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παραιτέομαι

paraitéomai

G3868 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To decline, refuse, or reject a request, invitation, or obligation, often with an explanation or justification; also, to ask to be excused or exempted from something, such as a summons, responsibility, or command. The word can be used both in situations where one courteously seeks release from an obligation and where one denies or turns aside from an offer or claim.

Semantic Range

to decline (a request or invitation), to excuse oneself, to refuse or reject (a command or obligation), to shun, to beg off, to ask for release or exemption, to repel or avert

Root / Etymology

Formed from the preposition παρά ('from beside, from') and the middle voice of αἰτέω ('to ask'). The middle voice emphasizes the subject's personal interest or involvement in the action, here indicating asking or seeking something for oneself, with παρά intensifying the removal or distancing from the original act of asking.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In Classical Greek, παραιτέομαι could mean to beg off or to request exemption, often in legal or formal situations. In Koine Greek (including NT and LXX), its use expands to declining invitations (e.g., Lk 14:18) or refusing accountability (Heb 12:19,25), sometimes with the implication of making excuses. The act of refusal could be polite (seeking to be excused) or more forceful (outright rejection). English translations often render it as 'refuse,' 'decline,' 'excuse oneself,' or 'reject,' but none capture the sense that the subject both asks for release and actively distances from the obligation. Unlike the simple αἰτέω ('to ask,' 'to request'), παραιτέομαι includes the added nuance of disengagement or withdrawal from the initial request or expectation. The term is common in NT parables (e.g., Lk 14:18–19) to describe those who make excuses to avoid responsibilities or invitations, and in admonitory passages (e.g., Heb 12:25) for refusing to heed warnings. Attestation in the LXX is rare, but where used, it supports the general sense of withdrawing from obligated response.

Translation Consistency

primary "decline" 0 occurrences

"Decline" naturally covers the typical uses of παραιτέομαι—politely refusing or turning down an invitation/request and asking to be excused from an obligation—while sounding natural in English and fitting the word’s usual, courteous sense better than the harsher "refuse." It therefore provides a consistent, idiomatic base for all forms of this Strong’s entry.

Alternatives (12 occurrences):
"refuse for yourself" (4x) "excused" (2x) "asking" (1x) "excuse" (1x) "having been excused" (1x) "refuse" (1x) "might refuse for yourselves" (1x) "having refused" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from παρά and the middle voice of αἰτέω; to beg off, i.e. deprecate, decline, shun:--avoid, (make) excuse, intreat, refuse, reject.

Root Family

αἰτ- (aitéō) — to ask, to request, to demand

Root αἰτ- to ask, to request, to seek exemption, to refuse
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
G154 αἰτέω to ask for
G155 αἴτημα a requested thing
G156 αἰτία cause
G157 αἰτίαμα formal accusations
G158 αἴτιον

Word Forms

8 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G3868-04 παραιτοῦ paraitou V PRS MID IMP 2P SG reject refuse for yourself refuse for yourself 4
G3868-06 παρῃτημένον paretemenon V PRF PASS PTCP ACC M SG excused having been refused excused 2
G3868-01 παραιτεῖσθαι paraiteisthai V PRS MID INF to make excuses to excuse oneself to excuse themselves 1
G3868-02 παραιτησάμενοι paraitesamenoi V AOR MID PTCP NOM M PL having refused having excused themselves having refused 1
G3868-03 παραιτήσησθε paraitesesthe V AOR MID SUBJ 2P PL refuse you (pl.) might refuse for yourselves you might refuse for yourselves 1
G3868-05 παραιτοῦμαι paraitoumai V PRS MID IND 1P SG I refuse I am excusing myself I refuse 1
G3868-07 παρῃτήσαντο paretesanto V AOR MID IND 3P PL begged they excused themselves they excused themselves 1
G3868-08 παρῃτοῦντο paretounto V IMPF MID IND 3P PL they asked they were declining for themselves they were asking 1

Occurrences in Scripture

12 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G3868-08 Mark 15:6 παρῃτοῦντο paretounto V IMPF MID IND 3P PL they asked they were declining for themselves they were asking
G3868-01 Luke 14:18 παραιτεῖσθαι paraiteisthai V PRS MID INF to make excuses to excuse oneself to excuse themselves
G3868-06 Luke 14:18 παρῃτημένον paretemenon V PRF PASS PTCP ACC M SG excused having been refused excused
G3868-06 Luke 14:19 παρῃτημένον paretemenon V PRF PASS PTCP ACC M SG excused having been refused having been excused
G3868-05 Acts 25:11 παραιτοῦμαι paraitoumai V PRS MID IND 1P SG I refuse I am excusing myself I refuse
G3868-04 1 Timothy 4:7 παραιτοῦ paraitou V PRS MID IMP 2P SG refuse refuse for yourself refuse for yourself
G3868-04 1 Timothy 5:11 παραιτοῦ paraitou V PRS MID IMP 2P SG refuse refuse for yourself refuse for yourself
G3868-04 2 Timothy 2:23 παραιτοῦ paraitou V PRS MID IMP 2P SG reject refuse for yourself refuse for yourself
G3868-04 Titus 3:10 παραιτοῦ paraitou V PRS MID IMP 2P SG reject refuse for yourself refuse for yourself
G3868-07 Hebrews 12:19 παρῃτήσαντο paretesanto V AOR MID IND 3P PL begged they excused themselves they excused themselves
G3868-03 Hebrews 12:25 παραιτήσησθε paraitesesthe V AOR MID SUBJ 2P PL refuse you (pl.) might refuse for yourselves you might refuse for yourselves
G3868-02 Hebrews 12:25 παραιτησάμενοι paraitesamenoi V AOR MID PTCP NOM M PL having refused having excused themselves having refused
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