ἐξαιρέω (exaireō)
exaireō
to take out/select
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 8 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb exaireō describes a decisive act of removal or selection, literally meaning to take something out. In the Gospels, Jesus uses this vivid imagery in Matthew 5:29 and 18:9, commanding that if an eye causes sin, one should pluck it out. Here, the word conveys a radical, physical removal of what leads to harm, emphasizing the seriousness of avoiding moral failure.
Outside these teachings, the term shifts toward rescue or deliverance. In Acts, it appears when Paul recounts his mission to open eyes and turn people from darkness to light (Acts 26:18), or when God delivers Peter from prison (Acts 12:11). The Galatians passage highlights how Christ delivered believers from the present evil age (Galatians 1:4). In these contexts, exaireō carries the weight of being chosen out for a specific purpose or saved from danger.
Its root combines a prefix meaning "out" with a verb meaning "to take," creating a sense of extraction. This dual nature—whether removing a sinful part or rescuing a person—shows that the word always involves a clear separation from one state to another, marking a significant change in status or condition.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word exaireō carries the sense of being taken out from a larger group or a dangerous situation. In Matthew 5:29, Jesus uses this strong imagery to show how seriously we must treat sin. He speaks of plucking out an eye that causes stumbling, not as a literal command for self-harm, but as a call to radical action against anything that separates us from God.
This same word appears in Acts and Galatians to describe rescue. Paul writes that Christ delivered us from the present evil age (Galatians 1:4). Peter also uses it when he realizes the Lord has sent an angel to deliver him from prison (Acts 12:11). The common thread is a decisive move from one state to another, often involving safety or freedom.
For your faith, this word reminds you that God is actively involved in both protection and purification. He rescues us from harm and helps us remove what harms our souls. This dual action shows His care for our whole well-being, inviting us to trust Him with both our deliverance and our growth.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 8 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- to deliver1×
- rescued1×
- do pluck out1×
- do gouge out1×
- delivering1×
- delivered1×
- I rescued1×
- He may deliver1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἔξελε2×
- ἐξέληται1×
- ἐξείλατό1×
- ἐξείλατο1×
- ἐξελέσθαι1×
- ἐξειλάμην1×
- ἐξαιρούμενός1×
Key Verses
-
Matthew 5:29
If your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna.
This verse uses the word to illustrate the extreme measures needed to avoid sin, emphasizing the value of spiritual health over physical comfort.
-
Acts 12:11
When Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I truly know that the Lord has sent out his angel and delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from everything the Jewish people were expecting.”
Peter applies this term to his miraculous release from prison, highlighting God's power to intervene in human affairs for deliverance.
-
Galatians 1:4
who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us out of this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father—
Paul describes Christ's sacrifice as a rescue mission that pulls believers out of the influence of the current evil age.