ἀπαλλοτριόομαι

I estrange, alienate

Definition

The verb ἀπαλλοτριόομαι means to be estranged, alienated, or separated from someone or something, often implying a relational breakdown. In the New Testament, it consistently describes a state of spiritual separation from God due to sin. In Ephesians 2:12, it refers to Gentiles being 'alienated from the commonwealth of Israel' and thus from God's covenants. In Ephesians 4:18 and Colossians 1:21, the focus is on humanity's innate alienation from God because of a hardened, sinful mind, a condition that requires reconciliation through Christ.

Biblical Usage

This verb is used three times in the Pauline epistles, always in the passive voice ('am/were alienated'), emphasizing the state believers were in prior to Christ. It appears in contexts explaining the universal human plight of separation from God (Ephesians 4:18, Colossians 1:21) and the specific historical alienation of Gentiles from God's Old Testament people (Ephesians 2:12). The usage pattern highlights a past condition that has been decisively changed by Christ's work.

Etymology

Derived from the prefix ἀ- (meaning 'away from' or expressing negation) combined with the root verb ἀλλοτριόω (allotrioō), meaning 'to make another's' or 'to estrange.' The root is related to the adjective ἀλλότριος (allotrios), meaning 'belonging to another' or 'foreign.' Thus, the compound verb intensifies the sense of being made a stranger or being completely cut off from a former relationship.

Semantic Range

This word is crucial for understanding the biblical doctrine of sin and reconciliation. It defines the fundamental human problem: alienation from God. This enriches reading by showing that salvation is not just forgiveness but a restoration of a broken relationship. In Colossians 1:21-22, the contrast between being 'alienated' and later 'reconciled' powerfully frames Christ's atoning work as bringing enemies into God's family.

In the Greco-Roman world, alienation often carried legal and social weight, describing the loss of citizenship rights or family ties. For Paul's audience, especially Gentiles, the term would resonate with their experience of being religious and social outsiders. The biblical use transforms this concept, applying it primarily to the spiritual separation from God that affects all people, regardless of ethnic background.

ἀποχωρίζω (apochōrizō, G673) — emphasizes a physical or decisive separation. ἔχθρα (echthra, G2189) — a state of enmity or hostility, the resulting relationship of alienation. καταλλάσσω (katallassō, G2644) — to reconcile, the action that reverses alienation.

Word Details

Scripture References