθεῖσθε αὐτὸν καὶ
NAS: since you repudiate it and judge
KJV: ye put it from you, and judge
INT: of God but since you thrust away it and

Romans 11:1 V-AIM-3S
GRK: οὖν μὴ ἀπώσατο ὁ θεὸς
NAS: God has not rejected His people,
KJV: Hath God cast away his people?
INT: then not Did thrust away God

Romans 11:2 V-AIM-3S
GRK: οὐκ ἀπώσατο ὁ θεὸς
NAS: God has not rejected His people whom
KJV: hath not cast away his people
INT: not Did thrust away God

1 Timothy 1:19 V-APM-NMP
GRK: ἥν τινες ἀπωσάμενοι περὶ τὴν
NAS: some have rejected and suffered shipwreck
KJV: some having put away concerning
INT: which some having cast away as to

Strong's Greek 683
6 Occurrences


ἀπωσάμενοι — 1 Occ.
ἀπώσαντο — 1 Occ.
ἀπώσατο — 3 Occ.
ἀπωθεῖσθε — 1 Occ.

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