ἀπολλύω

ἀπόλλυμι — apóllymi

ἀπόλλυμι and ἀπολλύω ((ἀπολλύει Joh 12:25 T Tr WH), imperative ἀπόλλυε Rom 14:15 (cf. Buttmann, 45 (39); WH's Appendix, p. 168f)); future ἀπολέσω and (1Co 1:19 ἀπολῶ from a passage in the O. T., where often) ἀπολῶ (cf. Winers Grammar, 83 (80); (Buttmann, 64 (56))); 1 aorist ἀπώλεσα; to destroy; middle, present ἀπόλλυμαι; (imperfect 3 person plural ἀπώλλυντο 1Co 10:9 T Tr WH); future ἀπολοῦμαι; 2 aorist ἀπωλόμην; (2 perfect active participle ἀπολωλώς); (from Homer down); to perish.

1. to destroy i. e. to put out of the way entirely, abolish, put an end to, ruin: Mar 1:24; Luk 4:34; Luk 17:27; Luk 17:29; Jud 1:5; τήν σοφίαν render useless, cause its emptiness to be perceived, 1Co 1:19 (from the Sept. of Isa 29:14); to kill: Mat 2:13; Mat 12:14; Mar 9:22; Mar 11:18; Joh 10:10, etc.; contextually, to declare that one must be put to death: Mat 27:20; metaphorically, to devote or give over to eternal misery: Mat 10:28; Jas 4:12; contextually, by one's conduct to cause another to lose eternal salvation: Rom 14:15. Middle to perish, to be lost, ruined, destroyed;

a. of persons; (a). properly: Mat 8:25; Luk 13:3; Luk 13:5; Luk 13:33; Joh 11:50; 2Pe 3:6; Jud 1:11, etc.; ἀπόλλυμαι λιμῷ, Luk 15:17; ἐν μαχαρια, Mat 26:52; καταβαλλόμενοι, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀπολλύμενοι, 2Co 4:9. (b). tropically, to incur the loss of true or eternal life; to be delivered up to eternal misery: Joh 3:15 (R Lbr.),; (it must be borne in mind, that according to John's conception eternal life begins on earth, just as soon as one becomes united to Christ by faith); Rom 2:12; 1Co 8:11; 1Co 15:18; 2Pe 3:9. Hence, οἱ σῳζόμενοι they to whom it belongs to partake of salvation, and οἱ ἀπολλύμενοι those to whom it belongs to perish or to be consigned to eternal misery, are contrasted by Paul: 1Co 1:18; 2Co 2:15; 2Co 4:8; 2Th 2:10 (on these present participles, cf. Winers Grammar, 342 (321); Buttmann, 206 (178)).

b. of things; to be blotted out, to vanish away: ἡ εὐπρέπεια, Jas 1:11; the heavens, Heb 1:11 (from Psalm 101:27; to perish — "of things which on being thrown away are decomposed, as μέλος τοῦ σώματος, Mat 5:29 f; remnants of bread, Joh 6:12; — or which perish in some other way, as βρῶσις, Joh 6:27; χρυσίον, 1Pe 1:7; — or which are mined so that they can no longer subserve the use for which they were designed, as οἱ ἀσκοί: Mat 9:17; Mar 2:22; Luk 5:37.

2. to destroy i. e. to lose;

a. properly: Mat 10:42; Mar 9:41 (τόν μισθόν αὐτοῦ); Luk 15:4; Luk 15:8-9; Luk 9:25; Luk 17:33; Joh 12:25; 2Jn 1:8, etc.

b. metaphorically, Christ is said to lose anyone of his followers (whom the Father has drawn to discipleship) if such a one becomes wicked and fails of salvation: Joh 6:39, cf. Joh 18:9. Middle to be lost: θρίξ ἐκ τῆς κεφαλῆς, Luk 21:18; θρίξ ἀπό τῆς κεφαλῆς, Act 27:34 (Rec. πεσεῖται); τά λαμπρά ἀπώλετο ἀπό σου, Rev 18:14 (Rec. ἀπῆλθε). Used of sheep, straying from the flock: properly, Luk 15:4 (τό ἀπολωλός, in Mat 18:12 τό πλανώμενον). Metaphorically, in accordance with the O. T. comparison of the people of Israel to a flock (Jer 27:6; Eze 34:4; Eze 34:16), the Jews, neglected by their religious teachers, left to themselves and thereby in danger of losing eternal salvation, wandering about as it were without guidance, are called τά πρόβατα τά ἀπολωλότα τοῦ οἴκου Ἰσραήλ: Mat 10:6; Mat 15:24 (Isa 53:6; 1Pe 2:25); and Christ, reclaiming them from wickedness, is likened to a shepherd and is said ζητεῖν καί σῴζειν τό ἀπολωλός: Luk 19:10; Mat 18:11 Rec. (Compare: συναπόλλυμι.)