ἀποστέλλω (apostellō)
apostellō
to send
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 131 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb apostellō means to send someone away with a specific commission or authority. While it shares a root with the more general word for sending (pempō), apostellō carries a distinct weight of official duty. It describes not just movement, but a deliberate dispatching of a person or thing on a mission, often implying that the sender retains responsibility for the one sent.
This distinction is visible in how the New Testament uses the word. Jesus frequently speaks of being “sent” by the Father (John 5:36; 17:3), emphasizing his divine mandate rather than mere physical location. Similarly, when he sends out the seventy-two disciples (Luke 10:1) or commands Peter to release a donkey (Matthew 21:3), the action is purposeful and authorized. The term appears often in John’s Gospel and Acts, highlighting the structured nature of the early church’s mission.
Its etymology combines apo (“away”) and stellō (“to set” or “prepare”), suggesting a sending forth from a source to a destination with intent. Translators typically render it as “send,” “send forth,” or “dispatch.” The word underscores that in biblical narrative, sending is never casual; it involves purpose, authority, and often a message or task that must be fulfilled.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word apostellō describes a sending that is deliberate, authoritative, and purposeful. It is not merely moving from one place to another; it is a commissioning where the sender retains responsibility for the one sent. In the New Testament, this term highlights the structured nature of God’s mission. When Jesus speaks of being sent by the Father, or when he commissions his disciples, the action carries divine weight and intent.
For your faith life, this means you are never acting on your own. Just as Jesus was sent with a specific mandate, believers are commissioned to carry forward his message. This sending involves trust in the one who dispatches you. You are part of a purposeful plan, equipped with authority and supported by the sender’s care.
When you face challenges in sharing your faith or serving others, remember that you are sent. The same God who commissioned Jesus and the early church is with you now. This assurance brings peace, knowing that your efforts are part of a larger, divine narrative.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 131 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- sent32×
- he sent13×
- having sent9×
- He sent8×
- has sent6×
- sent.5×
- send3×
- to send forth2×
- they sent2×
- they send2×
- have sent2×
- am sending2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἀπέστειλεν32×
- ἀπέστειλαν14×
- ἀποστέλλω8×
- ἀποστείλας7×
- ἀπεσταλμένοι5×
- ἀπέστειλα4×
- ἀποστέλλει4×
- ἀποστείλαντά4×
- ἀποστελεῖ4×
- ἀπέστειλας3×
- ἀπέσταλκέν3×
- ἀπέσταλκεν3×
Key Verses
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Matthew 10:5
Jesus sent these twelve out and commanded them, saying, “Don’t go among the Gentiles, and don’t enter into any city of the Samaritans.
This verse shows Jesus giving specific instructions to the twelve, highlighting the authoritative and directed nature of his commission.
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Matthew 23:37
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I would have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you would not!
Here Jesus laments over Jerusalem, identifying himself as one sent by God, which underscores the personal responsibility and love behind the divine mission.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Greek word apostellō mean?
How is apostellō different from pempō?
Where does this word appear most frequently?
Every Occurrence (131 verses across 13 books)
Matthew 22 verses
Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked by the wise men, was exceedingly angry, and sent out and killed all the male…
Matthew 8:31The demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of pigs.”
Matthew 10:5Jesus sent these twelve out and commanded them, saying, “Don’t go among the Gentiles, and don’t enter into any city of…
Matthew 10:16“Behold, I send you out as sheep among wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.
Matthew 10:40“He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me.
Matthew 11:10For this is he, of whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before…
Matthew 13:41The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather out of his Kingdom all things that cause stumbling and…
Matthew 14:35When the people of that place recognized him, they sent into all that surrounding region and brought to him all who…
Matthew 15:24But he answered, “I wasn’t sent to anyone but the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
Matthew 20:2When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
Matthew 21:1When they came near to Jerusalem and came to Bethsphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,
Matthew 21:3If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and immediately he will send them.”
Matthew 21:34When the season for the fruit came near, he sent his servants to the farmers to receive his fruit.
Matthew 21:36Again, he sent other servants more than the first; and they treated them the same way.
Matthew 21:37But afterward he sent to them his son, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’
Matthew 22:3and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come.
Matthew 22:4Again he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner. My cattle…
Matthew 22:16They sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are honest, and teach…
Matthew 23:34Therefore, behold, I send to you prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify; and some of…
Matthew 23:37“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I would have gathered…
Matthew 24:31He will send out his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together his chosen ones from the…
Matthew 27:19While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man,…