ἀποστάσιον
apostásion
G647 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Properly, a document or certificate effecting the dissolution of a legal or marital bond, particularly a certificate of divorce. By extension, a written declaration or formal notice of separation, especially in the context of marital dissolution, but potentially in other legal contexts as well. In the New Testament and contemporaneous literature, most commonly refers to the written notice or document required to formalize a divorce according to legal procedures.
Semantic Range
document of divorce, certificate of separation, formal notice of legal dissolution, bill of divorcement
Root / Etymology
From ἀποστάσιος (adjective: separative, relating to a departure or separation; not securely attested in other literature), ultimately derived from the verb ἀφίστημι ('to remove, depart, cause to stand away from'), with the neuter suffix -ιον indicating an object or result. The formation suggests 'that which effects a separation.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
The term ἀποστάσιον appears rarely in extant Greek prior to the Hellenistic period and is notably used in the Septuagint (e.g., Deuteronomy 24:1, Jer 3:8) to render the Hebrew term סֵפֶר כְּרִיתוּת (sefer keritut, 'certificate of cutting off' or 'divorce document'). In the New Testament, it refers specifically to the written bill of divorce required under Judean law and custom (e.g. Matthew 5:31; 19:7; Mark 10:4). The Roman legal system had no direct analog, but the Greek term emphasizes the written document as the instrument of marital separation. While English translations traditionally render this as 'divorcement' or 'bill of divorce,' the Greek term has a broader technical nuance, indicating the formal legal declaration that effects a severance of relationship or obligation. There is no evidence for the term referring to a personal separation without written notice in Koine literature. Other Greek terms for divorce (e.g., διαζύγιον) appear later and have somewhat different nuances—ἀποστάσιον is distinctive for its documentary aspect. The meaning remained closely tied to legal and written separation in Hellenistic and early Roman-period usage. In modern English, the traditional translation 'writing of divorcement' narrows the sense to marital relationships, but the technical term could, in theory, apply to other legal dissolutions, though attested use is overwhelmingly marital.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
neuter of a (presumed) adjective from a derivative of ἀφίστημι; properly, something separative, i.e. (specially) divorce:--(writing of) divorcement.
Root Family
ἀποστάσιον (apostasion) — separation, removal, departure, legal dissolution document
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G647-02 |
ἀποστασίου | apostasiou | N GEN N SG |
of divorce | of a divorce certificate | 2 |
G647-01 |
ἀποστάσιον | apostasion | N ACC N SG |
certificate of separation | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G647-01 |
Matthew 5:31 | ἀποστάσιον | apostasion | N ACC N SG |
certificate of separation | |
G647-02 |
Matthew 19:7 | ἀποστασίου | apostasiou | N GEN N SG |
of a divorce certificate | |
G647-02 |
Mark 10:4 | ἀποστασίου | apostasiou | N GEN N SG |
of divorce | of a divorce certificate |