aphiēmi · let go, forgive

What it means

aphiēmi (ἀφίημι) is a Greek word of the Bible that means “let go, forgive”.

Leave, let go, allow; said of sins and debts, forgive.

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 release someone or something to go; also to give up the spirit at death.
2. To wipe away sins or debts, not exact them.
3. To part from something or someone and go on without it.
4. To permit: the children coming to Jesus.

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

Word study

To let go, to release: to leave someone or something, to allow; said of sins and debts, to forgive. Abbott-Smith: to send forth; to dismiss; to let go; to utter a cry; to remit; to forgive. Of the same family is ἄφεσις, “forgiveness”.

• “Forgive us our debts” Matthew 6:12
• “Your sins are forgiven” Mark 2:5
• Leaving the nets Mark 1:18
• “Let the children be, and do not hinder them” Matthew 19:14
• “Peace I leave with you” John 14:27
• Letting out a cry Mark 15:37

How we translate it

“Left” 34 times, “forgive” 21, “let” 19, “leave” 13, “leaving” 13, “are forgiven” 8, “will be forgiven” 6, “allow” 5… The context decides: “forgive” with sins or debts, “leave”, “let” or “allow” elsewhere, and “be left” in “there will never be left here one stone upon another” (Matthew 24:2).

How it is translated

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

• left ×34
• forgive ×21
• let ×19
• leave ×13
• leaving ×13
• are forgiven ×8
• will be forgiven ×6
• allow ×5
• forgiven ×5
• be forgiven ×4
• others ×15

Related words

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

Where it appears

• Matthew×47
• Mark×34
• Luke×31
• John×15
• Acts×3
• Romans×2
• 1 Corinthians×3
• Hebrews×2
• James×1
• 1 John×2
• Revelation×3

• Matthew 3:15

  But Jesus answered and said to him, “Allow it now, for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allows him to do so.

• Matthew 4:11

  Then the devil leaves him, and look, angels came and were serving him.

• Matthew 4:20

  And they at once left the nets and followed him.

• Matthew 4:22

  And they at once left the boat and their father and followed him.

• Matthew 5:24

  leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

• Matthew 5:40

  And to the one who wants to go to court with you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak too.

• Matthew 6:12

  and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors;

• Matthew 6:14

  For if you forgive people their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you;

• Matthew 6:15

  but if you do not forgive people, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

• Matthew 7:4

  Or how will you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and look, the beam is in your own eye?

• Matthew 8:15

  And he touched her hand, and the fever left her; and she got up and began to serve him.

• Matthew 8:22

  But Jesus says to him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

• Matthew 9:2

  And look, they were bringing to him a paralytic lying on a bed. And seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, “Take courage, child; your sins are forgiven.”

• Matthew 9:5

  For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?

• Matthew 9:6

  But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”— then he says to the paralytic— “Get up, pick up your bed, and go to your home.”

• Matthew 12:31

  Therefore I tell you, people will be forgiven every sin and blasphemy, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.

• Matthew 12:32

  And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

• Matthew 13:30

  Let both grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the darnel first and tie it in bundles to burn it, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

• Matthew 13:36

  Then leaving the crowds, he went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the darnel of the field.”

• Matthew 15:14

  Leave them; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”

• Matthew 18:12

  What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and search for the one that is going astray?

• Matthew 18:21

  Then Peter came to him and said, “Lord, how many times will my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”

• Matthew 18:27

  And the master of that slave had compassion and released him and forgave him the loan.

• Matthew 18:32

  Then his master summoned him and says to him, ‘Wicked slave! All that debt I forgave you, because you begged me.

• Matthew 18:35

  So also my heavenly Father will do to you, if you do not forgive each his brother from your hearts.”

• Matthew 19:14

  But Jesus said, “Let the children be, and do not hinder them from coming to me, for to such as these belongs the kingdom of heaven.”

• Matthew 19:27

  Then Peter answered and said to him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you; what then will there be for us?”

• Matthew 19:29

  And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.

• Matthew 22:22

  And when they heard it, they were amazed; and leaving him, they went away.

• Matthew 22:25

  Now there were among us seven brothers; and the first married and died, and not having offspring, he left his wife to his brother;

• Matthew 23:13

  But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut the kingdom of heaven in front of people; for you do not go in, nor do you allow those who are going in to go in.

• Matthew 23:23

  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you tithe the mint and the dill and the cumin, and you have left aside the weightier things of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without leaving aside those.

• Matthew 23:38

  Look, your house is left to you desolate.

• Matthew 24:2

  But he answered them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I tell you, there will never be left here one stone upon another that will not be torn down.”

• Matthew 24:40

  Then two will be in the field; one is taken and one is left.

• Matthew 24:41

  Two women grinding at the mill; one is taken and one is left.

• Matthew 26:44

  And leaving them again, he went away and prayed a third time, saying the same words again.

• Matthew 26:56

  But all this has happened so that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled.

• Matthew 27:49

  But the rest were saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah is coming to save him.”

• Matthew 27:50

  And Jesus, crying out again with a loud voice, let go of his spirit.

And 103 more times.