ἀπόδημος
apódēmos
G590 attributive adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
One who is away from home, notably from their habitual dwelling or homeland; especially, a person traveling or residing temporarily in a distant region. The term often implies purposeful absence such as is customary for business, official, or personal reasons, and does not necessarily connote foreignness in a nationalistic sense. In narrative usage, can refer specifically to a householder or master who leaves on a lengthy journey and entrusts affairs to others during his absence.
Semantic Range
away from home, traveling abroad, absent from one's own place, temporarily residing in a distant region, a master on a journey
Root / Etymology
From ἀπό ('from, away') and δῆμος ('land, people, home district'); literally, 'one away from the homeland' or 'away from the district.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
In Hellenistic and early Roman periods, ἀπόδημος denotes someone who is absent from their residence or hometown, often for extended travel or business. The word appears in Greek literary and documentary sources with the sense of a person temporarily outside their usual community, without necessarily signifying an alien or foreigner. In Mark 13:34 (the only NT occurrence), the word describes a householder departing for a distant place, entrusting his house to servants—an image illustrative of responsibility during the master's absence. The term does not necessarily imply a permanent change of residence (unlike μετανάστης, 'sojourner'). Standard English versions often render 'taking a far journey,' but 'traveling abroad' or 'absent from home' better reflect its semantic range. The concept is distinct from terms for resident aliens or immigrants; ἀπόδημος is primarily about temporary absence.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from ἀπό and δῆμος; absent from one's own people, i.e. a foreign traveller:--taking a far journey.
Root Family
ἀπόδημος (apodēmos) — homeland, residence, district, people
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G590-01 |
ἀπόδημος | apodemos | ADJ.A NOM M SG |
taking a far journey | one away from home | one away from home | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G590-01 |
Mark 13:34 | ἀπόδημος | apodemos | ADJ.A NOM M SG |
taking a far journey | one away from home | one away from home |