What does ἀφαιρέω (aphairéō) mean in the Bible?
G851 means to take away, remove, or cut off. 25, Elizabeth says the Lord has taken away her social disgrace.
Greek · G851
ἀφαιρέω
To remove (literally or figuratively)
Reading a lexicon entry
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ἀφαιρέωG851
Pronunciationaphairéō
What does ἀφαιρέω (aphairéō) mean in the Bible?
G851 means to take away, remove, or cut off. 25, Elizabeth says the Lord has taken away her social disgrace.
Reader summary
Full entry for ἀφαιρέω (G851) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G851?
The BSB source-word alignment has 10 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include cutting off (3), and taken away (1), I take away (1), is taking (1), takes away (1).
Where does ἀφαιρέω (aphairéō) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 26:51. Its strongest book concentrations include Luke (4), Revelation (2), Hebrews (1), Mark (1).
Are there verse guides for ἀφαιρέω (aphairéō)?
This entry includes 2 verse guides that explain exact original-language forms in context.
What This Word Actually Means
G851 means to take away, remove, or cut off. In Luke. 1. 25, Elizabeth says the Lord has taken away her social disgrace. In Luke. 10. 42, Jesus says Mary's chosen good portion will not be taken from her. In Heb. 10. 4, the blood of bulls and goats is declared unable to take away sins. G851 opens teaching on God removing reproach, protected attention to Jesus, the limits of repeated sacrifice, covenant forgiveness, and violent removal that Jesus refuses to advance.
It does not define childlessness as disgrace before God, demean household service, or authorize cutting people off to defend religious aims. Removal may free, forgive, judge, or deprive, and the passage must identify which action is present.
How the Bible Uses It
G851 describes removed reproach, a position taken away, an ear cut off, a chosen portion protected, sin taken away, and a share threatened for removing prophetic words. Context distinguishes grace, loss, violence, and warning.
- Luke.1.25
“The Lord has done this for me. In these days He has shown me favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”
Elizabeth interprets her pregnancy as the Lord's favor removing the social reproach she had borne among people.
- Luke.10.42
But only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Jesus protects Mary's chosen good portion of attending to Him from being taken away by the surrounding demand.
- Heb.10.4
Because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
Repeated animal sacrifices cannot take away sins, preparing the contrast with Christ's effective offering.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Itcutting off3×Matthew 26:51, Mark 14:47, Luke 22:50
and taken away1×Luke 1:25
I take away1×Romans 11:27
is taking1×Luke 16:3
takes away1×Revelation 22:19
to take away1×Hebrews 10:4
will not be taken away from1×Luke 10:42
will take away1×Revelation 22:19
Show sample aligned rows
Matthew 26:51ἀφεῖλενtocutting offVerb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularMark 14:47ἀφεῖλενtocutting offVerb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularLuke 1:25ἀφελεῖνtoand taken awayVerb - Aorist Infinitive ActiveLuke 10:42ἀφαιρεθήσεταιtowill not be taken away fromVerb - Future Indicative Passive - 3rd Person SingularLuke 16:3ἀφαιρεῖταιtois takingVerb - Present Indicative Middle - 3rd Person SingularLuke 22:50ἀφεῖλενtocutting offVerb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularRomans 11:27ἀφέλωμαιtoI take awayVerb - Aorist Subjunctive Middle - 1st Person SingularHebrews 10:4ἀφαιρεῖνtoto take awayVerb - Present Infinitive ActiveRevelation 22:19ἀφέλῃtotakes awayVerb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person SingularRevelation 22:19ἀφελεῖtowill take awayVerb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowMatthew 26:51
Aligned rows10
Books represented6
Matthew1Mark1Luke4Romans1Hebrews1Revelation2
Source forms
ἀφεῖλεν3xapheilenMatthew 26:51, Mark 14:47, Luke 22:50
ἀφαιρεθήσεται1xaphairethēsetaiLuke 10:42
ἀφαιρεῖν1xaphaireinHebrews 10:4
ἀφαιρεῖται1xaphaireitaiLuke 16:3
ἀφελεῖ1xapheleiRevelation 22:19
ἀφελεῖν1xapheleinLuke 1:25
ἀφέλῃ1xaphelēRevelation 22:19
ἀφέλωμαι1xaphelōmaiRomans 11:27
Parsing patterns
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular3xMatthew 26:51, Mark 14:47, Luke 22:50
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active1xLuke 1:25
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular1xRevelation 22:19
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Middle - 1st Person Singular1xRomans 11:27
Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular1xRevelation 22:19
Verb - Future Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular1xLuke 10:42
Verb - Present Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular1xLuke 16:3
Verb - Present Infinitive Active1xHebrews 10:4
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Do not tell people without children that God regards them as disgraced or that pregnancy can be promised as removal of shame.
- Do not use take-away language to justify bodily harm, confiscation, job retaliation, evidence destruction, or punitive exclusion.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim that G851 makes every removal gracious or every loss a divine act.
- Do not claim that animal sacrifices were meaningless; Hebrews argues that they were repeated and unable to complete sin's removal.
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 22:19Verb Third Person Singular Future Active Indicative
ἀφαιρήσειaphaireseito remove (literally or figuratively)The form strengthens the warning by presenting God's response as a definite future consequence in the verse's solemn logic.Read verse guideRevelation 22:19Verb Third Person Singular Present Active Subjunctive
ἀφαιρῇaphaireto remove (literally or figuratively)The form contributes to the warning tone by presenting removal as a possible but prohibited action with consequences attached.Read verse guideEvidence Summary
Greek word. To remove or take away something physically present or figuratively possessed; often implies deprivation.
Source Gloss
to remove (literally or figuratively)
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpusGreek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
10 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Matthew 26:51Verb Third Person Singular Second Aorist Active Indicative
ἀφεῖλενafeilen
I take away, smite off
Read verseMark 14:47Verb Third Person Singular Second Aorist Active Indicative
ἀφεῖλενafeilen
I take away, smite off
Read verseLuke 1:25Verb Second Aorist Active Infinitive
ἀφελεῖνafelein
I take away, smite off
Read verseLuke 10:42Verb Third Person Singular Future Passive Indicative
ἀφαιρεθήσεταιafaireqhsetai
I take away, smite off
Read verseLuke 16:3Verb Third Person Singular Present Middle Indicative
ἀφαιρεῖταιafaireitai
I take away, smite off
Read verseLuke 22:50Verb Third Person Singular Second Aorist Active Indicative
ἀφεῖλενafeilen
I take away, smite off
Read verseRomans 11:27Verb First Person Singular Second Aorist Middle Subjunctive
ἀφέλωμαιafelwmai
I take away, smite off
Read verseHebrews 10:4Verb Present Active Infinitive
ἀφαιρεῖνafairein
I take away, smite off
Read verseafairh
I take away, smite off
Read verseafairhsei
I take away, smite off
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 groups3Aligned forms10TensesAorist, Future, PresentVoicesActive, Passive, Middle
Tenses
Voices
Indicativestates a fact or reality6×
Aorist ActiveMatt 26:51 · Mark 14:47 · Luke 22:503×
Future PassiveLuke 10:421×
Present MiddleLuke 16:31×
Infinitiveverbal noun — the action in abstract2×
Aorist ActiveLuke 1:251×
Present ActiveHeb 10:41×
Subjunctivepossibility, probability, or purpose2×
Aorist MiddleRom 11:271×
Aorist ActiveRev 22:191×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 10 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect
Tense
aorist6present2future2
Voice
active7middle2passive1
Mood
indicative6infinitive2subjunctive2
NT Occurrences
Matthew 26:51ἀφεῖλενaorist active indicativecompletedMark 14:47ἀφεῖλενaorist active indicativecompletedLuke 1:25ἀφελεῖνaorist active infinitiveinfinitiveLuke 10:42ἀφαιρεθήσεταιfuture passive indicativeprospectiveLuke 16:3ἀφαιρεῖταιpresent middle indicativeongoingLuke 22:50ἀφεῖλενaorist active indicativecompletedRomans 11:27ἀφέλωμαιaorist middle subjunctivesubjunctiveHebrews 10:4ἀφαιρεῖνpresent active infinitiveinfinitiveRevelation 22:19ἀφέλῃaorist active subjunctivesubjunctiveRevelation 22:19ἀφελεῖfuture active indicativeprospective
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.
Biblical Witnesses
to remove or deprive someone of something needed, figurative sense
to sever or remove a body part, literal physical removal
to remove or eliminate shame or reproach, figurative sense
to take away sins, spiritual or sacrificial removal
Showing 4 selected witnesses from 10 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
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
G851 asks what removal accomplishes and who bears its cost. Elizabeth experiences relief from a reproach imposed among people; her words celebrate God's favor without establishing childlessness as divine disgrace. Jesus protects Mary's chosen attention from being taken away, yet He does not condemn Martha's necessary service or create a permanent hierarchy of personalities.
At His arrest, a disciple cuts off a servant's ear, exposing violent zeal as bodily harm rather than faithful defense. Hebrews then states that repeated animal blood cannot take away sins. The contrast magnifies Christ's sufficient offering and the covenant promise of forgiveness. Faithful application removes stigma and sin's burden without removing dignity, voice, evidence, or rightful livelihood.
It guards time with Jesus while sharing work fairly. It also refuses to injure people in the name of protecting Christ, who does not need violent discipleship.
Anchor passage
Heb.10.4
Doctrinal connections
- G851: God sees social reproach and can remove shame without declaring the stigmatized condition sinful.
- G851: Jesus protects a disciple's attentive portion from competitive household pressure.
- G851: zealous violence removes a servant's ear and contradicts Jesus' way at the arrest.
- G851: repeated animal sacrifices remember sin but cannot finally remove it.
- G851: Christ's offering fulfills covenant forgiveness and ends the need for repeated sin-bearing sacrifice.
- G851: faithful removal addresses sin and stigma while preserving persons, truth, and just responsibility.
G851 is a Greek compound verb meaning take from, take away, or remove. Its direct object may be a body part, reproach, office, chosen portion, sin, or share, and that object controls the pastoral sense.
From Old to New Testament
Israel's sacrifices provide the background for Hebrews' contrast, while prophetic promises of removed sin and reproach reach fulfillment in Christ's covenant work and the restored people He forms. The risen Christ removes condemnation without teaching communities to overlook continuing danger, evidence, or the need for repair.