ἀπαρνέομαι
aparnéomai
G533 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To deny, repudiate, or disavow; to refuse to acknowledge or reject affiliation. Primarily signifies a strong act of denial or disowning, often with the connotation of breaking association or refusing connection. In particular contexts, may convey the sense of denying responsibility, identity, or relationship, especially in moments of social, political, or religious pressure.
Semantic Range
to deny utterly, to disown, to refuse to acknowledge, to repudiate, to renounce association, to break relational or ideological ties
Root / Etymology
From the prepositional prefix ἀπό (away from) and the verb ἀρνέομαι (to deny, to refuse), thus intensifying the sense of denial to mean 'deny utterly' or 'disown.' The compound form strengthens the negative or emphatic dimension of refusal or repudiation.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical and Hellenistic Greek, ἀπαρνέομαι is rare but does occur in the sense of 'utterly disown' or 'utterly deny.' In the Septuagint, it is occasionally used where personal or public renunciation is required (see e.g., LXX Daniel). In the New Testament, the term notably appears in contexts where individuals are pressured to deny connection or loyalty—famously in accounts of Peter's denial of Jesus (e.g., Mark 14:72), carrying a connotation not simply of negation but of breaking relational, communal, or ideological ties. The force of the compound (ἀπό-) often highlights decisive repudiation rather than a casual or simple negation. English translations usually render the word as 'deny,' 'disown,' or 'repudiate,' but rarely capture the strengthened or intensive nuance of the Greek. By contrast, the simplex form ἀρνέομαι may mean 'deny' without the full force of disavowal or disowning which ἀπαρνέομαι conveys. No clear evidence of this compound before the Hellenistic period.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from ἀπό and ἀρνέομαι; to deny utterly, i.e. disown, abstain:--deny.
Root Family
ἀπαρνέομαι (aparnéomai) — to deny, to refuse, to repudiate, to disown
Word Forms
4 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G533-02 |
ἀπαρνήσῃ | aparnese | V FUT MID IND 2P SG |
you will deny | you will disown | 6 |
G533-03 |
ἀπαρνήσομαι | aparnesomai | V FUT MID IND 1P SG |
I will deny | I will disown | 2 |
G533-01 |
ἀπαρνησάσθω | aparnesastho | V AOR MID IMP 3P SG |
let him deny | let him utterly disown himself | 2 |
G533-04 |
ἀπαρνηθήσεται | aparnethesetai | V FUT PASS IND 3P SG |
will be denied | he/she/it will be utterly denied | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
11 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G533-01 |
Matthew 16:24 | ἀπαρνησάσθω | aparnesastho | V AOR MID IMP 3P SG |
let him utterly disown himself | |
G533-02 |
Matthew 26:34 | ἀπαρνήσῃ | aparnese | V FUT MID IND 2P SG |
you will disown | |
G533-03 |
Matthew 26:35 | ἀπαρνήσομαι | aparnesomai | V FUT MID IND 1P SG |
I will disown | |
G533-02 |
Matthew 26:75 | ἀπαρνήσῃ | aparnese | V FUT MID IND 2P SG |
you will disown | |
G533-01 |
Mark 8:34 | ἀπαρνησάσθω | aparnesastho | V AOR MID IMP 3P SG |
let him deny | let him utterly disown himself |
G533-02 |
Mark 14:30 | ἀπαρνήσῃ | aparnese | V FUT MID IND 2P SG |
you will deny | you will disown |
G533-03 |
Mark 14:31 | ἀπαρνήσομαι | aparnesomai | V FUT MID IND 1P SG |
I will deny | I will disown |
G533-02 |
Mark 14:72 | ἀπαρνήσῃ | aparnese | V FUT MID IND 2P SG |
you will deny | you will disown |
G533-04 |
Luke 12:9 | ἀπαρνηθήσεται | aparnethesetai | V FUT PASS IND 3P SG |
will be denied | he/she/it will be utterly denied |
G533-02 |
Luke 22:34 | ἀπαρνήσῃ | aparnese | V FUT MID IND 2P SG |
deny | you will disown |