apodidōmi · give back, pay

What it means

apodidōmi (ἀποδίδωμι) is a Greek word of the Bible that means “give back, pay”.

Pay, give back, give what is owed.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. To settle what is owed, or reward each one as they deserve.
2. To give what is due: fruit, an account.
3. To hand something or someone over to another for money.

From Abbott-Smith (1922) · Thayer (1889)

Word study

To give back, to give what is owed: to pay a debt, to return what was received, to fulfill what was promised, to give each one what is due to him. In the middle voice it means ‘sell’. It is a compound of δίδωμι, ‘give’ (G1325).

• Paying a debt Matthew 18:26Matthew 5:26Luke 10:35
• “Give back to Caesar the things of Caesar” Matthew 22:21Romans 13:7
• God repays each one according to his works Matthew 16:27Romans 2:6Matthew 6:4
• Not repaying evil for evil Romans 12:171 Peter 3:9
• Fulfilling, giving account; selling Matthew 5:33Matthew 12:36Hebrews 12:16

Historical and cultural background

Zacchaeus promises: “if I have extorted anything from anyone by false accusation, I pay back four times as much” (Luke 19:8).

How we translate it

Each context asks for its verb: “repay” with debts and deeds (“will repay” 9 times, “repay” 5), “pay” (“until you have paid the last penny”, Matthew 5:26), “give back” with what was received (Matthew 22:21, with a note), “will repay you” also when it is God who gives (Matthew 6:4), “fulfill” with oaths (Matthew 5:33), “give an account” (Matthew 12:36) and “sold” in the middle voice (Hebrews 12:16).

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• give ×10
• will repay ×9
• repay ×5
• Pay back ×4
• pay ×2
• sold ×2
• you have paid ×2
• be given to him ×1
• did you sell ×1
• gave back ×1
• others ×11

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Matthew×18
• Mark×1
• Luke×8
• Acts×4
• Romans×3
• 1 Corinthians×1
• 1 Thessalonians×1
• 1 Timothy×1
• 2 Timothy×2
• Hebrews×3
• 1 Peter×2
• Revelation×4

• Matthew 5:26

  Truly I tell you, you will never get out of there until you have paid the last penny.

• Matthew 5:33

  “Again, you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but you shall fulfill your oaths to the Lord.’

• Matthew 6:4

  so that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

• Matthew 6:6

  But you, when you pray, go into your inner room and, having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

• Matthew 6:18

  so that you may not appear to people as fasting, but to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

• Matthew 12:36

  And I tell you that for every careless word that people speak, they will give an account of it on the day of judgment;

• Matthew 16:27

  For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will repay each one according to his conduct.

• Matthew 18:25

  And since he did not have the means to repay, the master ordered him to be sold, and his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made.

• Matthew 18:26

  So the slave fell down and was bowing down before him, saying, ‘Be patient with me, and I will repay you everything.’

• Matthew 18:28

  But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him, he was choking him, saying, ‘Pay back whatever you owe!’

• Matthew 18:29

  So his fellow slave fell down and was begging him, saying, ‘Be patient with me, and I will repay you.’

• Matthew 18:30

  But he was not willing, but went and threw him into prison until he should repay what was owed.

• Matthew 18:34

  And his master, angered, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed.

• Matthew 20:8

  And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard says to his steward, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last up to the first.’

• Matthew 21:41

  They say to him, “He will destroy those wretches wretchedly, and lease the vineyard to other tenant farmers who will give him the fruits in their seasons.”

• Matthew 22:21

  They say to him, “Caesar’s.” Then he says to them, “Give back, then, to Caesar the things of Caesar, and to God the things of God.”

• Matthew 27:58

  This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him.

• Mark 12:17

  And Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar the things of Caesar, and to God the things of God.” And they were utterly amazed at him.

• Luke 4:20

  And rolling up the scroll and giving it back to the attendant, he sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.

• Luke 7:42

  When they did not have the means to pay back, he forgave them both. Which of them, then, will love him more?”

• Luke 9:42

  And while he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him violently. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the boy and gave him back to his father.

• Luke 10:35

  And on the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’

• Luke 12:59

  I tell you, you will never get out of there until you have paid even the last lepton.”

• Luke 16:2

  And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’

• Luke 19:8

  But Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I give to the poor; and if I have extorted anything from anyone by false accusation, I pay back four times as much.”

• Luke 20:25

  And he said to them, “Then give back the things of Caesar to Caesar, and the things of God to God.”

• Acts 4:33

  And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.

• Acts 5:8

  And Peter responded to her, “Tell me, did you sell the land for so much?” And she said, “Yes, for so much.”

• Acts 7:9

  And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; and God was with him

• Acts 19:40

  For indeed we are in danger of being charged with rioting over today’s events, since there is no cause for it, about which we will not be able to give an account for this commotion.” And having said these things, he dismissed the assembly.

• Romans 2:6

  who will repay each one according to his works:

• Romans 12:17

  Repay no one evil for evil; take thought for what is good before all people.

• Romans 13:7

  Pay to all what is owed: to the one owed tribute, tribute; to the one owed tax, tax; to the one owed fear, fear; to the one owed honor, honor.

• 1 Corinthians 7:3

  Let the husband give to his wife what is due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband.

• 1 Thessalonians 5:15

  See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all.

• 1 Timothy 5:4

  But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them learn first to show godliness toward their own household and to make a return to their parents, for this is acceptable before God.

• 2 Timothy 4:8

  From now on there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.

• 2 Timothy 4:14

  Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds.

• Hebrews 12:11

  Now no discipline for the present seems to be a cause of joy, but of grief; but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

• Hebrews 12:16

  that no one be sexually immoral or profane like Esau, who in exchange for a single meal sold his own birthright.

And 8 more times.