ἀποπλύνω
apoplýnō
G637
SILEX Entry
Definition
to wash off, to rinse away (especially dirt, stains, or impurities from the surface of something, typically by means of water). The primary sense involves physically cleansing or removing something adhering to a surface by washing, particularly indicating a motion away or separation from the object being cleansed. Less commonly, it may take on figurative nuance in contexts of removing culpability or impurity, though its main usage remains literal.
Semantic Range
to wash off, to rinse away, to clean by removing an unwanted substance by washing, to remove (physical or symbolic impurity) by washing, to purify (figurative, rare)
Root / Etymology
From the preposition ἀπό (from, away from) and the verb πλύνω (to wash). The compound reinforces the idea of separation — 'to wash off/away.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
The verb ἀποπλύνω appears rarely in extant Greek literature and is attested in the New Testament at Acts 22:16, where it is used in a figurative sense for the washing away of sins, with ritual background. The base verb πλύνω (to wash, usually textiles or objects) is common in both classical and Koine Greek, while the prefix ἀπό typically intensifies the sense of removal. In Hellenistic and Koine Greek, ἀπο- compounds often stress the act of separation or completion. Ancient Greek had multiple verbs for washing (e.g., λούω for washing the body, νίπτω for washing hands or feet), but ἀποπλύνω is distinct in denoting the washing off of something specific that clings or defiles. In Greek and related Jewish ritual contexts, the notion of washing away impurities had both physical and symbolic resonance. Standard English translations render this as 'wash away,' but English loses the explicit spatial or separative nuance conveyed by the prefix ἀπό in the original Greek.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from ἀπό and πλύνω; to rinse off:--wash.
Root Family
πλύν- (apoplýnō) — to wash, to cleanse by water
Word Forms
0 distinct forms
No word forms found for this Strong's number.
Occurrences in Scripture
0 occurrences
No occurrences found.