ἀπελεύθερος
apeleútheros
G558 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A person who has been released from enslavement or bondage; specifically, a freedman—one who, having previously been enslaved, has gained or been granted legal freedom. The term refers to the new, post-manumission status of such an individual, distinguishing them from those born free. In various contexts, ἀπελεύθερος can specify the social position of those who, though emancipated, often remained in a subordinate social tier with continuing obligations to their former masters. Occasionally, in figurative usage, may denote the state of having been set free from various forms of bondage (metaphorical or literal).
Semantic Range
manumitted person, freedman, someone released from bondage (literal); one set free from slavery; one who has obtained freedom (legal status); in rare figurative context, one released from another type of bondage or obligation
Root / Etymology
From ἀπό (from, away from) + ἐλεύθερος (free). Denotes one who has been made free—i.e., has been set free or released.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Attested from the Classical period onward, ἀπελεύθερος acquired a precise legal meaning in Hellenistic and Roman societies: a person manumitted by their owner, distinguished from those free by birth (ἐλεύθερος). In Greco-Roman civic and household contexts, ἀπελεύθεροι commonly had limited civic rights and often retained some obligations to former masters (now patrons), such as continued allegiance or social ties. By the Roman era, including in New Testament usage (e.g., 1 Corinthians 7:22), the term reflects contemporary social realities—where freedmen formed a distinct social class. Standard translations such as "freedman" or "freeman" frequently underrepresent the lasting social stratification and ties to former owners implied. In the Septuagint and non-biblical papyri, the term similarly marks the legal shift from slavery to a defined, though often limited, freedom. Contrasts with δοῦλος (slave/bondservant), ἐλεύθερος (free person by birth), and other terms marking social status. The English rendering "freeman" may be misleading, as it can imply full civic freedom, whereas ἀπελεύθερος technically identifies one whose freedom was granted through manumission, not natural birth.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from ἀπό and ἐλεύθερος; one freed away, i.e. a freedman:--freeman.
Root Family
ἀπελεύθερος (apeleutheros) — to be free, to liberate, to be released from bondage
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G558-01 |
ἀπελεύθερος | apeleutheros | N NOM M SG |
freedman | freedman | freedman | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G558-01 |
1 Corinthians 7:22 | ἀπελεύθερος | apeleutheros | N NOM M SG |
freedman | freedman | freedman |