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Lost and perish: apollymi

Greek ἀπόλλυμι. Also called Lost, Perish, Apollumi, apollymi.

One Greek verb, 90 times in the New Testament, that English splits into lose, perish, destroy and kill: the lost sheep of Luke 15 and “shall not perish” in John 3:16 are the same word.

With an object, apollymi is to destroy or to lose: Herod seeks to destroy the child, a woman loses a coin, and whoever loses his life for Jesus’ sake will find it. On its own it is to perish or be lost. That is why “the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” and “everyone who believes in Him shall not perish” are closer in Greek than in English: in both, the danger is being apollymi. Luke 15 uses it for the sheep, the coin and the son, “He was lost and is found!”

How the BSB and nine other translations render apollymi: lost, perish, destroy

One verb, four English ones

  • 32 lose, lost
  • 24 perish
  • 14 destroy
  • 11 kill
  • 9 other words
  • lose, lost “go after the one that is lost” Luke 15:4
  • lose, lost “He was lost and is found!” Luke 15:24
  • lose, lost “whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” Matthew 16:25
  • perish “everyone who believes in Him shall not perish” John 3:16
  • perish “not wanting anyone to perish” 2 Peter 3:9
  • destroy “destroy both soul and body in hell” Matthew 10:28
  • destroy “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy” John 10:10
  • kill “how they might kill Jesus” Mark 3:6

With an object it is to destroy or to lose something; on its own it is to perish or to be lost. Luke 15 uses it 8 times: the sheep, the coin and the son are all apollymi, and so is the son’s “starving to death” (15:17).

“Perish” and “the lost”, in ten translations

Translation John 3:16 Luke 19:10
OEB may not be lost those who are lost
BSB shall not perish the lost
WEB should not perish that which was lost
KJV should not perish that which was lost
ASV should not perish that which was lost
LSV may not perish the lost
YLT may not perish the lost
DBY may not perish that which is lost
FBV shouldn't die those who are lost
T4T would not be separated from God forever lost [sheep]

The Son of Man came “to seek and to save the lost”, and God gave his Son so that believers “shall not perish”: the same verb. Only the OEB (marked) lets an English reader hear it, with “may not be lost”.

Where it is used

  1. Matthew 19
  2. Mark 10
  3. Luke 27
  4. John 10
  5. Acts 2
  6. Romans 2
  7. 1 Corinthians 6
  8. 2 Corinthians 3
  9. 2 Thessalonians 1
  10. Hebrews 1
  11. James 2
  12. 1 Peter 1
  13. 2 Peter 2
  14. 2 John 1
  15. Jude 2
  16. Revelation 1

90 times in the New Testament, counted in the site’s Greek by Strong’s number G622, with the BSB’s English for each from its translation tables. Luke uses it most.

Where it appears

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