ἀποκρίνομαι

: (passive, 1 aorist ἀπεκρίθην; 1 future ἀποκριθήσομαι); i. to part, separate; passive to be parted, separated (1 aorist ἀπεκρίθην was separated, Homer, Iliad 5:12; Thucydides 2, 49; (4, 72); Theoph. de caus. plant. 6, 14, 10; (other examples in Veitch, under the word)). ii. to give sentence against one, decide that he has lost; hence, middle (present ἀποκρίνομαι; 1 aorist 3 person singular ἀπεκρίνατο); (to give forth a decision from myself (Winers Grammar, 253 (238))), to give answer, to reply; so from Thucydides down (and even in Herodotus 5, 49 (Gaisf.); 8, 101 (Gaisf., Bekker), who generally uses ὑποκρίνομαι). But the earlier and more elegant Greek writings do not give this sense to the passive tenses ἀπεκρίθην, ἀποκριθήσομαι. "The example adduced from Plato, Alcib. Secund., p. 149 b. (cf. Stallb., p. 388) is justly discredited by Sturz, De dial. Alex., p. 148, since it is without parallel, the author of the dialogue is uncertain, and, moreover, the common form is sometimes introduced by copyists." Lobeck ad Phryn., p. 108; (cf. Rutherford, New Phryn., p. 186f; Veitch, under the word; Winers Grammar, 23 (22)). But from Polybius down ἀποκριθῆναι and ἀποκρίνασθαι are used indiscriminately, and in the Bible the passive forms are by far the more common. In the N. T. the aorist middle ἀπεκρίνατο is found only in Mt 27:12; Mk 14:61; Lk 3:16; Lk 23:9; Jn 5:17, Jn 5:19; Jn 12:23 (R G L Tr marginal reading); Acts 3:12; in the great majority of places ἀπεκρίθη is used; cf. Winers Grammar, § 39, 2; (Buttmann, 51 (44)).
1. to give an answer to a question proposed, to answer;
a. simply: καλῶς, Mk 12:28; νουνεχῶς, 34; ὀρθῶς, Lk 10:28; πρός τί, Mt 27:14.
b. with the accusative: λόγον, Mt 22:46; οὐδέν, Mt 27:12; Mk 14:61; Mk 15:4f.
c. with the dative etc.: ἑνί ἑκάστῳ, Col 4:6; together with the words which the answerer uses, Jn 5:7, Jn 5:11; Jn 6:7, Jn 6:68, etc.; the dative omitted: Jn 7:46; Jn 8:19, Jn 8:49, etc. πρός τινα, Acts 25:16. joined with φάναι, or λέγειν, or εἰπεῖν, in the form of a participle, as ἀποκριθείς εἶπε or ἔφη or λέγει: Mt 4:4; Mt 8:8; Mt 15:13; Lk 9:19; Lk 13:2; Mk 10:3, etc.; or ἀπεκρίθη λέγων: Mt 25:9, Mt 25:37, Mt 25:44; Lk 4:4 (R G L); (R G Tr marginal reading brackets); Jn 1:26; Jn 10:33 (Rec.); . But John far more frequently says ἀπεκρίθη καί εἶπε: Jn 1:48 (); Jn 2:19; Jn 4:13; Jn 7:16, Jn 7:20 (R G), , etc.
d. followed by the infinitive: Lk 20:7; followed by the accusative with infinitive: Acts 25:4; followed by ὅτι: Acts 25:16.
2. In imitation of the Hebrew עָנָה (Gesenius, Thesaurus ii., p. 1047) to begin to speak, but always where something has preceded (either said or done) to which the remarks refer (Winer's Grammar, 19): Mt 11:25; Mt 12:38; Mt 15:15; Mt 17:4; Mt 22:1; Mt 28:5; Mk 9:5 ( T Tr WH); Mk 10:24; Mk 11:14; ; Lk 14:3; Jn 2:18; Jn 5:17; Acts 3:12; Rev 7:13. (the Sept. (Deut 26:5); Isa 14:10; Zech 1:10; Zech 3:4, etc.; 1 Macc. 2:17 1 Macc. 8:19; 2 Macc. 15:14.) (Compare: ἀνταποκρίνομαι.)