παραιτέομαι

ἀποτρέπω apotrépō · G665 · to shun, to avoid, to keep away from

Both verbs denote intentional avoidance or turning away from something, with παραιτέομαι emphasizing the act of declining or refusing through active disengagement, while ἀποτρέπω focuses on the reflexive act of deflecting or turning oneself away from something to avoid it.

στέλλω stéllō · G4724 · to avoid doing, to shun, to avoid

Both verbs denote deliberate avoidance or withdrawal from contact, with παραιτέομαι emphasizing the act of declining or begging off from something, while στέλλω (in its reflexive/middle usage) focuses on restraining oneself from associating with someone or something.

ἐκκλίνω ekklínō · G1578 · to shun, to avoid, to keep away from

Both verbs denote the act of shunning or avoiding something, with παραιτέομαι emphasizing the refusal or decline of something offered or expected, while ἐκκλίνω emphasizes the spatial metaphor of turning aside or deviating away from something.

To refuse to pay attention to, to avoid, to pay no attention to27.60

This domain covers παραιτέομαι naming the act of declining to engage with a matter, as the writer of Hebrews describes Israel's response at Sinai: “and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words, which sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word be spoken to them.” (Hebrews 12:19)

To ask for, to demand, to plead for{N:001}33.163

Here παραιτέομαι names an earnest petition or plea, as Paul defends his innocence before Festus: “‘If, therefore, I am in the wrong and have committed something deserving death, I am not trying to avoid execution; but if there is nothing to the accusations which these men are bringing against me, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar.’” (Acts 25:11)

To refuse to accept, to reject34.35

Here παραιτέομαι names an outright rejection of a person or claim, as Paul instructs Titus on handling a divisive person: “Reject a divisive person after a first and second warning.” (Titus 3:10)

To shun, to avoid, to keep away from, to have nothing to do with34.41

Here παραιτέομαι names the deliberate avoidance of an unwanted association, as Paul instructs Timothy about enrolling widows: “But refuse to register younger widows, for when they feel physical desires alienating them from Christ, they want to get married.” (1 Timothy 5:11)

To refuse to listen, to refuse to obey, disobedience36.27

Here παραιτέομαι names a willful refusal to heed authority, as the writer of Hebrews warns of the danger of turning away from God's word: “much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns us from heaven.” (Hebrews 12:25)

Words formed from the same root. They share a form, not always a meaning.

Meanings adapted from the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament, © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0 and the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew (from the Semantic Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew), © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0; MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.