ἀνδραποδιστής (G405) — Greek Lexicon

ἀνδραποδιστής

andrapodistḗs

G405 substantive adjective

SILEX Entry

Definition

One who enslaves others; specifically, a person who takes others captive for the purpose of selling them as slaves (slave-dealer, kidnapper, human trafficker). The core sense is of seizing or trafficking in humans for profit or forced labor. In certain legal contexts, refers to one who forcibly abducts others and reduces them to slavery.

Semantic Range

slave-dealer, human trafficker, kidnapper, one who captures others for enslavement, men-stealer, enslaver

Root / Etymology

From ἀνδραπόδον (andrapodon, 'slave captured in war,' literally 'man-foot'), itself from ἀνήρ ('man, adult male') + πούς ('foot') with the agent suffix -ιστής. The word thus originally denoted one who deals in or creates 'human cattle,' i.e., by capturing people and turning them into slaves.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The term ἀνδραποδιστής is rare and primarily occurs in later classical and Koine Greek, including in lists of criminal behaviors (e.g., 1 Timothy 1:10). It reflects the Greco-Roman legal and social context, in which slave-dealing, kidnapping, and human trafficking were criminal offenses and subject to both civic and moral condemnation. In the Septuagint and Hellenistic Jewish literature, the term is not common, but similar concepts appear in lists of actions violating the dignity and freedom of individuals. The English translation 'menstealer' (as in KJV) renders the narrower sense of kidnapper, but the Greek term has wider application to any who create or traffic in slaves, irrespective of the method of enslavement. It stands in contrast to ἀνδραποδίτης ('slave') or δουλοπώλης ('slave-trader'), with a specific focus on the act of capturing or enslaving the free. The word is not limited to men as victims; it applies to anyone taken captive for enslavement. The moral and legal implications of the term are significant in both Greek and early Christian moral exhortation.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from a derivative of a compound of ἀνήρ and πούς; an enslaver (as bringing men to his feet):--menstealer.

Root Family

ἀνδραποδιστής (andrapodistēs) — enslaver, slave-dealer, human trafficker, captor for slavery

Root ἀνδραποδ- to reduce to slavery, to capture as a slave, to enslave

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`G405-01`	ἀνδραποδισταῖς	andrapodistais	`ADJ.S DAT M PL`	for slave traders	to slave-dealers	to slave-dealers	1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 occurrence

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`G405-01`	1 Timothy 1:10	ἀνδραποδισταῖς	andrapodistais	`ADJ.S DAT M PL`	for slave traders	to slave-dealers	to slave-dealers

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