ἐξαιρέω (G1807) — Greek Lexicon

ἐξαιρέω

exairéō

G1807 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To take out, remove, or withdraw; in the active voice, to extract or forcibly remove something or someone; in the middle voice (ἐξαίρεομαι), to choose or select for oneself, or to rescue or deliver oneself or another from danger or peril. The verb can describe physical removal (e.g., pulling something out), social or legal extraction (e.g., delivering from arrest or danger), or figurative rescue (e.g., saving from harm). Context often determines whether the sense is physical, legal, or metaphorical.

Semantic Range

to extract, remove, pull out; to select, choose (middle voice); to deliver, rescue from danger; to free from imprisonment or peril; to take away forcibly

Root / Etymology

From ἐξ ('out of') and αἱρέω ('to take, seize, choose'). Formed as a compound verb, literally signifying 'to take out', which develops extended senses based on voice and context.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, ἐξαιρέω is primarily used in the sense of 'taking out' or 'removing' something or someone, sometimes forcibly. In Hellenistic and Koine Greek, and particularly in the Septuagint and New Testament, the verb acquires added dimensions: in the active, it may refer to forcibly extracting (e.g., Acts 7:34, 'I have delivered them'); in the middle voice, it frequently communicates the idea of rescuing or delivering from danger (sometimes in a legal or military context, e.g., freeing from imprisonment or peril). Translations in English Bibles often use 'deliver', 'rescue', or 'save', but these can obscure the physical or forceful overtones (especially in the active). The term can also mean 'to choose', particularly in the middle, related to picking individuals out from a group for a specific purpose, e.g. Acts 26:17. The selection meaning is nuanced and context-dependent, and distinguishes itself from more neutral words for 'choose' (like ἐκλέγομαι). While Exairéō's core sense is 'to remove out of', its application is broader, encompassing both concrete and abstract expressions of extraction, rescue, or selection.

Translation Consistency

primary "take" 4 occurrences

“Take” is a natural, versatile verb that covers the primary senses of ἐξαιρέω: to take out/remove (physical extraction), to take away (forcible removal or release), and in the middle voice to take/choose for oneself. It also idiomatically handles deliver/rescue contexts (e.g., “take out of danger”). Choosing “take” gives a consistent, simple English base that fits the typical usages in the SILEX range.

Alternatives (4 occurrences):

"delivered" (1x) "deliver" (1x) "rescued" (1x) "rescuing" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from ἐκ and αἱρέομαι; actively, to tear out; middle voice, to select; figuratively, to release:--deliver, pluck out, rescue.

Root Family

ἐξαιρέω (exaireō) — take out, remove, seize, select, rescue

Root αἱρέ- to take, to seize, to remove, to select

Word Forms

6 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`G1807-04`	ἔξελε	exele	`V AOR ACT IMP 2P SG`	pluck out	Take out!	Take out!	2
`G1807-03`	ἐξείλατο	exeilato	`V AOR MID IND 3P SG`	delivered	he took out for himself	he delivered	2
`G1807-02`	ἐξειλάμην	exeilamen	`V AOR MID IND 1P SG`	rescued	I took out for myself	I rescued	1
`G1807-05`	ἐξελέσθαι	exelesthai	`V AOR MID INF`	to deliver	to take out for oneself	to deliver	1
`G1807-06`	ἐξέληται	exeletai	`V AOR MID SUBJ 3P SG`	he might deliver	he might take out for himself	he might take out for himself	1
`G1807-01`	ἐξαιρούμενός	exairoumenos	`V PRS MID PTCP NOM M SG`	delivering	the one rescuing for himself	the one rescuing	1

Occurrences in Scripture

8 occurrences

Filter by SIDANCE:

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`G1807-04`	Matthew 5:29	ἔξελε	exele	`V AOR ACT IMP 2P SG`	pluck out	Take out!	Take out!
`G1807-04`	Matthew 18:9	ἔξελε	exele	`V AOR ACT IMP 2P SG`	pluck out	Take out!	Take out!
`G1807-03`	Acts 7:10	ἐξείλατο	exeilato	`V AOR MID IND 3P SG`	delivered	he took out for himself	he delivered
`G1807-05`	Acts 7:34	ἐξελέσθαι	exelesthai	`V AOR MID INF`	to deliver	to take out for oneself	to deliver
`G1807-03`	Acts 12:11	ἐξείλατό	exeilato	`V AOR MID IND 3P SG`	rescued	he took out for himself	he took out for himself
`G1807-02`	Acts 23:27	ἐξειλάμην	exeilamen	`V AOR MID IND 1P SG`	rescued	I took out for myself	I rescued
`G1807-01`	Acts 26:17	ἐξαιρούμενός	exairoumenos	`V PRS MID PTCP NOM M SG`	delivering	the one rescuing for himself	the one rescuing
`G1807-06`	Galatians 1:4	ἐξέληται	exeletai	`V AOR MID SUBJ 3P SG`	he might deliver	he might take out for himself	he might take out for himself

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