ἀπομάσσω

I wipe off

Definition

The verb ἀπομάσσω means 'to wipe off' or 'to wipe clean.' It describes the physical action of removing something from a surface, such as dust or dirt. In its only New Testament occurrence in Luke 10:11, it is used in the middle voice (ἀπομασσόμεθα), meaning 'we wipe off (from ourselves),' referring to the disciples symbolically shaking off the dust of a rejecting town from their feet. This action signifies a complete disassociation and a testimony against those who reject the gospel message.

Biblical Usage

Ἀπομάσσω is used only once in the New Testament, in Luke 10:11, within Jesus's instructions to the seventy-two disciples. It appears in the context of mission and rejection. The middle voice form is employed as part of a prophetic symbolic act, where the disciples are to wipe the dust of an unwelcoming town from their feet as a testimony against its inhabitants. This singular usage gives it a specific, ritualistic meaning related to judgment and the seriousness of rejecting God's messengers.

Etymology

Derived from the preposition ἀπό (apo, meaning 'from' or 'off') and the verb μάσσω (massō, meaning 'to wipe,' 'to knead,' or 'to touch'). The compound thus literally means 'to wipe off from.' The root μάσσω is related to handling or touching something, often dough. The prefix ἀπό intensifies the sense of removal, emphasizing a complete wiping away.

Semantic Range

This word carries significant theological weight in its single use. The act of wiping off dust in Luke 10:11 is not merely hygienic but a powerful symbolic gesture of eschatological judgment. It echoes Old Testament practices (e.g., Nehemiah 5:13, Acts 13:51) of shaking out garments, signifying the removal of responsibility and leaving a place under God's judgment. Understanding this Greek term enriches the reading by highlighting the seriousness with which Jesus views the rejection of his message and the consequent accountability of the hearers.

In the ancient Near Eastern and Jewish cultural context, dust from a foreign or pagan land was considered defiling. Shaking or wiping it off one's feet was a symbolic act of dissociation, showing that one took nothing from that place and bore no responsibility for it. For Jesus's disciples, performing this act publicly served as a vivid, non-verbal testimony that the town had rejected God's peace and would be left to its own fate, a culturally understood sign of condemnation.

ἐκμάσσω (ekmassō, G1591) — to wipe dry or wipe off, often used for drying with a towel (e.g., John 13:5). | σαλεύω (saleuō, G4531) — to shake, as in shaking off dust in Acts 13:51 and 18:6, a closely related symbolic action.

Word Details

Scripture References