ἀφίημι (aphiēmi)
aphiēmi
to release: leave
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 133 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb aphiēmi carries a wide range of meanings centered on the idea of sending away or letting go. In its most common usage, it refers to releasing someone from an obligation, such as forgiving a debt or pardoning a sin. This sense is prominent in passages like Matthew 18:27, where a king cancels a massive loan, and in Mark 2:5, where Jesus declares sins forgiven to a paralyzed man.
Beyond financial or moral release, the word describes physical actions like leaving a place or abandoning a person. It appears when Jesus leaves his fishing nets (Matthew 4:20) or when people depart from him. It also functions as a permission marker, meaning "to let" or "allow," as seen in Matthew 19:14 when Jesus permits children to come to him.
Its etymology combines a prefix with a root meaning "to send," which explains its flexibility across contexts ranging from divorce (1 Corinthians 7:11) to the final breath of life (Matthew 27:50). Translators often choose between "forgive," "leave," or "let" depending on whether the context involves relationships, physical presence, or permission.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word aphiēmi invites us into the rhythm of release. It means to send away, to let go, or to cancel an obligation. When Jesus teaches us to pray, He uses this term for forgiveness, reminding us that we are not meant to carry the heavy weight of every wrong done against us. Instead, we are invited to lay those burdens down, trusting that God’s grace is sufficient.
This freedom extends beyond spiritual debts into our daily relationships. In Matthew 5:24, Jesus suggests leaving a gift at the altar to pursue reconciliation first. He shows us that peace with others often requires us to pause our religious duties and address broken connections. By choosing to release resentment, we create space for healing and restore the harmony God intends for our lives.
Whether it is letting go of a grudge or allowing children to come to Jesus, this word calls us to act with generosity. It encourages a heart that does not hold onto past hurts but instead moves forward in love. This simple act of releasing others reflects the mercy we have received, bringing light into difficult situations and fostering genuine community.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 133 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- having left13×
- left6×
- to forgive5×
- do leave5×
- do forgive5×
- will be forgiven4×
- it will be forgiven4×
- do permit4×
- will forgive3×
- have been forgiven3×
- has left3×
- do allow3×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἀφῆκεν18×
- ἄφες14×
- ἀφέντες14×
- ἄφετε9×
- ἀφεθήσεται9×
- ἀφεὶς5×
- ἀφῆτε4×
- ἀφίενταί4×
- ἀφήσει4×
- ἀφιέναι4×
- ἀφῇ3×
- ἀφίησιν3×
Key Verses
-
Matthew 6:12
Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.
This verse establishes the core spiritual meaning of the word as a petition for God to cancel our moral debts, linking divine forgiveness directly to our willingness to extend it to others.
-
Matthew 5:24
leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
Here the word describes physically leaving an offering to prioritize reconciliation, showing that true worship requires mending broken relationships before performing religious rituals.
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Matthew 18:27
The lord of that servant, being moved with compassion, released him and forgave him the debt.
The king’s action of releasing a servant from an impossible debt illustrates the magnitude of God’s mercy, which serves as the model for how we should treat those who wrong us.
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Matthew 4:20
They immediately left their nets and followed him.
In this narrative context, the word describes leaving behind secure livelihoods to follow Jesus, highlighting the total commitment required when responding to His call.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Greek word aphiēmi mean?
How is aphiēmi different from other words for forgiveness?
Where does this word appear most frequently?
Every Occurrence (133 verses across 11 books)
Matthew 40 verses
But Jesus, answering, said to him, “Allow it now, for this is the fitting way for us to fulfill all righteousness.”…
Matthew 4:11Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and served him.
Matthew 4:20They immediately left their nets and followed him.
Matthew 4:22They immediately left the boat and their father, and followed him.
Matthew 5:24leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer…
Matthew 5:40If anyone sues you to take away your coat, let him have your cloak also.
Matthew 6:12Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.
Matthew 6:14“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
Matthew 6:15But if you don’t forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Matthew 7:4Or how will you tell your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye,’ and behold, the beam is in your own eye?
Matthew 8:15He touched her hand, and the fever left her. So she got up and served him.
Matthew 8:22But Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”
Matthew 9:2Behold, they brought to him a man who was paralyzed, lying on a bed. Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic,…
Matthew 9:5For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven;’ or to say, ‘Get up, and walk’?
Matthew 9:6But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins—” (then he said to the paralytic),…
Matthew 12:31Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be…
Matthew 12:32Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it…
Matthew 13:30Let both grow together until the harvest, and in the harvest time I will tell the reapers, “First, gather up the darnel…
Matthew 13:36Then Jesus sent the multitudes away, and went into the house. His disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the…
Matthew 15:14Leave them alone. They are blind guides of the blind. If the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit.”
Matthew 18:12“What do you think? If a man has one hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine, go…
Matthew 18:21Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Until seven…
Matthew 18:27The lord of that servant, being moved with compassion, released him and forgave him the debt.
Matthew 18:32Then his lord called him in and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.
Matthew 18:35So my heavenly Father will also do to you, if you don’t each forgive your brother from your hearts for his misdeeds.”
Matthew 19:14But Jesus said, “Allow the little children, and don’t forbid them to come to me; for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to…
Matthew 19:27Then Peter answered, “Behold, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?”
Matthew 19:29Everyone who has left houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my…
Matthew 22:22When they heard it, they marveled, and left him and went away.
Matthew 22:25Now there were with us seven brothers. The first married and died, and having no offspring left his wife to his brother.
Matthew 23:13“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and as a pretense you make long prayers.…
Matthew 23:23“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have left undone the weightier…
Matthew 23:38Behold, your house is left to you desolate.
Matthew 24:2But he answered them, “You see all of these things, don’t you? Most certainly I tell you, there will not be left here…
Matthew 24:40Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and one will be left.
Matthew 24:41Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and one will be left.
Matthew 26:44He left them again, went away, and prayed a third time, saying the same words.
Matthew 26:56But all this has happened that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and…
Matthew 27:49The rest said, “Let him be. Let’s see whether Elijah comes to save him.”
Matthew 27:50Jesus cried again with a loud voice, and yielded up his spirit.