ἀστοχέω
astochéō
G795 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To miss the mark or objective; in extended or figurative usage, to deviate or stray from a standard, correct path, or truth. Primarily denotes failing to achieve or reach a target, especially in intellectual, ethical, or doctrinal contexts. By extension, describes being mistaken, making an error, or going astray (especially in teaching or belief).
Semantic Range
to miss the mark, to go astray, to deviate from a goal or standard, to make a mistake, to err in judgment or teaching, to swerve from the truth or correct path
Root / Etymology
From ἀ- (a negative prefix, 'not') and στοχέω ('to aim at, to direct one's aim'), itself from στοχός ('target, aim'); thus literally, 'to not aim rightly' or 'to miss the target.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical and Hellenistic Greek, στοχέω means 'to aim at, to endeavor.' The negative form, ἀστοχέω, is rare outside literary or philosophical contexts but appears in medical and rhetorical writings to indicate deviation from a goal or failing to hit what is intended. In the New Testament (cf. 1 Timothy 1:6, 6:21; 2 Timothy 2:18), it is mainly used metaphorically for deviating from correct teaching, faith, or truth, often in reference to heresy or doctrinal error. While frequently translated 'to err' or 'to swerve,' the idea is less of intentional rebellion and more about missing the correct direction. The verbal imagery is more precise than generic terms such as πλανᾶσθαι ('to wander')—it specifically centers on intentional aim and subsequent failure. Standard English renderings like 'swerve,' 'miss the mark,' or 'go astray' may obscure the original metaphor of aiming and failing to achieve. The term does not commonly appear in the Septuagint, and outside Christian literature it retains the sense of failing to achieve a desired intellectual, ethical, or practical result. Distinct from the Hebrew chṭʾ (חָטָא), although both can mean 'to sin' or 'to miss the mark,' ἀστοχέω in Greek does not intrinsically connote religious wrongdoing—its root sense is non-religious and focuses on failure to attain an objective.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from a compound of Α (as a negative particle) and (an aim); to miss the mark, i.e. (figuratively) deviate from truth:--err, swerve.
Root Family
ἀστοχέω (astocheō) — to miss, to fail to reach, to err, to deviate
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G795-02 |
ἠστόχησαν | estochesan | V AOR ACT IND 3P PL |
have erred | they missed the mark | they missed the mark | 2 |
G795-01 |
ἀστοχήσαντες | astochesantes | V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M PL |
having swerved | having missed the mark | having missed the mark | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G795-01 |
1 Timothy 1:6 | ἀστοχήσαντες | astochesantes | V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M PL |
having swerved | having missed the mark | having missed the mark |
G795-02 |
1 Timothy 6:21 | ἠστόχησαν | estochesan | V AOR ACT IND 3P PL |
have erred | they missed the mark | they missed the mark |
G795-02 |
2 Timothy 2:18 | ἠστόχησαν | estochesan | V AOR ACT IND 3P PL |
have gone astray | they missed the mark | they missed the mark |