ἀπό

(from Homer down), preposition with the genitive (Latina,ab,abs, German von,ab,weg (cf. English of, off)), from, signifying now separation, now origin. On its use in the N. T., in which the influence of the Hebrew מִן is traceable, cf. Winers Grammar, 864f (342), 369ff (346ff); Buttmann, 321ff (276ff). (On the neglect of elision before words beginning with a vowel see Tdf. Proleg., p. 94; cf. Winers Grammar, § 5, 1 a.; Buttmann, p. 10f; WH's Appendix, p. 146.) In order to avoid repetition we forbear to cite all the examples, but refer the reader to the several verbs followed by this preposition. ἀπό, then, is used:
I. of separation; and
1. of local separation, after verbs of motion from a place (of departing, fleeing, removing, expelling, throwing, etc., see αἴρω, ἀπέρχομαι, ἀποτινάσσω, ἀποχορέω, ἀφίστημι, φεύγω, etc.): ἀπεσπάσθη ἀπ' αὐτῶν, Lk 22:41; βάλε ἀπό σου, Mt 5:29f; ἐκβάλω τό καρθος ἀπό (L T Tr WH ἐκ) τοῦ ὀφθαλμοῦ, Mt 7:4; ἀφ' (L WH Tr text παῥ (which see I. a.)) ἧς ἐκβεβλήκει δαιμόνια, Mk 16:9; καθεῖλε ἀπό θρόνων, Lk 1:52.
2. of the separation of apart from the whole; where of a whole some part is taken: ἀπό τοῦ ἱματίου, Mt 9:16; ἀπό μελισσίου κηρίου, Lk 24:42 (R G, but Tr brackets the clause); ἀπό τῶν ὀψαρίων, Jn 21:10; τά ἀπό τοῦ πλοίου fragments of the ship, Acts 27:44; ἐνοσφίσατο ἀπό τῆς τιμῆς, Acts 5:2; ἐκχέω ἀπό τοῦ πνεύματος, Acts 2:17; ἐκλεξάμενος ἀπ' αὐτῶν, Lk 6:13; τινα ἀπό τῶν δύο, Mt 27:21; ὅν ἐτιμήσαντο ἀπό υἱῶν Ἰσραήλ, namely, τινες (R. V. whom certain of the children of Israel did price (cf. τίς, 2 c.); but others refer this to II. 2 d. aa. at the end, which see), Mt 27:9 (ἐξῆλθον ἀπό τῶν ἱερέων, namely, τινες, 1 Macc. 7:33); after verbs of eating and drinking (usually joined in Greek to the simple genitive of the thing (cf. Buttmann, 159 (139); Winer's Grammar, 198f (186f)): Mt 15:27; Mk 7:28; πίνειν ἀπό, Lk 22:18 (elsewhere in the N. T. ἐκ).
3. of any kind of separation of one thing from another by which the union or fellowship of the two is destroyed;
a. after verbs of averting, loosening, liberating, ransoming, preserving: see ἀγοράζω, ἀπαλλάσσω, ἀποστρέφω, ἐλευθερόω, θεραπεύω, καθαρίζω, λούω, λυτρόω, λύω, ῤύομαι, σῴζω, φυλάσσω, etc.
b. after verbs of desisting, abstaining, avoiding, etc.: see ἀπέχω, παύω, καταπαύω, βλέπω, προσέχω, φυλάσσομαι, etc.
c. after verbs of concealing and hindering: see κρύπτω, κωλύω, παρακαλύπτω.
d. Concise constructions (cf. especially Buttmann, 322 (277)): ἀνάθεμα ἀπό τοῦ Χριστοῦ, Rom 9:3 (see ἀνάθεμα under the end); λούειν ἀπό τῶν πληγῶν to wash away the blood from the stripes, Acts 16:33; μετανοεῖν ἀπό τῆς κακίας by repentance to turn away from wickedness, Acts 8:22; ἀποθνῄσκειν ἀπό τίνος by death to be freed from a thing, Col 2:20; φθείρεσθαι ἀπό τῆς ἁπλότητος to be corrupted and thus led away from singleness of heart, 2 Cor 11:3; εἰσακουσθείς ἀπό τῆς εὐλαβείας heard and accordingly delivered from his fear, Heb 5:7 (others, heard for, i. e. on account of his godly fear (cf. II. 2 b. below)).
4. of a state of separation, i. e. of distance; and a. of distance of place, — of the local terminus from which: Mt 23:34; Mt 24:31, etc.; after μακράν, Mt 8:30; Mk 12:34; Jn 21:8; after ἀπέχειν, see ἀπέχω 2; ἀπό ἄνωθεν ἕως κάτω, Mk 15:38; ἀπό μακρόθεν, Mt 27:55, etc. (cf. Buttmann, 70 (62); Winer's Grammar, § 65, 2). According to later Greek usage it is put before nouns indicating local distance: Jn 11:18 (ἦν ἐγγύς ὡς ἀπό σταδίων δεκαπέντε about fifteen furlongs off); Jn 21:8; Rev 14:20 (Diodorus 1:51 ἐπάνω τῆς πόλεως ἀπό δέκα σχοίνων λίμνην ὠρυξε (also 1, 97; 4, 56; 16, 443; 17, 112; 18, 40; 19, 25, etc.; cf. Sophocles Lexicon, under the word, 5): Josephus, b. j. 1, 3, 5 τοῦτο ἀφ' ἑξακοσίων σταδίων ἐντεῦθεν ἐστιν, Plutarch, Aem. Paul c. 18, 5 ὥστε τούς πρώτους νεκρούς ἀπό δυοιν σταδίων καταπέσειν, vit. Oth c. 11, 1 κατεστρατοπέδευσεν ἀπό πεντήκοντα σταδίων, vit. Philop c. 4, 3 ἦν γάρ ἀγρός αὐτῷ ἀπό σταδίων εἴκοσι τῆς πόλεως); cf. Winers Grammar, 557f (518f); (Buttmann, 153 (133)).
b. of distance of Time — of the temporal terminus from which (Latinindea): ἀπό τῆς ὥρας ἐκείνης, Mt 9:22; Mt 17:18; Jn 19:27; ἀπ' ἐκ τῆς ἡμέρας, Mt 22:46; Jn 11:53; (ἀπό πρώτης ἡμέρας) Acts 20:18; Phm 1:5 (L T Tr WH τῆς πρώτης ἡμέρας); ἀφ' ἡμερῶν ἀρχαίων, Acts 15:7; ἀπ' ἐτῶν, Lk 8:43; Rom 15:23; ἀπ' αἰῶνος and ἀπό τῶν αἰώνων, Lk 1:70, etc.; ἀπ' ἀρχῆς, Mt 19:4, Mt 19:8, etc.; ἀπό καταβολῆς κόσμου, Mt 13:35 (L T Tr WH omit κόσμου), etc.; ἀπό κτίσεως κόσμου, Rom 1:20; ἀπό βρέφους from a child, 2 Tim 3:15; ἀπό τῆς παρθενίας, Lk 2:36; ἀφ' ἧς (namely, ἡμέρας) since, Lk 7:45; Acts 24:11; 2 Pet 3:4; ἀφ' ἧς ἡμέρας, Col 1:6, Col 1:9; ἀφ' οὗ equivalent to ἀπό τούτου ὅτε (cf. Buttmann, 82 (71); 105 (82)), Lk 13:25; Lk 24:21; Rev 16:18 (Herodotus 2, 44; and in Attic); ἀφ' οὗ after τρία ἔτη, Lk 13:7 T Tr WH; ἀπό τοῦ νῦν from the present, henceforth, Lk 1:48; Lk 5:10; Lk 12:52; Lk 22:69; Acts 18:6; 2 Cor 5:16; ἀπό τότε, Mt 4:17; Mt 16:21; Mt 26:16; Lk 16:16; ἀπό πέρυσι since last year, a year ago, 2 Cor 8:10; 2 Cor 9:2; ἀπό πρωιActs 28:23</ref>; cf. Winers Grammar, 422 (393); (Buttmann, 320 (275)); Lob. ad Phryn., pp. 47, 461.
c. of distance of Order or Rank — of the terminus from which in any succession of things or persons: ἀπό διετοῦς (namely, παιδός) καί κατωτέρω, Mt 2:16 (τούς Λευίτας ἀπό εἰκοσαετοῦς καί ἐπάνω, Num 1:20; Num 1:2 Esdr. 3:8); ἀπό Ἀβραάμ ἕως Δαυειδ Mt 1:17; ἕβδομος ἀπό Ἀδάμ, Jude 1:14; ἀπό μικροῦ ἕως μεγάλου, Acts 8:10; Heb 8:11; ά᾿ρχεσθαι ἀπό τίνος, Mt 20:8; Lk 23:5; Lk 24:27; Jn 8:9; Acts 8:35; Acts 10:37.
II. of origin; whether of local origin, the place whence; or of causal origin, the cause from which.
1. of the place whence anything is, comes, befalls, is taken;
a. after verbs of coming; see ἔρχομαι, ἥκω, etc.: ἀπό (L Tr WH ἀπ') ἀγορᾶς namely, ἐλθόντες, Mk 7:4; ἄγγελος ἀπ' (τοῦ) οὐρανοῦ, Lk 22:43 (L brackets WH reject the passage); τόν ἀπ' οὐρανῶν namely, λαλοῦντα, Heb 12:25, etc.; of the country, province, town, village, from which anyone has originated or proceeded (cf. Winers Grammar, 364 (342); Buttmann, 324 (279)): Mt 2:1; Mt 4:25; Jn 1:44 (); ; μία ἀπό ὄρους Σινᾶ, Gal 4:24. Hence, ὁ or οἱ ἀπό τίνος a native of, a man of, some place: ὁ ἀπό Ναζαρέθ the Nazarene, Mt 21:11; ὁ ἀπό Ἁριμαθαίας, Mk 15:43; Jn 19:38 (here G L Tr WH omit ὁ); οἱ ἀπό Ἰόππης, Acts 10:23; οἱ ἀπό Ἰταλίας the Italians, Heb 13:24 (cf. Winers Grammar, § 66, 6). A great number of examples from secular writings are given by Wieseler, Untersuch. üb.
d. Hebräerbr. 2te Hälfte, p. 14f.
b. of the party or society from which one has proceeded, i. e. a member of the sect or society, a disciple or votary of it: οἱ ἀπό τῆς ἐκκλησίας, Acts 12:1; οἱ ἀπό τῆς αἱρέσεως τῶν Φαρισαίων, Acts 15:5 (as in Greek writings: οἱ ἀπό τῆς στοάς, οἱ ἀπό τῆς Ἀκαδημιας, etc.).
c. of the material from which a thing is made: ἀπό τριχῶν καμήλου, Mt 3:4 (Winers Grammar, 370 (347); Buttmann, 324 (279)).
d. tropically, of that from or by which a thing is known: ἀπό τῶν καρπῶν ἐπιγινώσκειν, Mt 7:16, Mt 7:20 (here Lachmann ἐκ τῶν καρπῶν, etc.) (Lysias in Andocides () § 6; Aeschines adverb Tim., p. 69, Reiske edition); μανθάνειν ἀπό τίνος to learn from the example of anyone, Mt 11:29; Mt 24:32; Mk 13:28; but in Gal 3:2; Col 1:7; Heb 5:8, μανθάνειν ἀπό τίνος means to learn from one's teaching or training (cf. Buttmann, 324 (279)
c.; Winers Grammar, 372 (348)).
e. after verbs of seeking, inquiring, demanding: ἀπαίτειν, Lk 12:20 (Tr WH αἰτεῖν); ζητεῖν, 1 Thess 2:6 (alternating there with ἐκ (cf. Winer's Grammar, § 50, 2)); ἐκζήτειν, Lk 11:50f; see αἰτέω.
2. of causal origin, or the Cause; and a. of the material cause, so called, or of that which supplies the material for the maintenance of the action expressed by the verb: so those verbs.
b. of the cause on account of which anything is or is done, where commonly it ran be rendered for (Latinprae, German vor): οὐκ ἠδύνατο ἀπό τοῦ ὄχλου, Lk 19:3; οὐκέτι ἴσχυσαν ἀπό τοῦ πλήθους, Jn 21:6 (Judith 2:20); ἀπό τοῦ δόξης τοῦ φωτός, Acts 22:11; (here many would bring in Heb 5:7 (Winers Grammar, 371 (348); Buttmann, 322 (276)), see I. 3 d. above).
c. of the moving or impelling cause (Latinex,prae; German aus,vor), for, out of: ἀπό τῆς χαρᾶς αὐτοῦ ὑπάγει, Mt 13:44; ἀπό τοῦ φοβοῦ for fear, Mt 14:26; Mt 28:4; Lk 21:26. Hebraistically: φοβεῖσθαι ἀπό τίνος (מִן יָרֵא), Mt 10:28; Lk 12:4; φεύγειν ἀπό τίνος (מִן נוּס), to flee for fear of one, Jn 10:5; Mk 14:52 (R G, but L Tr marginal reading brackets ἀπ' αὐτῶν); Rev 9:6; cf. φεύγω and Winers Grammar, 223 (209f).
d. of the efficient cause, viz. of things from the force of which anything proceeds, and of persons from whose will, power, authority, command, favor, order, influence, direction, anything is to be sought; aa. in general: ἀπό τοῦ ὕπνου by force of the sleep, Acts 20:9; ἀπό σου σημεῖον, Mt 12:38; ἀπό δόξης εἰς δόξαν, 2 Cor 3:18 (from the glory which we behold for ourselves (cf. Winer's Grammar, 254 (238)) in a mirror, goes out a glory in which we share, cf. Meyer at the passage); ἀπό κυρίου πνεύματος by the Spirit of the Lord (yet cf. Buttmann, 343 (295)), ibid.; ὄλεθρον ἀπό προσώπου τοῦ κυρίου destruction proceeding from the (incensed, wrathful) countenance of the Lord, 2 Thess 1:9 (on this passage, to be explained after Jer 4:26 the Sept., cf. Ewald); on the other hand, ἀνάψυξις ἀπό προσώπου τοῦ κυρίου, Acts 3:20 (19); ἀπεκτάνθησαν ἀπό (Rec. ὑπό) τῶν πληγῶν, Rev 9:18. ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ, ἀφ' ἑαυτῶν, ἀπ' ἐμαυτοῦ, an expression especially common in John, of himself (myself, etc.), from his own disposition or judgment, as distinguished from another's instruction (cf. Winer's Grammar, 372 (348)): Lk 12:57; Lk 21:30; Jn 5:19, Jn 5:30; Jn 11:51; Jn 14:10; Jn 16:13; Jn 18:34 (L Tr WH ἀπό σεαυτοῦ); 2 Cor 3:5; 2 Cor 10:7 (T Tr WH ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ (see ἐπί A. I. 1 c.)); of one's own will and motion, as opposed to the command and authority of another: Jn 7:17f, 28; Jn 8:42; Jn 10:18 (Num 16:28); by one's own power: Jn 15:4; by one's power and on one's own judgment: Jn 8:28; examples from secular authors are given in Kypke, Observ. i., p. 391. (Cf. εὐχήν ἔχοντες ἀφ' (others, ἐφ' see ἐπί A. I. 1 f.) ἑαυτῶν, Acts 21:23 WH text) after verbs of learning, knowing, receiving, ἀπό is used of him to whom we are indebted for what we know, receive, possess (cf. Winers Grammar, 370 (347) n., also De verb. comp. etc. Part ii., p. 7f; Buttmann, 324 (279); Meyer on 1 Cor 11:23; per contra Lightfoot on Gal 1:12): ἀκούειν, Acts 9:13; 1 Jn 1:5; γινώσκειν, Mk 15:45; λαμβάνειν, Mt 17:25; 1 Jn 2:27; 1 Jn 3:22 L T Tr WH; ἔχειν, 1 Jn 4:21; 2 Cor 2:3, etc.; παραλαμβάνειν, 1 Cor 11:23; δέχεσθαι, Acts 28:21; respecting μανθάνειν see above, II. 1 d.; λατρεύω τῷ Θεῷ ἀπό προγόνων after the manner of the λατρεία received from my forefathers (cf. Winers Grammar, 372 (349); Buttmann, 322 (277)), 2 Tim 1:8. γίνεται μοι, 1 Cor 1:30; 1 Cor 4:5; χάρις ἀπό Θεοῦ or τοῦ Θεοῦ, from God, the author, bestower, Rom 1:7; 1 Cor 1:3; Gal 1:3, and often; καί τοῦτο ἀπό Θεοῦ, Phm 1:28. ἀπόστολος ἀπό etc., constituted an apostle by authority and commission, etc. (cf. Winer's Grammar, 418 (390)), Gal 1:1. after πάσχειν, Mt 16:21; (akin to this, according to many, is Mt 27:9 ὅν ἐτιμήσαντο ἀπό τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραήλ, R. V. marginal reading whom they priced on the part of the sons of Israel; but see in I. 2 above). bb. When ἀπό is used after passives (which is rare in the better Greek authors, cf. Bernhardy (1829), p. 222ff; (Buttmann, 325 (280); Winer's Grammar, 371 (347f))), the connection between the cause and the effect is conceived of as looser and more remote than that indicated by ὑπό, and may often be expressed by on the part of (German vonSeiten) (A. V. generally of]: ἀπό τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀποδευειγμενον approved (by miracles) according to God's will and appointment, Acts 2:22; ἀπό Θεοῦ πειράζομαι the cause of my temptation is to be sought in God, Jas 1:13; ἀπεστερημένος (T Tr WH ἀφυστερημενος) ἀφ' ὑμῶν by your fraud, Jas 5:4; ἀποδοκιμάζεσθαι, Lk 17:25; (ἐδικαιώθη ἡ σοφία ἀπό τῶν τέκνων, Lk 7:35 according to some; see δικαιόω, 2); τόπον ἡτοιμασμένον ἀπό τοῦ Θεοῦ by the will and direction of God, Rev 12:6; ὀχλούμενοι ἀπό (Rec. ὑπό, (see ὀχλέω)) πνευμάτων ἀκαθάρτων, Lk 6:18 (whose annoyance by diseases ((?) cf. Lk 6:17) proceeded from unclean spirits (A. V. vexed (troubled) with, etc.)); ἀπό τῆς σαρκός ἐσπιλωμένον, by touching the flesh, Jude 1:23; (add Lk 1:26 T Tr WH, ἀπεστάλη ὁ ἄγγελος ἀπό (R G L ὑπό) τοῦ Θεοῦ.) As in secular authors, so also in the N. T. the manuscripts sometimes vary between ἀπό and ὑπό: e. g. in Mk 8:31; (Lk 8:43); Acts 4:36; (Acts 10:17, Acts 10:33, Acts 15:4); Rom 13:1; (); Rev 9:18; see Winers Grammar, 370f (347f); Buttmann, 325f (280f); (cf. Vincent and Dickson, Modern Greek, 2nd edition, Appendix, § 41).
III. Phrases having a quasi-adverbial force, and indicating the manner or degree in which anything is done or occurs, are the following: ἀπό τῶν καρδιῶν ὑμῶν, from your hearts, i. e. willingly and sincerely, Mt 18:35; ἀπό μέρους in part, 2 Cor 1:14; 2 Cor 2:5; Rom 11:25; Rom 15:24; ἀπό μιᾶς namely, either φωνῆς with one voice, or γνώμης or ψυχῆς with one consent, one mind, Lk 14:18 (cf. Kuinoel at the passage; (Winer's Grammar, 423 (394); 591 (549f); yet see Lob. Paralip., p. 363)).
IV. The extraordinary construction ἀπό ὁ ὤν (for Rec. ἀπό τοῦ ὁ) καί ὁ ἦν καί ὁ ἐρχόμενος, Rev 1:4, finds its explanation in the fact that the writer seems to have used the words ὁ ὤν κτλ. as an indeclinable noun, for the purpose of indicating the meaning of the proper name יהוה; cf. Winers Grammar, § 10, 2 at the end; (Buttmann, 50 (43)).
V. In composition ἀπό indicates separation, liberation, cessation, departure, as in ἀποβάλλω, ἀποκόπτω, ἀποκυλίω, ἀπολύω, ἀπολύτρωσις, ἀπαλγέω, ἀπέρχομαι; finishing and completion, as in ἀπαρτίζω, ἀποτελέω; refers to the pattern from which a copy is taken, as in ἀπογράφειν, ἀφομοιουν, etc.; or to him from whom the action proceeds, as in ἀποδείκνυμι, ἀποτολμάω, etc.