Freedom; (figuratively) pardon
Reading a lexicon entry
What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
Strong's number: The Strong's code (H- or G-) is the standard reference number for this word. It connects this entry to chapter and passage language tabs.
Where it appears: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
This lexicon entry is part of our ongoing editorial review. If you notice missing content, unclear wording, or a possible correction, please send us a note through the Connect page. Screenshots are helpful.
ἄφεσις is the NT's primary word for forgiveness understood as release. The verb behind it — ἀφίημι, to send away, to let go — describes what happens to sin when God forgives: it is dismissed, released, no longer held against the one who committed it.
Reader summary
Full entry for ἄφεσις (G859) · Open the biblical lexicon
ἄφεσις is the NT's primary word for forgiveness understood as release. The verb behind it — ἀφίημι, to send away, to let go — describes what happens to sin when God forgives: it is dismissed, released, no longer held against the one who committed it.
The BSB source-word alignment has 17 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include forgiveness (8), [the] forgiveness (5), . . . (1), forgiven (1), have been forgiven (1).
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 26:28. Its strongest book concentrations include Acts (5), Luke (5), Hebrews (2), Mark (2).
This entry includes 1 verse guide that explain exact original-language forms in context.
ἄφεσις is the NT's primary word for forgiveness understood as release. The verb behind it — ἀφίημι, to send away, to let go — describes what happens to sin when God forgives: it is dismissed, released, no longer held against the one who committed it. The NT links ἄφεσις almost always to sins: ἄφεσις ἁμαρτιῶν (forgiveness of sins) is the standard construction across the Gospels, Acts, and Paul.
Eph 1:7 is the richest single statement: 'In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness (ἄφεσις) of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.' The four words in sequence matter — redemption, blood, forgiveness, grace — and ἄφεσις is the content of what the blood achieves and grace bestows. Heb 9:22 makes the mechanics explicit: 'without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.'
And then Heb 10:18 draws the conclusion: 'where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.' The completed work means ἄφεσις is final — the once-for-all sacrifice produces a once-for-all release. This is the pastoral heart: the forgiven person is not on probation, not accumulating a new debt that will need clearing again. They have been released.
ἄφεσις is counted at about 17 occurrences in the local NT index, concentrated in Luke-Acts (9 occurrences) and Hebrews (3 occurrences). Luke's Gospel and Acts treat ἄφεσις as the content of the apostolic proclamation — what is offered through the name of Jesus. Hebrews treats it as the definitive achievement of the high-priestly sacrifice. Paul uses it in Eph 1:7 and Col 1:14 in his great blessing and transfer-of-kingdoms passages.
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace
The most theologically dense use of ἄφεσις: forgiveness is defined as redemption (ἀπολύτρωσις — release by ransom), grounded in blood, and measured by the riches of grace — not a minimal pardon but an abundant release. Paul uses παραπτωμάτων (trespasses, acts of stepping aside) alongside ἄφεσις here, while elsewhere the standard pairing is ἁμαρτιῶν (sins). The forgiveness is 'in him' — not a transaction performed on the forgiven but a union-reality: the release is inseparable from being in Christ.
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The apostolic proclamation at Pentecost: ἄφεσις ἁμαρτιῶν is what baptism in Jesus' name signifies and what repentance reaches toward. The structure is repentance → baptism → forgiveness → Spirit. Luke's Gospel and Acts treat the announcement of ἄφεσις as the central content of the mission — what the risen Christ commissioned his disciples to proclaim to all nations (Luke 24:47).
“The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed,
The Nazareth sermon uses ἄφεσις twice (rendered 'liberty' / 'set at liberty') in the Isa 61:1-2 quotation — the same word the NT uses for forgiveness of sins. Jesus' opening programmatic statement frames his entire mission in liberation language: release from captivity is also release from sin. The Jubilee background (Lev 25's ἄφεσις year) is present: Jesus is announcing the eschatological Jubilee.
According to the law, in fact, nearly everything must be purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
The hinge verse of the Hebrews argument: blood is the necessary condition for ἄφεσις. The author has been tracing the entire Levitical system to show it pointed to the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ. This verse states the principle that governs the whole OT sacrificial order: ἄφεσις requires blood. The purpose is to explain why Jesus' death was not accidental but the necessary mechanism of the forgiveness the whole covenant anticipated.
And where these have been forgiven, an offering for sin is no longer needed.
The conclusion of the Hebrews argument: once ἄφεσις is achieved by the once-for-all sacrifice, sacrifice is over. No more offering is needed. The finality of ἄφεσις is the finality of the cross — the release is complete, not provisional or renewable. This is the pastoral foundation for assurance: the believer is not in a cycle of repeated forgiveness-and-guilt but stands in the permanent release that the completed sacrifice secured.
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders ItA compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
Verse-level guides showing how this original-language form works in its specific context, including grammar, verse function, and guarded interpretation.
Greek word. Pardon as active release from sin's penalty, not mere overlooking or suspension of judgment
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
16 of 17 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
deliverance, pardon, complete forgiveness
Read versedeliverance, pardon, complete forgiveness
Read versedeliverance, pardon, complete forgiveness
Read versedeliverance, pardon, complete forgiveness
Read versedeliverance, pardon, complete forgiveness
Read versedeliverance, pardon, complete forgiveness
Read versedeliverance, pardon, complete forgiveness
Read versedeliverance, pardon, complete forgiveness
Read versedeliverance, pardon, complete forgiveness
Read versedeliverance, pardon, complete forgiveness
Read versedeliverance, pardon, complete forgiveness
Read versedeliverance, pardon, complete forgiveness
Read versedeliverance, pardon, complete forgiveness
Read versedeliverance, pardon, complete forgiveness
Read versedeliverance, pardon, complete forgiveness
Read versedeliverance, pardon, complete forgiveness
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.
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
This word appears as a noun across 3 case and number patterns. The form changes show how the word functions in a sentence; they do not change the basic lexical meaning by themselves.
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Showing 8 selected witnesses from 17 lexical occurrence verses.
ἄφεσις is built from this root:
Points toward remission grounded in Christ’s atoning work. Acts 10:24-48
Defines the nature of Christ’s redemptive mission. Acts 13:13-41
Central promise of the gospel offered to all who believe. Acts 26:9-18
Central blessing proclaimed in the gospel message. Luke 3:1–6
Expresses the heart of gospel benefit. Luke 4:14–30
Heb 10:18 — 'where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin' — is the NT's strongest statement about the finality of ἄφεσις. The release is not provisional, not subject to renewal, not contingent on subsequent performance. The sacrifice was once; the forgiveness is permanent. Preaching from ἄφεσις gives congregations a place to stand on assurance: the question is not 'has God forgiven me today?'
But 'is Christ's once-for-all offering sufficient?' — and the answer Hebrews gives is that the offering was so sufficient that it ended the system that preceded it. The enemy of ἄφεσις in pastoral life is the person who keeps returning to the altar in their conscience, making fresh offerings of guilt and self-accusation. Hebrews says: the altar is finished. Stand in the ἄφεσις it secured.
Eph.1.7
The verb ἀφίημι (to send away, to release, to let go) is common in the NT; the local index currently counts about 143 occurrences, used for releasing debts (Matt 18:27, 32), leaving behind (Matt 4:22), and allowing (Mark 1:34). Its use for forgiveness of sins carries the full 'letting-go' sense: sin is not merely overlooked but released, sent away. Abbott-Smith notes that ἄφεσις in the sense of forgiveness of sins is never used in the LXX — it is a distinctively NT metaphorical application.
The contrast term is κατέχω (to hold, to retain): John 20:23 gives the disciples authority to forgive sins or 'retain' them (κρατεῖτε) — the exact opposite of ἄφεσις. The Jubilee background (Lev 25 LXX uses ἄφεσις for the year of release) is significant: Jesus is enacting the eschatological Jubilee in which all debts are cancelled and all captives released.
The OT foundation: Lev 25 (the Jubilee year — ἄφεσις in LXX — when debts are cancelled and slaves released) → Isa 61:1-2 (the anointed one proclaims ἄφεσις to captives) → H5545 סָלַח (YHWH's forgiveness of sin throughout the OT, especially Num 14:19-20, Ps 103:3) → NT: Luke 4:18 (Jesus opens his ministry by claiming Isa 61 — the age of ἄφεσις has arrived) → Matt 26:28 (Jesus at the Last Supper: 'my blood of the covenant, poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins') → Acts 2:38 (the apostolic proclamation: repent for ἄφεσις of sins) → Eph 1:7 (forgiveness as the content of redemption through blood) → Heb 9:22; 10:18 (forgiveness requires blood; once achieved, sacrifice ends). The arc is: Jubilee release anticipated → Servant bearer of sin → Jesus' blood achieves the final release → apostolic proclamation offers it to all.
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