Quick Definition
παραιτέομαι v. I make excuse, refuse, reject
Strong's Definition
from 3844 and the middle voice of 154; to beg off, i.e. deprecate, decline, shun
KJV Usage: avoid, (make) excuse, intreat, refuse, reject
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
verb | impf. παρῃτούμην · pf.ptc. παρῃτημένος | αἰτέω
33.163 · Communication · Ask For, Request
to ask for, to demand, to plead for to ask for with urgency, even to the point of demanding
27.60 · Learn · Be Ready To Learn, Pay Attention
to refuse to pay attention to, to avoid, to pay no attention to to not pay attention to
34.35 · Association · Belong To, Be Included in the Membership of, Be Excluded From
to refuse to accept, to reject to refuse to accept one into a particular association A strictly literal translation of παραιτέομαι in this context might be misunderstood, since it could suggest that younger widows were to be rejected from membership in the church. It may therefore be necessary to specify the particular relationships by translating ‘but do not accept younger widows in the list of those to receive support from the church.’
34.41 · Association · Limit or Avoid Association
to shun, to avoid, to keep away from, to have nothing to do with purposely to avoid association with someone
36.27 · Guide, Discipline, Follow · Obey, Disobey
to refuse to listen, to refuse to obey, disobedience to refuse to listen to and hence to disobey It would be a mistake to translate παρακούω[a], παρακοή, and παραιτέομαι[e] as meaning nothing more than ‘not to listen to.’ The meaning is clearly ‘to refuse to listen to’ or ‘to refuse to pay attention to,’ and hence ‘to disobey.’ It may therefore be best in a number of instances to translate ‘to refuse to obey.’
1 It is possible that παραιτέομαι[a] differs somewhat from αἰτέω, both in intensity as well as in focusing upon the source from which the grant is to be made. 2 There are probably certain differences of meaning in the terms in 34.41, but without more distinctive contexts, it is difficult to determine the precise areas of meaning.
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
παρ-αιτέομαι, -οὔμαι, impy. pres. παραιτοῦ ; [impf. 3 pers. plur. παρῃτοῦντο, Mk. xv. 6 T WH Tr mrg., where al. ὅνπερ ἡτοῦντο (q. v.)]; 1 aor. παρῃτησάμην ; pf. pass. ptep. παρητημένος with a pass. signif.; fr. Aeschyl. and Pind. down; 1. prop.to ask alongside (wapa[IV.1]), beg to have near one; to obtain by entreaty ; to beg from, to ask for, supplicate: [Mk. xv. 6 (see above) ]. 2. to avert (mapa aside [see mapa, IV. 1]) by entreaty or seek to avert, to deprecate ; a. prop. foll. by μή and ace. w. inf. [to intreat that... not], Heb. xii. 19 (Thue. 5, 63) ; cf. W. 604 (561); [Β. § 148, 13]. b. i.q. to refuse, decline: τὸ ἀποθανεῖν, Acts xxv. 11 (θανεῖν οὐ παραι-
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
παραιτέομαι paraiteomai 12x
to entreat; to beg off, excuse one’s self, Lk. 14:18, 19; to deprecate, entreat against, Acts 25:11; Heb. 12:19; to decline receiving, refuse, reject, 1 Tim. 4:7; 5:11; Tit. 3:10; Heb. 12:25; to decline, avoid, shun, 2 Tim. 2:23
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
παρ-αιτέομαι, -οῦμαι,
[in LXX for בּקשׁ pi., etc.;]
to beg of or from another: Mk 15:6 (Rec. ὅνπερ ᾐτοῦντο, v. Field, Notes, 43).
to deprecate; prop., c. neg., to entreat that not (Thuc., al.): He 12:19;
to refuse, decline, avoid: o. acc., I Ti 4:7 5:11, II Ti 2:23, Tit 3:10, He 12:25 (EV; but v. Field, Notes, 234).
to beg off, ask to be excused, excuse (Polyb., al.) : Lk 14:18, 19 (He 12:25, Field, Notes, 234).†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
παραιτέομαι, “request,” ‘‘entreat,’’ is found in P Petr II. 38 (ἡ 48 (Ptol.) παραιτεῖσθαι] κ[ατα]πλεῖν eis [᾿Αλε]ξανδρεί[αν : cf. Mk 15° ABN (but see Field Vo/es, p. 43), Heb 1219, For the meaning ‘‘beg off from,” as in Heb 1235 (cf. Field Notes, p. 234), cf. BGU IV 1040 (ii/A.D.) τοὺς mpdkt[lopa]s π[αρ]αιτῖσθαι, ‘‘ to beg off from the factors.”’ Hence the stronger sense ‘‘ refuse,” “decline” (1 Tim 47, 511; cf. Aristeas 184), in P Lond 12313 (Α. Ὁ. 144) (=III. p. 108) παραιτούμενοι τὴν εἰς τὸ μ[έϊλλον with reference to “resigning ” a lease of land, and BGU II. 6258 (beg. iii/a.p.) (as amended Chrest. I. p. 37) γείνωσκε, ἄδελφε, ἐκληρώθην (Eph 11) els τὰ Bovxddta: οὐκ ἠδυνόμην παρετῆσε (1. ἠδυνάμην παραιτήσασθαι). In an edict of Germanicus Caesar, Preisigke 3924°7 (A.D. 19), παραιτοῦμαι is directly contrasted with ἀποδέχομαι. See also the letter of the Emperor Claudius to the Alexandrines, P Lond 1912*® (A.D. 41) apx{t}tepéa δ᾽ ἐμὸν καὶ ναῶν κατασκευὰς παρετοῦμε (/. Tapatrodpat), “1 deprecate, however, the appointment of a high-priest to me and the erection of temples ’’ (Bell).
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
παραιτέομαι (paraiteomai) — to refuse/excuse. παραιτ-έομαι, beg of or from another, ask as a favour of him, τινά τι [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τι [Refs 5th c.BC+]: with infinitive added, ἓν δ᾽ αὐτοὺς παραιτησώμεθα, ἐπίδηλον ἡμῖν.. ποιεῖν, ἢν τοῖς ἔπεσι χαίρωσι [Refs 5th c.BC+]: with infinitive for accusative, θεοὺς παραιτοῦ τῶν σ᾽ ἔρως ἔχει τυχεῖν [Refs 4th c.BC+]; Προμηθέα -εῖται Ἐπιμηθεὺς αὐτὸς νεῖμαι asks P. for permission to.., [Refs 5th c.BC+]
2. παραιτησάμενος βασιλέα having obtained the king's leave, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: generally, intercede with, appeal to a person, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; π. σφέας, ὡς ἄξουσι.. entreating them and saying that.., [Refs 5th c.BC+]: with double accusative, beg one's pardon for.., σὲ παραιτοῦμαι τάδε [Refs 5th c.BC+]
3. with accusative et infinitive, entreat one to.., [Refs 5th c.BC+]; παραιτήσομαι δ᾽ ὑμᾶς μηδὲν ἀχθεσθῆναί μοι [Refs 4th c.BC+]: with genitive person et infinitive, beg of.., παραιτήσῃ πατρὸς φυγὰς ἀφεῖναι [Refs 5th c.BC+]: with infinitive only, π. μηδὲν τούτων δρᾶν [Refs 5th c.BC+]
II. with accusative of things, avert by entreaty, deprecate, τὴν ὀργήν [NT+4th c.BC+]
II.2. decline, deprecate, χάριν [NT+5th c.BC+]; π. [τὰ ὦτα] refuse to hear, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; refuse, βρώσεις [Refs 3rd c.AD+]infinitive, παλιλλογεῖν παρῄτηται [Refs 8th c.BC+]; also τοὺς πολλοὺς χαρακτῆρας παρῃτημέναι εἰσὶν αἱ ἀντωνυμίαι do not admit.., [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; reject a theory, interpretation, or M[Refs 5th c.BC+]; except, [Refs]; reject the use of, avoid, τὴν λογικήν [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
II.2. b demand exemption from, τὴν εἰς τὸ μέλλον γεωργίαν [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; ἀρχήν [Refs 3rd c.AD+]
II.3. with accusative person, ask him to excuse one, decline his invitation, [Refs 2nd c.BC+]; παραιτησάμενος Ἔφορον, Latin pace Ephori, [NT]passive, ἔχε με παρῃτημένον[Refs]
II.4. π. γυναῖκα divorce her, [Refs 1st c.AD+]; π. οἰκέτην dismiss him, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]:—passive, τὴν παραίτησιν ᾗ παρὰ τοῦ Καρακάλλου παρῄτητο [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
II.5. of medicines, relieve, ναυσίαν [Refs 1st c.AD+]
III. with accusative person, intercede for, beg off, especially from punishment, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; Θεσσαλοὺς τοῦ Μηδισμοῦ π. excuse them from the charge of Medism, [Refs 5th c.BC+]