ἀπελπίζω
apelpízō
G560 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To cease to hope, to give up expectation; in some contexts, to despair or relinquish the expectation of return or reciprocation. The primary sense is the cessation or withdrawal of hope regarding a particular outcome or recompense.
Semantic Range
to despair, to lose hope, to give up expectation, to cease hoping for, to stop expecting something in return, to relinquish hope
Root / Etymology
Formed from the preposition ἀπό ('from, away from') and the verb ἐλπίζω ('to hope, to expect'), combining to mean 'to remove hope' or 'hope away.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical and Hellenistic Greek, ἀπελπίζω is rarely attested but typically means 'to despair' or 'to give up hope.' In New Testament usage (e.g., Luke 6:35), it appears in the sense of not expecting something in return (i.e., 'do good and lend, expecting nothing back'), indicating a withdrawal of expectation rather than complete despair. Later translation traditions sometimes render this as 'hoping again' or 'fully expecting,' but this does not capture the nuance of resignation or relinquishing hope present in the Greek. English Bibles sometimes obscure the force of ἀπό as a marker of separation from hope. The verb is distinct from ἐλπίζω, which is simply 'to hope' or 'expect,' and from ἀπογινώσκω or ἀθυμέω, which can also signal despair, but with different connotations.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from ἀπό and ἐλπίζω; to hope out, i.e. fully expect:--hope for again.
Root Family
ἀπελπίζω (apelpizō) — to cease hoping, to give up expectation, to despair
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G560-01 |
ἀπελπίζοντες | apelpizontes | V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M PL |
expecting in return | ceasing to hope | expecting nothing in return | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G560-01 |
Luke 6:35 | ἀπελπίζοντες | apelpizontes | V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M PL |
expecting in return | ceasing to hope | expecting nothing in return |