What does ἀποδίδωμι (apodídōmi) mean in the Bible?
Ἀποδίδωμι (apodídōmi) means to give back, repay, render what is due, return an account, or recompense according to deeds. Jesus' reconciliation warning pictures full payment of a judicial debt.
Greek · G591
ἀποδίδωμι
To pay
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ἀποδίδωμι G591
Pronunciation apodídōmi
What does ἀποδίδωμι (apodídōmi) mean in the Bible?
Ἀποδίδωμι (apodídōmi) means to give back, repay, render what is due, return an account, or recompense according to deeds. Jesus' reconciliation warning pictures full payment of a judicial debt.
Reader summary
Full entry for ἀποδίδωμι (G591) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G591?
The BSB source-word alignment has 48 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include Give (3), Pay (3), will repay (3), will reward (3), I will pay (2).
Where does ἀποδίδωμι (apodídōmi) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 5:26. Its strongest book concentrations include Matthew (18), Luke (8), Acts (4), Revelation (4).
Are there verse guides for ἀποδίδωμι (apodídōmi)?
This entry includes 2 verse guides that explain exact original-language forms in context.
What This Word Actually Means
Ἀποδίδωμι (apodídōmi) means to give back, repay, render what is due, return an account, or recompense according to deeds. Jesus' reconciliation warning pictures full payment of a judicial debt. The unforgiving servant imprisons a fellow servant until repayment, exposing hypocrisy when one who received immense mercy demands every lesser debt. A manager must render an account of stewardship.
Paul forbids repaying evil for evil and commands pursuit of good for both church and wider community. Revelation presents Christ coming with recompense to give each person according to work. Repayment can concern money, accountability, retaliation, restitution, or final judgment. The one rendering, the debt or deed, and the governing authority determine whether repayment is just duty, merciless exacting, forbidden revenge, or Christ's righteous verdict.
How the Bible Uses It
Ἀποδίδωμι describes giving back what is due: paying a debt, demanding repayment, rendering a stewardship account, refusing retaliation, and receiving Christ's final recompense.
- Matt.5.26
Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
Jesus' warning about the last penny presses hearers toward urgent reconciliation before a dispute reaches judgment and full debt is exacted.
- Matt.18.30
But he refused. Instead, he went and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay his debt.
The forgiven servant refuses mercy and imprisons his fellow servant until payment, revealing the scandal of demanding repayment after receiving incomparable forgiveness.
- Luke.16.2
So he called him in to ask, ‘What is this I hear about you? Turn in an account of your management, for you cannot be manager any longer.’
The manager is summoned to render the account of his administration, making stewardship answerable to the owner whose resources he handled.
- 1Thess.5.15
Make sure that no one repays evil for evil. Always pursue what is good for one another and for all people.
Believers must never repay evil with evil but actively pursue good toward one another and everyone, leaving retaliation outside Christian responsibility.
- Rev.22.12
“Behold, I am coming soon, and My reward is with Me, to give to each one according to what he has done.
Jesus comes with recompense to render to each person according to deeds, locating final and comprehensive repayment in His just authority.
Passage contextBook context
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It Give 3× Matthew 22:21, Mark 12:17, Luke 20:25
Pay 3× Matthew 18:28, Matthew 20:8, Romans 13:7
will repay 3× Luke 10:35, Romans 2:6, 2 Timothy 4:14
will reward 3× Matthew 6:4, Matthew 6:6, Matthew 6:18
I will pay 2× Matthew 18:26, Matthew 18:29
will give 2× Matthew 12:36, Matthew 21:41
you have paid 2× Matthew 5:26, Luke 12:59
. . . 1× Acts 19:40
[and] yielding 1× Revelation 22:2
continued to give 1× Acts 4:33
Do not repay 1× 1 Peter 3:9
Do not repay anyone 1× Romans 12:17
fulfill 1× Matthew 5:33
gave him back 1× Luke 9:42
Give back 1× Revelation 18:6
has done [to others] 1× Revelation 18:6
he could pay 1× Matthew 18:30
he should repay 1× Matthew 18:34
He will repay 1× Matthew 16:27
I will repay [it] 1× Luke 19:8
it be given to him 1× Matthew 27:58
it yields 1× Hebrews 12:11
repay 1× 1 Timothy 5:4
repays 1× 1 Thessalonians 5:15
returned [it] 1× Luke 4:20
should fulfill 1× 1 Corinthians 7:3
sold 1× Hebrews 12:16
they sold him as a slave 1× Acts 7:9
those who must give 1× Hebrews 13:17
to give 1× Revelation 22:12
to pay 1× Matthew 18:25
to pay [his] debt 1× Matthew 18:25
to repay [him] 1× Luke 7:42
Turn in 1× Luke 16:2
will award 1× 2 Timothy 4:8
will have to give 1× 1 Peter 4:5
you [and your husband ] got 1× Acts 5:8
Show sample aligned rows
Matthew 5:26 ἀποδῷς to you have paid Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 2nd Person Singular Matthew 5:33 ἀποδώσεις to fulfill Verb - Future Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singular Matthew 6:4 ἀποδώσει to will reward Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Matthew 6:6 ἀποδώσει to will reward Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Matthew 6:18 ἀποδώσει to will reward Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Matthew 12:36 ἀποδώσουσιν to will give Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural Matthew 16:27 ἀποδώσει to He will repay Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Matthew 18:25 ἀποδοῦναι to to pay Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active Matthew 18:25 ἀποδοθῆναι to to pay [his] debt Verb - Aorist Infinitive Passive Matthew 18:26 ἀποδώσω to I will pay Verb - Future Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Matthew 5:26
Aligned rows 48
Books represented 12
Matthew 18 Mark 1 Luke 8 Acts 4 Romans 3 1 Corinthians 1 1 Thessalonians 1 1 Timothy 1 2 Timothy 2 Hebrews 3 1 Peter 2 Revelation 4
Source forms
ἀποδώσει 6x apodōsei Matthew 6:4, Matthew 6:6, Matthew 6:18, Matthew 16:27
ἀπόδοτε 4x apodote Mark 12:17, Luke 20:25, Romans 13:7, Revelation 18:6
ἀποδοῦναι 4x apodounai Matthew 18:25, Luke 7:42, Acts 19:40, Revelation 22:12
ἀποδῷ 3x apodō Matthew 18:30, Matthew 18:34, 1 Thessalonians 5:15
ἀποδώσουσιν 3x apodōsousin Matthew 12:36, Matthew 21:41, 1 Peter 4:5
ἀποδώσω 3x apodōsō Matthew 18:26, Matthew 18:29, Luke 10:35
ἀπέδωκεν 2x apedōken Luke 9:42, Revelation 18:6
ἀποδιδόντες 2x apodidontes Romans 12:17, 1 Peter 3:9
Parsing patterns
Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular 7x Matthew 6:4, Matthew 6:6, Matthew 6:18, Matthew 16:27
Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Plural 5x Matthew 22:21, Mark 12:17, Luke 20:25, Romans 13:7
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active 4x Matthew 18:25, Luke 7:42, Acts 19:40, Revelation 22:12
Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular 3x Matthew 18:28, Matthew 20:8, Luke 16:2
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular 3x Matthew 18:30, Matthew 18:34, 1 Thessalonians 5:15
Verb - Future Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular 3x Matthew 18:26, Matthew 18:29, Luke 10:35
Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural 3x Matthew 12:36, Matthew 21:41, 1 Peter 4:5
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular 2x Luke 9:42, Revelation 18:6
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Do not confuse forgiveness with refusal to repair harm; Scripture can require restitution while forbidding retaliatory evil.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not use the unforgiving servant to defend coercive debt collection; the parable condemns his merciless demand.
- Do not claim that refusing revenge means deeds escape judgment when Revelation assigns recompense to Christ.
Key Verse and Form Guides
Verse-level guides showing how this original-language form works in its specific context, including grammar, verse function, and guarded interpretation.
Revelation 22:2 Verb Present Active Participle Nominative Singular Neuter
ἀποδιδοῦν apodidoun to pay The participle makes the tree's fruitfulness sound continual and fitting, which strengthens the picture of ongoing provision in the new creation scene. Read verse guide Revelation 22:12 Verb Second Aorist Active Infinitive
ἀποδοῦναι apodounai to pay The grammar sharpens the verse toward intended repayment and personal accountability, while leaving the sentence's force anchored in the surrounding context. Read verse guide Evidence Summary
Greek word. To give back what is due or owed; render payment, account, or recompense as obligation demands.
Source Gloss
to pay
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
16 of 48 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Matthew 5:26 Verb Second Person Singular Second Aorist Active Subjunctive
ἀποδῷς apodwv
I give back, return, sell
Read verse Matthew 5:33 Verb Second Person Singular Future Active Indicative
ἀποδώσεις apodwseiv
I give back, return, sell
Read verse Matthew 6:4 Verb Third Person Singular Future Active Indicative
ἀποδώσει apodwsei
I give back, return, sell
Read verse Matthew 6:6 Verb Third Person Singular Future Active Indicative
ἀποδώσει apodwsei
I give back, return, sell
Read verse Matthew 6:18 Verb Third Person Singular Future Active Indicative
ἀποδώσει apodwsei
I give back, return, sell
Read verse Matthew 12:36 Verb Third Person Plural Future Active Indicative
ἀποδώσουσι apodwsousin
I give back, return, sell
Read verse Matthew 16:27 Verb Third Person Singular Future Active Indicative
ἀποδώσει apodwsei
I give back, return, sell
Read verse Matthew 18:25 Verb Second Aorist Active Infinitive
ἀποδοῦναι, apodounai
I give back, return, sell
Read verse Matthew 18:25 Verb Aorist Passive Infinitive
ἀποδοθῆναι. apodoqhnai
I give back, return, sell
Read verse Matthew 18:26 Verb First Person Singular Future Active Indicative
ἀποδώσω. apodwsw
I give back, return, sell
Read verse Matthew 18:28 Verb Second Person Singular Second Aorist Active Imperative
Ἀπόδος apodov
I give back, return, sell
Read verse Matthew 18:29 Verb First Person Singular Future Active Indicative
ἀποδώσω apodwsw
I give back, return, sell
Read verse Matthew 18:30 Verb Third Person Singular Second Aorist Active Subjunctive
ἀποδῷ apodw
I give back, return, sell
Read verse Matthew 18:34 Verb Third Person Singular Second Aorist Active Subjunctive
ἀποδῷ apodw
I give back, return, sell
Read verse Matthew 20:8 Verb Second Person Singular Second Aorist Active Imperative
ἀπόδος apodov
I give back, return, sell
Read verse Matthew 21:41 Verb Third Person Plural Future Active Indicative
ἀποδώσουσιν apodwsousin
I give back, return, sell
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
Grammatical Forms
How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 5 Aligned forms 48 Tenses Future, Aorist, Present, Imperfect Voices Active, Passive, Middle
Tenses
Voices
Indicative states a fact or reality 22×
Future Active Matt 6:4 · Matt 6:6 · Matt 6:18 · Matt 16:27 · Rom 2:6 · 2 Tim 4:8 · 2 Tim 4:14 · Matt 12:36 · Matt 21:41 · 1 Pet 4:5 · Matt 18:26 · Matt 18:29 · Luke 10:35 · Matt 5:33 14×
Aorist Middle Acts 5:8 · Acts 7:9 · Heb 12:16 3×
Aorist Active Luke 9:42 · Rev 18:6 2×
Present Active Luke 19:8 · Heb 12:11 2×
Imperfect Active Acts 4:33 1×
Imperative command or strong request 9×
Aorist Active Matt 22:21 · Mark 12:17 · Luke 20:25 · Rom 13:7 · Rev 18:6 · Matt 18:28 · Matt 20:8 · Luke 16:2 8×
Present Active 1 Cor 7:3 1×
Infinitive verbal noun — the action in abstract 7×
Aorist Passive Matt 18:25 · Matt 27:58 2×
Present Active 1 Tim 5:4 1×
Subjunctive possibility, probability, or purpose 5×
Aorist Active Matt 18:30 · Matt 18:34 · 1 Thess 5:15 · Matt 5:26 · Luke 12:59 5×
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 5×
Aorist Active Luke 4:20 1×
Future Active Heb 13:17 1×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 48 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect
Tense
aorist 25 future 15 present 7 imperfect 1
Voice
active 43 middle 3 passive 2
Mood
indicative 22 imperative 9 infinitive 7 participle 5 subjunctive 5
NT Occurrences
Matthew 5:26 ἀποδῷς aorist active subjunctive subjunctive Matthew 5:33 ἀποδώσεις future active indicative prospective Matthew 6:18 ἀποδώσει future active indicative prospective Matthew 6:4 ἀποδώσει future active indicative prospective Matthew 6:6 ἀποδώσει future active indicative prospective Matthew 12:36 ἀποδώσουσιν future active indicative prospective Matthew 16:27 ἀποδώσει future active indicative prospective Matthew 18:25 ἀποδοῦναι aorist active infinitive infinitive Matthew 18:25 ἀποδοθῆναι aorist passive infinitive infinitive Matthew 18:26 ἀποδώσω future active indicative prospective Matthew 18:28 Ἀπόδος aorist active imperative imperative Matthew 18:29 ἀποδώσω future active indicative prospective Matthew 18:30 ἀποδῷ aorist active subjunctive subjunctive Matthew 18:34 ἀποδῷ aorist active subjunctive subjunctive Matthew 20:8 ἀπόδος aorist active imperative imperative Matthew 21:41 ἀποδώσουσιν future active indicative prospective Matthew 22:21 Ἀπόδοτε aorist active imperative imperative Matthew 27:58 ἀποδοθῆναι aorist passive infinitive infinitive Mark 12:17 ἀπόδοτε aorist active imperative imperative Luke 4:20 ἀποδοὺς aorist active participle participle Luke 7:42 ἀποδοῦναι aorist active infinitive infinitive Luke 9:42 ἀπέδωκεν aorist active indicative completed Luke 10:35 ἀποδώσω future active indicative prospective Luke 12:59 ἀποδῷς aorist active subjunctive subjunctive Luke 16:2 ἀπόδος aorist active imperative imperative Luke 19:8 ἀποδίδωμι present active indicative ongoing Luke 20:25 ἀπόδοτε aorist active imperative imperative Acts 4:33 ἀπεδίδουν imperfect active indicative background Acts 5:8 ἀπέδοσθε aorist middle indicative completed Acts 7:9 ἀπέδοντο aorist middle indicative completed Acts 19:40 ἀποδοῦναι aorist active infinitive infinitive Romans 2:6 ἀποδώσει future active indicative prospective Romans 12:17 ἀποδιδόντες present active participle participle Romans 13:7 ἀπόδοτε aorist active imperative imperative 1 Corinthians 7:3 ἀποδιδότω present active imperative imperative 1 Thessalonians 5:15 ἀποδῷ aorist active subjunctive subjunctive 1 Timothy 5:4 ἀποδιδόναι present active infinitive infinitive 2 Timothy 4:14 ἀποδώσει future active indicative prospective 2 Timothy 4:8 ἀποδώσει future active indicative prospective Hebrews 12:11 ἀποδίδωσιν present active indicative ongoing
+8 more occurrences
Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.
Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Additional Occurrences
Luke 19:1–10 ἀποδίδωμι apodídōmi
I restore, repay
Luke 20:20–26 ἀπόδοτε apodídōmi
Render, give back
Mark 12:13–17 ἀποδίδωμι apodídōmi
to give back, render what is due
New Testament Witnesses
render back
render, repay
Showing 5 selected witnesses from 48 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
ἀποδίδωμι is built from these roots:
Why This Word Matters
Indicates rightful obligation.
Indicates rightful repayment of obligations without transferring ultimate allegiance.
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
For the Preacher and Teacher
Repayment reveals whether a person lives by mercy, stewardship, or vengeance. Jesus urges reconciliation before legal debt reaches its final demand. The unforgiving servant shows the horror of remembering every small obligation owed to oneself while forgetting the vast mercy received from the king. Luke's manager must return an account because stewardship never converts entrusted goods into independent ownership.
Paul then removes evil-for-evil repayment from Christian practice; believers pursue good and entrust justice to God rather than reproducing the harm done to them. Revelation confirms that this restraint is not indifference to deeds. Christ Himself comes with recompense and renders a just verdict to each person. Churches should teach restitution and accountability without cultivating revenge, forgive as recipients of grace, and remember that every stewardship will be rendered to its rightful Lord.
Anchor passage
Matt.5.26
Doctrinal connections
- Matthew 5:21-26, reconciliation before full judicial payment
- Matthew 18:21-35, forgiven debt and merciless repayment
- Luke 16:1-13, rendering an account of stewardship
- 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22, refusing evil-for-evil repayment
- Revelation 22:10-15, Christ coming with recompense
- Deuteronomy 32:35-36, vengeance and recompense belonging to the Lord
Ἀποδίδωμι combines giving with a prefix that often marks return or fulfillment. It can mean give back, pay, render, reward, or repay. Direct and indirect objects identify what is due and to whom.
From Old to New Testament
The law commands restitution, wisdom warns that evil returns to its doer, prophets entrust recompense to God, and Jesus teaches forgiven people to abandon vengeance while remaining accountable stewards.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain