ἀνδραποδιστής (andrapodistēs)
andrapodistēs
slave-trader
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The Greek noun andrapodistēs refers specifically to a slave-trader or kidnapper, someone who unjustly reduces free people to slavery. It appears only once in the New Testament, in Paul’s list of lawbreakers in 1 Timothy 1:10. The word carries a heavy moral weight, describing not just commerce but violent theft of human dignity.
Its etymology reveals its cruelty: it derives from roots meaning "man" and "foot," originally referring to captives taken in war who were treated like livestock. Unlike general terms for merchant or trader, this term targets the criminal act of enslaving others through force or deception. It stands as a stark condemnation of human trafficking and exploitation.
Translators typically render it as "slave traders" or "man-stealers," emphasizing the violent nature of the crime. By including it in a list that ends with "whatever else is contrary to the sound teaching," Paul places this abuse firmly outside the bounds of Christian ethics. The word serves as a permanent biblical witness against the dehumanization of others.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word andrapodistēs describes those who steal people to sell them into slavery. It appears only once in the New Testament, in Paul’s letter to Timothy. This rare term carries a heavy moral weight because it condemns the violent theft of human dignity. It is not about legitimate trade but about reducing free persons to property through force or deception.
For your faith, this word reminds us that every person bears God’s image and deserves respect. When we encounter injustice or exploitation today, this term calls us to stand against it. It challenges us to value people over profit and to protect the vulnerable from those who would treat them as goods rather than souls.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- for enslavers,1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἀνδραποδισταῖς,1×
Key Verses
-
I Timothy 1:10
for the sexually immoral, for homosexuals, for slave-traders, for liars, for perjurers, and for any other thing contrary to the sound doctrine,
Paul lists slave-traders among lawbreakers, placing this crime firmly outside the bounds of sound doctrine and Christian ethics.