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G236 ἀλλάσσω (allássō)
Greek 📖 Word Study
Verb
‹ G235 Greek Dictionary G237 ›

Quick Definition

I change, alter

Strong's Definition

to make different

Derivation: from G243 (ἄλλος);

KJV Usage: change

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

ἀλλάσσω: future ἀλλάζω; 1 aorist ἤλλαξα; 2 future passive ἀλλαγήσομαι; (ἄλλος); (from Aeschylus down); to change: to cause one thing to cease and another to take its place, τά ἔθη, Act_6:14; τήν φωνήν to vary the voice, i. e., to speak in a different manner according to the different conditions of minds, to adapt the matter and form of discourse to mental moods, to treat them now severely, now gently, Gal_4:20 (but see Meyer at the passage), to exchange one thing for another: τί ἐν τίνι, Rom_1:23 (αΐΜ δΕξΔιψ Psa_105:20 (); the Greeks say ἀλλάσσειν τί τίνος (cf. Winers Grammar, 206 (194), 388 (363) Vaughan on Romans, the passage cited)), to transform: 1Co_15:51; Heb_1:12. (Compare: ἀπαλλάσσω, διαλλάσσω, καταλλάσσω, ἀποκαταλλάσσω, μεταλλάσσω, συναλλάσσω.)

Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary

ἀλλάσσω allassō 6x to change, alter, transform, Act_6:14 ; Rom_1:23 ; 1Co_15:51-52 ; Gal_4:20 ; Heb_1:12

Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon

ἀλλάσσω ( <ἄλλος ), [in LXX chiefly for H2498 , H4171 hi ., etc.;] 1. to change: Act_6:14 , Gal_4:20 . 2. to transform: 1Co_15:51-52 , Heb_1:12 . 3. to exchange: c . acc , seq . ἐν ( = בּΐ , Psa_106:20 ) instead of simple gen . (Bl., § 36, 8), Rom_1:23 ( cf. ἀπ -, δι -, κατ -, ἀπο -κατ -, μετ -, συν -αλλάσσω ; v. MM , VGT , s.v. ).†

Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT

ἀλλάσσω [page 22] As so often happens, the simple verb (MGr ἀλλάζω ) is outnumbered greatly by its compounds. We may cite Syll 178 14, .22 (iv/B.C.) κεκτῆσθαι καὶ ἀλλάσσεσθαι καὶ ἀποδόσθαι , P Oxy IV. 729 43 (A.D. 137) ἐὰν δὲ αἱρώμεθα ἀλλάσσειν κτήνη ἢ πωλεῖν ἔξεσται ἡμεῖν , P Lips I. 107 .3 (middle iii/A.D.) ἀλλάξας τὸν λόγον , BGU IV. 1141 41, 44 (Augustus), where a πορφυρᾶ has been bartered, P Oxy IV. 729 43 (A.D. 137) in association with πωλεῖν . In P Tebt I. 124 31 ( c. B.C. 118) ἠλλαγμένοι seems to be equivalent to ἀπηλλαγμένοι rather than to have the meaning exchange (Edd.). An illiterate papyrus of A.D. 75 may be cited for the construction : BGU II. 597 10 ἀλλαξέτω σε αὐτὸν ( sc. a sack of wheat) Πασίων καλοῖς σπέρμασει . Σέ here is we suppose for σοί : the dative σπέρμασι reminds us of the NT ἐν ὁμοιώματι ( Rom_1:23 , from LXX), since the addition of ἐν to a dative is nothing out of the way. (Of course we are not questioning the influence of literal translation here.) The verb is also found in the fragment of the uncanonical Gospel, P Oxy V. 840 .17 ff. τοῦτο τὸ ἱερὸν τ [όπον ὄν ]τα καθαρόν , ὃν οὐδεὶς ἄ [λλος εἰ μὴ ] λουσάμενος καὶ ἀλλά [ξας τὰ ἐνδύ ]ματα πατεῖ . For the substantive, see P Eleph 14 .9 (late iii/B.C.) τὴν εἰθισμένην ἀλλαγήν : it is fairly common.

Liddell-Scott — Intermediate Greek Lexicon

ἀλλάσσω [Etym: ἄλλος] "to make other than it is, to change, alter", Eur. , Plat. , etc. ἀλλ. τί τινος "to give in exchange for, barter" one thing for another, Aesch. ; τι ἀντί τινος Eur. : so in Mid., Thuc. "to repay, requite", φόνον φονεῦσιν Eur. "to give up, leave, quit", οὐράνιον φῶς Soph. "to take" one thing "for" another, κάκιον τοὐσθλοῦ Theogn. ; ἀλλ. θνητὸν εἶδος "to assume" mortal form, Eur. :—Mid., ἀλλάσσεσθαι τί τινος one thing "for" another, εὐδαιμονίας Hdt. , etc.:—hence, "to buy", τι ἀντ᾽ ἀργυρίου Plat. "to interchange, alternate", σκῆπτρ᾽ ἀλλάσσων ἔχειν to enjoy power "in turn", Eur. :—Pass., ἀρεταὶ ἀλλασσόμεναι "in turns", Pind.

STEPBible — Tyndale Abridged Greek Lexicon

ἀλλάσσω (ἄλλος), [in LXX chiefly for חָלַף, מוּר hi., etc. ;] __1. to change: Act.6:14, Gal.4:20. __2. to transform: 1Co.15:51-52, Heb.1:12. __3. to exchange: with accusative, before ἐν (= בְּ, Psa.106:20) instead of simple genitive (Bl., § 36, 8), Rom.1:23 (cf. ἀπ-, δι-, κατ-, ἀπο-κατ-, μετ-, συν-αλλάσσω; see MM, VGT, see word).† (AS)

📖 In-Depth Word Study

Change (exchange) (236) allasso

Exchanged (236) (allasso from állos = other, another) has the literally meaning of to make otherwise. The basic sense is “to make other than it is." It means to to change, to cause one thing to cease and another to take its place, to exchange one thing for another. To make something different. To alter. Allasso is used 6 times in the NT - Acts 6:14 (changing the customs of the law); Ro 1:23-note; 1Co 15:51, 52 (speaking of our future "change" of our bodies, exchanging "earth suits" for "heavenly suits"! = glorification); Gal 4:20 (change tone of speaking); Heb 1:12-note (speaking of changing of creation as we now know it). Allasso is translated in the NAS - alter(1), change(1), changed(3), exchanged(1) Allasso is used 28 times in the Septuagint (LXX) - Ge. 31:7; 35:2; 41:14; Ex 13:13; Lev. 27:10, 27, 33; Jdg 14:13; 2Sa 12:20; 1Ki. 5:14; 20:25; 2Ki. 5:5, 22, 23; Ezra 6:11, 12; Neh 9:26; Ps 102:26; 106:20; Is 24:5; 40:31; 41:1; Je 2:11; 13:23; 52:33; Da 4:16, 25, 32 Notice the fallen flesh never improves, for ancient Israel (cp 1Cor 10:6, 11), chosen by God and privileged to have access to His holiness (Shekinah glory cloud would or should have been an ever present reminder of His holy presence) and His holy Word fell prey to the wooing of the corrupt nature that is opposed to God and ever seeks us to make this "bad exchange"... They made a calf in Horeb, And worshiped a molten image. 20 Thus they exchanged (Heb = muwr/mur = alter, barter, dispose of, exchange; Lxx = allasso) their glory For the image of an ox that eats grass. 21 They forgot God their Savior, Who had done great things in Egypt, 22 Wonders in the land of Ham, And awesome things by the Red Sea. 23 Therefore He said that He would destroy them, Had not Moses His chosen one stood in the breach before Him, To turn away His wrath from destroying them. 24 Then they despised the pleasant land; They did not believe in His word, 25 But grumbled in their tents; They did not listen to the voice of the LORD. 26 Therefore He swore to them, That He would cast them down in the wilderness, 27 And that He would cast their seed among the nations, And scatter them in the lands. 28 They joined themselves also to Baal-peor, And ate sacrifices offered to the dead.29 Thus they provoked Him to anger with their deeds; And the plague broke out among them. (Ps 106:19-29-note) Webster says that exchange is the act of giving or taking one thing in return for another" or "the act or process of substituting one thing for another. The aorist tense indicates that this is a historical fact, a past completed action. The active voice indicates that men volitionally or willfully choose to make this unspeakably tragic exchange. God did not force men into this act. It did not happen by accident but by choice. Men could not actually change the glory of God into anything. His glory is immutable. They made an exchange like Israel at Mt Horeb (while Moses was on the mountain) They made a calf in Horeb & worshiped a molten image. Thus they exchanged (Septuagint uses very same Greek verb allasso) their glory for the image of an ox that eats grass (Ps 106:20). The Septuagint also uses allasso in Jer 2:11 (twice in this verse) Has a nation changed gods When they were not gods ? But My people have changed their glory for that which does not profit. Notice that this exchange does not bring about evolution, but devolution (degeneration, a passing onwards or downwards from one stage to another). Man is not progressing but regressing, going backwards, not forwards. The direction is not man going up, up up, but it is man going down, down, down. Man is not man getting better and better but getting worse and worse. Man is not man reaching the heights, but is plummeting to the depths.

Bible Occurrences (6)

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