Word

ἀποστέλλω

apostéllō · G649 · Greek · 132 occurrences

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Meanings

to send

To cause someone to depart for a particular purpose

Examples
Matthew 2:16 Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent men and killed all the boys who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity who were two years old or under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi.
Matthew 8:31 And the demons begged Him, saying, “If You are going to cast us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”
Matthew 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them, saying, “Do not go on a road to Gentiles, and do not enter a city of Samaritans;
to send a message, to send word

To send a message, presumably by someone

Examples
Matthew 27:19 And while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him a message, saying, “See that you have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him.”
Mark 3:31 Then His mother and His brothers came, and while standing outside they sent word to Him, calling for Him.
John 5:33 “You have sent messengers to John, and he has testified to the truth.
to use a sickle, to swing a sickle, to begin to harvest

(An idiom, literally: to send a sickle) To begin to harvest a crop by cutting ripe grain with a sickle

Examples
Mark 4:29 “Now when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

How it’s used In 12 roles

Every occurrence, grouped by the words it is grammatically related to.

the word studied the word it goes with

Who or what does itSubject

132 occurrences in 37 groups

Not stated: he, she or it 34
Not stated (participle) 26
Not stated: I 8
ἐγώI, we 7
Not stated: they 7
σύyou 6
Other words · 27 groups that occur once or twice (31) 31

What it acts on, or what is saidObject

100 occurrences in 42 groups

ἐγώI, we 20
αὐτόςhe, she, it, same 16
δοῦλοςslave, bondservant 8
ἄγγελοςangel, messenger 8
ὅςwho, which, that 6
σύyou 6
Other words · 33 groups that occur once or twice (37) 37

To or for whomIndirect object

5 occurrences in 5 groups

δοῦλοςslave, bondservant 1
ἔθνοςnation, Gentiles 1
σύyou 1
υἱόςson 1
αὐτόςhe, she, it, same 1

Second objectAs in “call him Lord”

3 occurrences in 4 groups

ἱλασμόςthe means of forgiveness 1
λυτρωτήςdeliverer 1
σωτήρsavior, deliverer 1
ἄρχωνruler, governor, official 1

With prepositionsPrepositional phrases

65 occurrences in 51 groups

πρόςto, toward, with+ αὐτόςhe, she, it, same 13
εἰςto+ κόσμοςworld 5
πρόbefore+ πρόσωπονface 5
πρόςto, toward, with+ γεωργόςfarmer, tenant 3
πρόςto, toward, with+ σύyou 3
Other words · 46 groups that occur once or twice (48) 48

With adverbsAdverbs

9 occurrences in 5 groups

πάλινagain, and, also 4
μήnot 3
τότεthen 2
οὐnot 1
ὧδεhere 1

Named alongside itApposition

4 occurrences in 4 groups

ἸησοῦςJesus 1
λόγοςword, saying, message 1
ἀνήρman, husband 1
τὶςsomeone 1

What it doesIt is the subject

2 occurrences in 3 groups

εὑρίσκωto find, to discover 1
λαλέωto speak 1
ἀπέρχομαιto go away, to depart, to leave 1

What is done to itIt is the object

28 occurrences in 14 groups

ἔπωto say 11
γινώσκωto know 3
πιστεύωto believe 3
Other words · 11 groups that occur once or twice (14) 14

What it is said to bePredicate

1 occurrences in 1 groups

γνωστόςknown, acquaintance 1

What is said to be itIt is the predicate

2 occurrences in 1 groups

οὗτοςthis 2

After prepositionsPrepositional phrases

2 occurrences in 2 groups

εἰςto 2
πρόςto, toward, with 2

When two words share a role, as in “Paul and Barnabas said”, the verse appears under each, so a section’s counts can add up to more than the number of occurrences.

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.

Near synonyms 1 word

πέμπω pémpō · G3992 · to send, to send something, to send by someone: Both verbs denote the act of sending, with substantial overlap in core sending semantics. The nuance between them is one of perspective — the target carries more of a sense of commissioning for a purpose or mission, while πέμπω emphasizes the sender's perspective — but both genuinely denote the fundamental act of sending.

In the other Testament 2 words

שָׁלַח shâlach · H7971 · to send (a messenger to someone), to send (messengers through an area), to send (messengers among people): Hebrew שָׁלַח is the standard Old Testament verb for 'send' with broad application (sending messengers, objects, people on errands), while Greek ἀποστέλλω emphasizes commissioning or sending on a mission with authority—the New Testament's preferred term for apostolic sending and divine commissioning; the two overlap extensively in LXX translation practice where שָׁלַח is regularly rendered by ἀποστέλλω, establishing them as direct cross-linguistic equivalents despite ἀποστέλλω's somewhat narrower register focus on authoritative mission-sending.
שְׁלַח shᵉlach · H7972 · put, send: שְׁלַח (shᵉlach, H7972) is the standard Hebrew verb for 'send' with a general semantic range covering dispatch of messages, people, or objects, while ἀποστέλλω (apostéllō, G649) carries the more specialized nuance of commissioning or sending on a mission with authority, particularly in NT contexts of apostolic sending.

Semantic domains 4 entries

To send15.66: In Matthew 10:5, “these twelve Jesus sent out (apésteilen) after instructing them,” describing a person being formally dispatched to carry out a task.
To send a message, to send word15.67: In Matthew 27:19, while Pilate was on the judgment seat, “his wife sent (apésteilen) him a message, saying, 'See that you have nothing to do with that righteous Man,'” describing information conveyed rather than a person dispatched.
To write a letter, to send a letter to33.49: In Acts 21:25, reporting the Jerusalem council's decision, James recalls, “regarding the Gentiles who have believed, we sent (apesteílamen) a letter, having decided that they should abstain from meat sacrificed to idols,” describing a written document being dispatched.
To use a sickle, to swing a sickle, to begin to harvest43.17: In Mark 4:29, in the parable of the growing seed, “when the crop permits, he immediately puts in (apostéllei) the sickle, because the harvest has come,” describing the idiom of setting the sickle to work at harvest time.

Word family 16 words

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

στέλλω stéllō · G4724 · to avoid doing, to shun, to avoid · 2×ἀποστέλλωapostéllō · G649ἀπόστολος apóstolos · G652 · apostle, special messenger, messenger · 79×ἐπιστολή epistolḗ · G1992 · letter (normally written on papyrus), letter · 24×ἐξαποστέλλω exapostéllō · G1821 · to send, to send out, to send forth · 14×στολή stolḗ · G4749 · long robe · 9×διαστέλλομαι diastéllomai · G1291 · to order, to command · 7×ἀποστολή apostolḗ · G651 · apostleship, to be an apostle, to be a special messenger · 4×ὑποστέλλω hypostéllō · G5288 · to hold back from, to shrink from, to avoid · 4×διαστολή diastolḗ · G1293 · difference, distinction · 3×ἐπιστέλλω epistéllō · G1989 · to write a letter, to send a letter to · 2×καταστέλλω katastéllō · G2687 · to subject to, to bring under control · 2×συστέλλω systéllō · G4958 · to draw near, to draw to a close, to remove · 2×καταστολή katastolḗ · G2689 · manner of dress · 1×συναποστέλλω synapostéllō · G4882 · to send with, to send together · 1×ὑποστολή hypostolḗ · G5289 · to cease, to stop, to give up doing · 1×

Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon future ἀποστελῶ; 1 aorist ἀπέστειλα; perfect ἀπέσταλκα (3 person plural ἀπέσταλκαν Acts…

future ἀποστελῶ; 1 aorist ἀπέστειλα; perfect ἀπέσταλκα (3 person plural ἀπέσταλκαν Acts 16:36 L T Tr WH (see γίνομαι at the beginning); passive, present ἀποστέλλομαι); perfect ἀπεστάλμαι; 2 aorist ἀπεστάλην; (from Sophocles down); properly, to send off, send away;
1. to order (one) to go to a place appointed;
a. either persons sent with commissions, or things intended for someone. So, very frequently, Jesus teaches that God sent him, as Mt 10:40; Mk 9:37; Lk 10:16; Jn 5:36, etc. he, too, is said to have sent his apostles, i. e. to have appointed them: Mk 6:7; Mt 10:16; Lk 22:35; Jn 20:21, etc. messengers are sent: Lk 7:3; Lk 9:52; Lk 10:1; servants, Mk 6:27; Mk 12:2; Mt 21:36; Mt 22:3; an embassy, Lk 14:32; Lk 19:14; angels, Mk 13:27; Mt 24:31, etc. Things are said to be sent, which are ordered to be led away or conveyed to anyone, as Mt 21:3; Mk 11:3; τό δρέπανον i. e. reapers, Mk 4:29 (others take ἀποστέλλω here of the putting forth of the sickle, i. e. of the act of reaping; cf. Joel 4:13> (Joel 3:18); Rev 14:15 (under the word πέμπω, b.)); τόν λόγον, Acts 10:36; Acts 13:26 (L T Tr WH ἐξαπεστάλη); τήν ἐπαγγελίαν (equivalent to ἐπηγγελμενον, i. e. the promised Holy Spirit) ἐφ' ὑμᾶς, Lk 24:49 (T Tr WH ἐξαποστέλλω); τί διά χειρός τίνος, after the Hebrew בְּיַד, Acts 11:30.
b. The place of the sending is specified: ἀποστέλλειν εἰς τινα τόπον, Mt 20:2; Lk 1:26; Acts 7:34; Acts 10:8; Acts 19:22; 2 Tim 4:12; Rev 5:6, etc. God sent Jesus εἰς τόν κόσμον: Jn 3:17; Jn 10:36; Jn 17:18; 1 Jn 4:9. εἰς (unto, i. e.) among: Mt 15:24; Lk 11:49; Acts (Acts 22:21 WH marginal reading); ; (ἐν (by a pregnant or a Latin construction) cf. Winers Grammar, § 50, 4; Buttmann, 329 (283): Mt 10:16; Lk 10:3; yet see 1 a. above); ὀπίσω τίνος, Lk 19:14; ἔμπροσθεν τίνος, Jn 3:28; and πρό προσώπου τίνος, after the Hebrew לִפְנֵי־, before (to precede) one: Mt 11:10; Mk 1:2; Lk 7:27; Lk 10:1. πρός τινα, to one: Mt 21:34, Mt 21:37; Mk 12:2; Lk 7:3, Lk 7:20; Jn 5:33; Acts 8:14; 2 Cor 12:17, etc. Whence, or by or from whom, one is sent: ὑπό τοῦ Θεοῦ, Lk 1:26 (T Tr WH ἀπό); παρά Θεοῦ, Jn 1:6 (Sir. 15:9); ἀπό with the genitive of person, from the house of anyone: Acts 10:17 (T WH Tr marginal reading ὑπό), 21 Rec.; ἐκ with the genitive of place: Jn 1:19.
c. The object of the mission is indicated by an infinitive following: Mk 3:14; Mt 22:3; Lk 1:19; Lk 4:18 (Isa 61:1 (on the perfect cf. Winers Grammar, 272 (255); Buttmann, 197 (171))); Lk 9:2; Jn 4:38; 1 Cor 1:17; Rev 22:6. (followed by εἰς for: εἰς διακονίαν, Heb 1:14. followed by ἵνα: Mk 12:2, Mk 12:13; Lk 20:10, Lk 20:20; Jn 1:19; Jn 3:17; Jn 7:32; 1 Jn 4:9. (followed by ὅπως: Acts 9:17.) followed by an accusative with infinitive: Acts 5:21. followed by τινα with a predicate accusative: Acts 3:26 (εὐλογοῦντα ὑμᾶς to confer God's blessing on you (cf. Buttmann, 203ff (176ff)); Acts 7:35 (ἄρχοντα, to be a ruler); 1 Jn 4:10.
d. ἀποστέλλειν by itself, without an accusative (cf. Winers Grammar, 594 (552); Buttmann, 146 (128)): as ἀποστέλλειν πρός τινα, Jn 5:33; with the addition of the participle λέγων, λέγουσα, λέγοντες, to say through a messenger: Mt 27:19; Mk 3:31 (here φωνοῦντες αὐτόν R G, καλοῦντες αὐτόν L T Tr WH); Jn 11:3; Acts 13:15; (Acts 21:25 περί τῶν πεπιστευκότων ἐθνῶν ἡμεῖς ἀπεστείλαμεν (L Tr text WH text) κρίναντες etc. we sent word, giving judgment, etc.). When one accomplished anything through a messenger, it is expressed thus: ἀποστείλας or πέμψας he did so and so; as, ἀποστείλας ἀνεῖλε, Mt 2:16; Mk 6:17; Acts 7:14; Rev 1:1; (so also the Greeks, as Xenophon, Cyril 3, 1, 6 πέμψας ἠρώτα, Plutarch, de liber. educ. c. 14 πέμψας ἀνεῖλε τόν θεοκριτον; and the Sept. 2 Kgs 6:13 ἀποστείλας λήψομαι αὐτόν).
2. to send away, i. e. to dismiss;
a. to allow one to depart: τινα ἐν ἀφέσει, that he may be in a state of liberty, Lk 4:18 (19), (Isa 58:6).
b. to order one to depart, send off: Mk 8:26; τινα κενόν, Mk 12:3.
c. to drive away: Mk 5:10. (Compare: ἐξαποστέλλω, συναποστέλλω. Synonym: see πέμπω, at the end)

Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (1889), public domain

Topical studies with this word 2 entries

Leave, Depart, Flee, Escape, Send131 occurrences Agriculture1 occurrence

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.

Sources

eRhema lexical overview, based on the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew and the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament (© United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Macula Hebrew and Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0); released under CC BY-SA 4.0