Depart

"to remove, depart, carry away." This verb occurs in all Semitic languages including biblical Aramaic and in all periods of Hebrew. The Bible attests this Hebrew word about 650 times.

The meaning "to lift up" or "to bear" is seen, for example, in Gen 7:17 (the first occurrence of this word), where it is reported that the waters "lifted up" the ark. A special use of this emphasis occurs in Job 6:2, where Job prays that his trouble be laid ("lifted up") in the balances because he believes his trouble far outweighs his sin. Then there is the sense "to bear up" or "to support," as a loaded donkey "bears up" his load (Gen 45:23). Then, too, nasa’ can be used of bearing something away, David and his men "took away" the abandoned Philistine idols; they lifted them up, bore them, and carried them away (2Sam 5:21, rsv). This same nuance is applied to marriage, or taking a wife (Ruth 1:4). The same expression means to steal (or plunder) a wife (Judg 21:23). The phrase "lift up…heads" sometimes means "to take a census" (kjv, "to number"), the Lord told Moses to "lift up" the heads of the sons of Israel (Exod 30:12). This latest phrase may well be an evidence of direct influence from the Akkadian language.

Often nasa’ is used as a part of a gesture, for example, "to lift up" one's hand. This gesture can be hostile (2Sam 20:21), a part of taking an oath (Exod 6:8), something done while praying (Psa 28:9) and signaling (Isa 49:22). "To lift up the head" can mean to be or declare independence in power and control (Judg 8:28). The same phrase can be used of being free (2Kings 25:27; cf. Gen 40:13), while losing one's head can mean dying (cf. Gen 40:19). To "lift one's face" means to be able to look someone straight in the eye, to have a clear conscience toward someone or with reference to something (2Sam 2:22), or to anticipate that things will go well (Job 22:26). God says He will "accept" Lot's request; He reassures Lot that things will go the way he wants them to (Gen 19:21). This phrase can mean "to be well disposed toward" or "to respect" (2Kings 3:14), and "to be biased in favor of" (Job 13:8). God's "raising His face on one" means that He will show one His favor (Num 6:26). To raise one's eyes is to see (Gen 13:10) and to lust for someone (Gen 39:7).

Nasa’ can also be used with words for sounds and verbal communication. "To lift" one's voice often means to wail (Gen 21:16). It can also mean to call out loudly (Judg 9:7), to speak (a proverb; Num 23:7), to declare (an oracle; 2Kings 9:25), to slander (Psa 15:3), to carry (a false rumor; Exod 23:1), and to speak a name (Exod 20:7).

This verb can be used with "soul," in the sense "to lift up" one's soul. This means "to hand oneself over to" or "to be dependent on" something, the poor man "lifts up his soul" to his wages (Deut 24:15).

Sometimes nasa’ means "to support", Gen 13:6 says the land could not support, or provide enough sustenance for, Abraham's and Lot's parties.

The Bible speaks of bearing sin and iniquity in Exod 28:38, where it is said that Aaron "may bear the iniquity of the holy things"; the sin of the holy things will be on Aaron, who is "holy to the Lord" (v. 36). In Gen 18:24 Abraham pleads with God to spare Sodom and Gomorrah and to bear away the sin of the place.

"(elected) chief." This noun appears 130 times, and it refers to one lifted up publicly: "…Twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation" (Gen 17:20; cf. Num 1:44).

Several other related nouns occur less frequently. Massa’ appears 45 times as "load" or "bearing" (Num 11:11) and 21 times as "utterance" (2Kings 9:25). Mas’et, which occurs 16 times, refers to the "action of lifting up" (cf. Psa 141:2) and to "something lifted up" (Gen 43:34). S(e)et occurs 14 times, with 2 senses: (1) a "lifting up," such as an "uprising" (Job 41:25), and "dignity" (Gen 49:3); and (2) something that is "lifted up," such as a swelling or blotch (Lev 13:2). Nesî’îm occurs 4 times with the meaning "damp, fog, hovering clouds" (Jer 10:13). Both massa’â (Isa 30:27) and sî’ (Job 20:6) occur only once.

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* (a) Compounds of ago.

lit., "to lead up" (ana, "up," ago, "to lead"), is used, in the Middle Voice, as a nautical term, signifying "to set sail, put to sea;" "to depart," Act 27:12, AV (RV, "put to sea"); Act 28:10 (RV, "sailed"); Act 28:11 (RV, "set sail"). Cp. epanago, in Luk 5:3, to put out. See BRING, No. 11.

used intransitively, means "to pass by" (para, "by, beside"), and is so translated everywhere in the Gospels, except in the AV of Mat 9:27, "departed;" RV, "passed by." Outside the Gospels it is used in its other meaning, "to pass away," 1Co 7:31, 1Jo 2:8 (RV), 17 See PASS.

"to go," translated "depart" in Jam 2:16, AV, primarily and lit. meant "to lead under" (hupo, "under"); in its later use, it implied a "going," without noise or notice, or by stealth. In this passage the idea is perhaps that of a polite dismissal, "Go your ways." See GET, GO.

* (b) Compounds of erchomai.

lit., "to come or go away" (apo), hence, "to set off, depart," e.g., Mat 8:18, is frequent in the Gospels and Acts; Rev 18:14, RV, "are gone." See COME, No. 11 (Note), GO, PASS.

"to come or go through, to pass through to a place," is translated "departed" in Act 13:14, AV; RV, "passing through;" elsewhere it is usually translated "pass through" or "go through." See COME, No. 5.

denotes "to come out, or go out of, to go forth." It is frequently translated by the verb "to depart," e.g., Mat 9:31; in Luk 4:42, for the AV, "He departed and went (No. 8)," the RV has "He came out and went;" in Luk 9:6 the AV and RV agree. See COME, No. 3.

"to come down" (its usual meaning), is translated "departed" in Act 13:4, AV (RV, "went down"). See COME, No. 7.

* (c) Poreuo and a compound.

akin to poros, "a passage," in the Middle Voice signifies "to go on one's way, to depart from one place to another." In some places, where the AV has the verb "to depart," the RV translates by "to go one's way," e.g., Mat 2:9, "went their way;" Mat 11:7, Mat 24:1, "was going on His way." In the following the RV has the verb "to go," for the AV "depart," Luk 4:42 (latter part of verse); Luk 13:31, Joh 16:7, 2Ti 4:10. In Luk 21:8, "go (after)," is said of disciples or partisans. In some places both AV and RV translate by the verb "to depart," e.g., Mat 19:15, Mat 25:41, Act 5:41, Act 22:21. This verb is to be distinguished from others signifying "to go." It is best rendered, as often as possible, "to go on one's way." See GO, JOURNEY, WALK.

ek, "from," in the Middle and Passive, "to proceed from or forth," more expressive of a definite course than simply "to go forth," is translated "go forth," in Mar 6:11; "went out" in Mat 20:29, RV (AV, "departed"); both have "depart" in Act 25:4. It is frequently translated by the verb "to proceed," and is often best so rendered, e.g., in Rev 1:9,18, RV, for AV, "issued." See COME, No. 33.

* (d) Compounds of choreo.

"to go back, recede, retire" (ana, "back or up," choreo, "to make room for, betake oneself," choros, "a place"), is translated "departed" in Mat 1:2-14, Mat 4:12 (RV, "withdrew"); so in Mat 14:13, Mat 15:21, but "departed" in Mat 27:5; "withdrew" in Joh 6:15. In Mat 2:22 the RV has "withdrew," which is preferable to the AV, "turned aside." The most suitable translation wherever possible, is by the verb "to withdraw." See PLACE, B, No. 1, GO, No. 15, TURN, Note (1), WITHDRAW.

"to depart from" (apo), is so translated in Mat 7:23, Luk 9:39, Act 13:13 (both AV and RV). Some mss. have it in Luk 20:20.

signifies "to depart out" (ek), "to leave a place," Luk 21:21.

* (e) Chorizo and compounds.

"to put apart, separate," means, in the Middle Voice, "to separate oneself, to depart from," Act 1:4, Act 18:2; in marital affairs, 1Co 1:7,11,15; "departed" (RV corrects to "was parted"), Phm 1:15. The verb is also used in Mat 19:6, Mar 10:9, Rom 1:8,39, Heb 7:26. See PUT, No. 14, SEPARATE.

signifies "to separate off" (apo); in the Middle Voice, "to depart from," Act 15:39, AV, "departed asunder;" RV, "parted asunder;" Rev 6:14, RV, "was removed." See PART, REMOVE.

lit., "to separate throughout" (dia), i.e., "completely," in the Middle Voice, "to separate oneself definitely from," is used in Luk 9:33, RV, "were parting from."

* (f) Various other verbs.

lit., "to unloose, undo" (ana, "up, or again"), signifies "to depart," in the sense of "departing" from life, Phi 1:23, a metaphor drawn from loosing moorings preparatory to setting sail, or, according to some, from breaking up an encampment, or from the unyoking of baggage animals. See DEPARTING, No. 1. In Luk 12:36, it has its other meaning, "to return." See RETURN.

"to loose from" (apo), in the Middle Voice, signifies "to depart," Luk 2:29, Act 23:22, RV, "let go;" Act 28:25. See DISMISS.

"to go out" (ex, "out," eimi, "to go"), is rendered "went out" in Act 13:42; in Act 27:43, "got," of mariners getting to shore; in Act 17:15, "departed;" in Act 20:7, "to depart." See GET, GO.

"to make a distinction, to remove, to lift away" (in its transitive sense), is used intransitively in the NT, signifying "to depart," and is said of Christ, in Mat 13:53, Mat 19:1. It could be well translated "removed."

in the Active Voice, used transitively, signifies "to cause to depart, to cause to revolt," Act 5:37; used intransitively, "to stand off, or aloof, or to depart from anyone," Luk 4:13, Luk 13:27, Act 5:38 ("refrain from"); Act 12:10, Act 15:38, Act 19:9, Act 22:29, 2Co 12:8; metaphorically, "to fall away," 2Ti 2:19; in the Middle Voice, "to withdraw or absent oneself from," Luk 2:37; to "apostatize," Luk 8:13, 1Ti 4:1, Heb 3:12, RV, "falling away." See DRAW (away), FALL, No. 14, REFRAIN, WITHDRAW.

lit., "to change from" (apo, "from," allasso, "to change"), is used once of "departing," said of the removal of diseases, Act 19:12. In Heb 2:15 it signifies "to deliver, release." In Luk 12:58, it is used in a legal sense, "to be quit of." See DELIVER.

is rendered "to depart" in Mat 8:34, Mat 11:1, Mat 12:9, Mat 15:29, Joh 7:3, Joh 13:1, Act 18:7.