ἀποστερέω
aposteréō
G650 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To deprive or withhold from another what is rightfully theirs, particularly in the sense of dispossessing, defrauding, or withholding due material, property, or rights. The primary lexical meaning centers on the act of actively denying or depriving someone of a possession, benefit, or rightful claim. In legal, financial, or ethical contexts, it may refer to defrauding, withholding wages, or otherwise causing loss through wrongful deprivation.
Semantic Range
to deprive, to withhold unlawfully, to defraud, to rob or dispossess, to despoil, to keep back (by fraud), to cause someone to be without what is their due
Root / Etymology
ἀποστερέω is a compound of the preposition ἀπό (from, away from) and the verb στερέω (to deprive, to rob). The base verb στερέω indicates the act of depriving or despoiling, with ἀπό intensifying or specifying the direction of separation or removal.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The verb ἀποστερέω appears in Hellenistic, Koine, and New Testament Greek with a consistent sense of wrongful deprivation. Usage in the LXX and the New Testament often carries legal or moral connotations, especially regarding withholding wages or rights (cf. James 5:4). The term is not limited to material goods but may extend to more abstract rights or honors. English translations often use 'defraud,' 'deprive,' or 'withhold,' but these renderings may not always reflect the social or legal nuances embedded in the original contexts, particularly where power relations or exploitation are involved. In classical Greek, στερέω had a broad semantic field of depriving, which continued in compounded forms like ἀποστερέω in later periods. The term was used in legal contexts for unlawful withholding or dispossession. The ethical dimension is notable in New Testament usage, where deprivation often implies injustice rather than mere absence.
Translation Consistency
ἀποστερέω primarily means to take away or withhold what is rightfully another’s — to cause someone to be without something due. “Deprive” is a natural, general English verb that covers dispossessing, withholding, and defrauding in ordinary contexts, making it the best consistent base verb for all forms of this lemma.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from ἀπό and (to deprive); to despoil:--defraud, destitute, kept back by fraud.
Root Family
ἀποστερέω (aposteréō) — to deprive, to withhold, to dispossess, to defraud
Word Forms
4 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G650-03 |
ἀποστερεῖτε | apostereite | V PRS ACT IND 2P PL |
defraud | you are depriving | deprive | 2 |
G650-02 |
ἀποστερεῖσθε | apostereisthe | V PRS PASS IND 2P PL |
are cheated | you are being deprived | you are deprived | 1 |
G650-04 |
ἀποστερήσῃς | apostereses | V AOR ACT SUBJ 2P SG |
defraud | you might deprive | defraud | 1 |
G650-01 |
ἀπεστερημένων | apesteremenon | V PRF PASS PTCP GEN M PL |
deprived | of those having been deprived | of those having been deprived | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
5 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G650-04 |
Mark 10:19 | ἀποστερήσῃς | apostereses | V AOR ACT SUBJ 2P SG |
defraud | you might deprive | defraud |
G650-02 |
1 Corinthians 6:7 | ἀποστερεῖσθε | apostereisthe | V PRS PASS IND 2P PL |
are cheated | you are being deprived | you are deprived |
G650-03 |
1 Corinthians 6:8 | ἀποστερεῖτε | apostereite | V PRS ACT IND 2P PL |
defraud | you are depriving | you are depriving |
G650-03 |
1 Corinthians 7:5 | ἀποστερεῖτε | apostereite | V PRS ACT IMP 2P PL |
deprive | you are depriving | deprive |
G650-01 |
1 Timothy 6:5 | ἀπεστερημένων | apesteremenon | V PRF PASS PTCP GEN M PL |
deprived | of those having been deprived | of those having been deprived |