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ἀποπίπτω

apopíptō

G634 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To fall off, to drop away from a position or attachment; in broader contexts, to deteriorate, come to an end, or be lost as a result of having fallen off. Primary sense is physical separation from that which one was attached to, with extended metaphorical uses including departure from a condition or state.

Semantic Range

to fall off, to drop away, to be removed by falling, to decay or deteriorate, to lose one's place, to fall away (metaphorical), to apostatize (in later contexts)

Root / Etymology

Compound of ἀπό (away from) and πίπτω (to fall).

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical and Hellenistic Greek, ἀποπίπτω primarily refers to something physically detaching and falling away—such as leaves falling from a tree or an object dropping. In medical and agricultural contexts, it describes natural processes of shedding or loss (e.g., hair, fruit, leaves). By extension, the term is used metaphorically in Koine Greek for departure from a state, fate, or grace—especially in later Christian texts (cf. Galatians 5:4). In the Septuagint and non-biblical literature, the usage is typically concrete rather than abstract. Standard English translations often restrict the term to 'fall away,' but in Greek its semantic range includes both literal and figurative losses, encompassing both physical and metaphorical detachment.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from ἀπό and πίπτω; to fall off:--fall.

Root Family

πιπτ- (empíptō) — to fall, to come upon, to encounter

Root πιπτ- to fall, to drop
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
G1706 ἐμπίπτω might fall into
G1968 ἐπιπίπτω they fell upon
G377 ἀναπίπτω Recline
G4098 πίπτω I fell

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G634-01 ἀπέπεσαν apepesan V AOR ACT IND 3P PL fell they fell away fell away 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G634-01 Acts 9:18 ἀπέπεσαν apepesan V AOR ACT IND 3P PL fell they fell away fell away
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