ἀποσυνάγωγος
aposynágōgos
G656 predicate adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
Expelled from a synagogue or assembly; excluded from communal participation, especially from the religious and social community associated with a synagogue. The primary lexical meaning is being removed from or denied association with the synagogue, and by extension, ostracized from the community's social and religious life.
Semantic Range
excluded from the synagogue, expelled from the assembly, ostracized from the community, denied communal participation
Root / Etymology
Formed from the preposition ἀπό ('from, away from') and συναγωγή ('assembly, synagogue'), with the adjectival suffix -ος, indicating a state or condition. Thus, literally 'removed from the synagogue' or 'excluded from the assembly'.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The term ἀποσυνάγωγος is a post-classical Greek compound that appears only in later Greek, especially in Jewish Greek contexts. It is extremely rare outside the Gospel of John (where it appears at John 9:22; 12:42; 16:2) and does not occur in the Septuagint or classical literature, though the underlying concept of expulsion from communal life is found elsewhere. The synagogue (συναγωγή) in this period was not only a place of religious gathering but also served as a center of community and social identity among Judeans. Thus, to be ἀποσυνάγωγος meant not only religious but also social exclusion. While English translations often render it 'expelled from the synagogue' or 'excommunicated', the latter is anachronistic since the term does not carry the exact formal or institutional connotations of later Christian excommunication. The term would have specific resonance in Hellenistic and Roman-period Judean communities, where access to the synagogue was central to communal participation and identity.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from ἀπό and συναγωγή; excommunicated:--(put) out of the synagogue(-s).
Root Family
ἀποσυνάγωγος (aposynagōgos) — assembly, synagogue, to gather, exclusion from assembly
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G656-03 |
ἀποσυναγώγους | aposunagogous | ADJ.S ACC M PL |
outcasts from the synagogue | synagogue-expelled ones | synagogue-expelled ones | 1 |
G656-01 |
ἀποσυνάγωγοι | aposunagogoi | ADJ.P NOM M PL |
put-out-of-synagogue | synagogue-expelled ones | expelled from synagogue | 1 |
G656-02 |
ἀποσυνάγωγος | aposunagogos | ADJ.P NOM M SG |
put out of the synagogue | assembly-expelled (man) | assembly-expelled (man) | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G656-02 |
John 9:22 | ἀποσυνάγωγος | aposunagogos | ADJ.P NOM M SG |
put out of the synagogue | assembly-expelled (man) | assembly-expelled (man) |
G656-01 |
John 12:42 | ἀποσυνάγωγοι | aposunagogoi | ADJ.P NOM M PL |
put-out-of-synagogue | synagogue-expelled ones | expelled from synagogue |
G656-03 |
John 16:2 | ἀποσυναγώγους | aposunagogous | ADJ.S ACC M PL |
outcasts from the synagogue | synagogue-expelled ones | synagogue-expelled ones |