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ἐκπίπτω

ekpíptō

G1601 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To fall out of, to be displaced, to lose one's position or place; in figurative contexts, to fall short, to fail, to be excluded, or to cease to have effect. The primary sense is a physical or metaphorical movement out from a place, status, or condition. The term includes the sense of departing from a secure, accepted, or expected state.

Semantic Range

to fall out (physically), to be cast out, to lose position (figurative), to fall away, to fail (as in 'to become null/effectless'), to be blown off course, to be excluded

Root / Etymology

From ἐκ (out of, from) and πίπτω (to fall). Formed by the prepositional prefix ἐκ- attached to the verb πίπτω, producing a compound verb with the sense 'to fall out.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, ἐκπίπτω commonly refers to a physical falling out from a position, place, or fixed arrangement (such as military ranks or a city's walls). In Hellenistic and Koine Greek, including the Septuagint and New Testament, its use broadens to include: (1) literal removal or expulsion; (2) figurative contexts referring to losing status (e.g., falling from grace/favor, losing inheritance, being excluded); (3) the cessation or failure of a plan, promise, or word (i.e., something becomes ineffective). In the New Testament, ἐκπίπτω is used both in reference to ships being blown off course (e.g., Acts 27:17, 26, 29) and, metaphorically, losing or departing from a spiritual or advantageous position (e.g., Galatians 5:4: 'You have fallen away from grace'). English translations ('fail,' 'fall away,' 'to become void') sometimes obscure the physical sense present in Greek. The word does not inherently include moral or theological judgment; its primary nuance is that of separation or displacement from an original state or benefit. Compare with πίπτω (to fall) for the loss or descent itself, and ἀποπίπτω (to fall off, often for leaves or fruit) for related imagery.

Translation Consistency

primary "fall" 9 occurrences

‘Fall’ best captures the primary physical and figurative sense (physical falling out, falling away, being displaced or excluded, becoming void). It is the most natural, common English verb used in translations and can be inflected to render the range of uses while remaining consistent across forms; rarer senses (e.g., ‘become null’) are handled by context or light phrasing (e.g., ‘fall away’, ‘fall into disuse’).

Alternatives (1 occurrence):
"run aground" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from ἐκ and πίπτω; to drop away; specially, be driven out of one's course; figuratively, to lose, become inefficient:--be cast, fail, fall (away, off), take none effect.

Root Family

ἐκ- + πιπτ- (ekpíptō) — to fall, to descend, to drop out

Root ἐκ- + πιπτ- to fall, to descend, to drop out

Word Forms

8 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G1601-02 ἐκπεσεῖν ekpesein V AOR ACT INF fall off to fall out to fall off 2
G1601-08 ἐξέπεσεν exepesen V AOR ACT IND 3P SG fell away he fell out fell away 2
G1601-01 ἐκπέπτωκεν ekpeptoken V PRF ACT IND 3P SG has failed has fallen out has fallen out 1
G1601-03 ἐκπέσητε ekpesete V AOR ACT SUBJ 2P PL fall you may fall out you may fall out 1
G1601-04 ἐκπέσωμεν ekpesomen V AOR ACT SUBJ 1P PL we might fall we might fall out we might fall out 1
G1601-05 ἐκπέσωσιν ekpesosin V AOR ACT SUBJ 3P PL they should fall they might fall out they might fall out 1
G1601-06 ἐξέπεσαν exepesan V AOR ACT IND 3P PL fell off they fell out they fell off 1
G1601-07 ἐξεπέσατε exepesate V AOR ACT IND 2P PL you have fallen you fell out you fell out 1

Occurrences in Scripture

10 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G1601-06 Acts 12:7 ἐξέπεσαν exepesan V AOR ACT IND 3P PL fell off they fell out they fell off
G1601-05 Acts 27:17 ἐκπέσωσιν ekpesosin V AOR ACT SUBJ 3P PL they should fall they might fall out they might fall out
G1601-02 Acts 27:26 ἐκπεσεῖν ekpesein V AOR ACT INF run aground to fall out to run aground
G1601-04 Acts 27:29 ἐκπέσωμεν ekpesomen V AOR ACT SUBJ 1P PL we might fall we might fall out we might fall out
G1601-02 Acts 27:32 ἐκπεσεῖν ekpesein V AOR ACT INF fall off to fall out to fall off
G1601-01 Romans 9:6 ἐκπέπτωκεν ekpeptoken V PRF ACT IND 3P SG has failed has fallen out has fallen out
G1601-07 Galatians 5:4 ἐξεπέσατε exepesate V AOR ACT IND 2P PL you have fallen you fell out you fell out
G1601-08 James 1:11 ἐξέπεσεν exepesen V AOR ACT IND 3P SG fell off he fell out he fell out
G1601-08 1 Peter 1:24 ἐξέπεσεν exepesen V AOR ACT IND 3P SG fell away he fell out fell away
G1601-03 2 Peter 3:17 ἐκπέσητε ekpesete V AOR ACT SUBJ 2P PL fall you may fall out you may fall out
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