Quick Definition
I am unfaithful, I disbelieve
Strong's Definition
to be unbelieving, i.e. (transitively) disbelieve, or (by implication) disobey
Derivation: from G571 (ἄπιστος);
KJV Usage: believe not
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
ἀπιστέω, ἀπίστω; (imperfect ἠπίστουν); 1 aorist ἠπίστησα; (ἄπιστος);
1. to betray a trust, be unfaithful: 2Ti_2:13 (opposed to πιστός μένει); Rom_3:3; (others deny this sense in the N. T.; cf. Morison or Meyer on Romans, the passage cited; Ellicott on 2 Timothy, the passage cited).
2. to have no belief, disbelieve: in the news of Christ's resurrection, Mar_16:11; Luk_24:41; with dative of person, Luk_24:11; in the tidings concerning Jesus the Messiah, Mar_16:16 (opposed to πιστεύω) (so 1Pe_2:7 T Tr WH); Act_28:24. (In Greek writings from Homer down.)
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
ἀπιστέω a pisteō 8x
to refuse belief, be incredulous, disbelieve, Mar_16:11 ; Mar_16:16 ; Luk_24:11 ; Luk_24:41 ; Act_28:24 ;
to prove false, violate one s faith, be unfaithful, Rom_3:3 ; 2Ti_2:13
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
** ἀπιστέω , -ῶ
( < ἄπιστος ),
[in LXX : Wis_1:2 ; Wis_10:7 ; Wis_12:17 ; Wis_18:13 , Sir_1:27 , 2Ma_8:13 * ;]
1. to disbelieve, be faithless: Mar_16:11 ; Mar_16:16 , Luk_24:11 ; Luk_24:41 , Act_28:24 , 1Pe_2:7 ; so prob. also Rom_3:3 , 2Ti_2:13 ( ICC , CGT , in ll ; MM , s.v. ).
2. = ἀπειθέω ( Hdt .; on this sense in Ro, 2Ti, ll . c ., v. Vaughan on Ro, l.c .; Lft., Notes , 265; Thayer , s.v. ).†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
ἀπιστέω [page 58]
P Oxy III. 471 .4 (ii/A.D.) π ]ροσθήσω τι κύριε περ [ὶ οὗ ] θαυμάσεις οἶμαι καὶ ἀπι [στήσ ]εις ἕως ἂν τὰ γράμμ [ατα ἀνα ]γνῶν̣μεν (with 2nd ν deleted and μεν written above), I will add a fact, my lord, which will, I expect excite your wonder and disbelief until we read the documents (Edd.). P Oxy II. 237 v. 5 (A.D. 186) has τάχα ἀπιστεύσας εἰ κτλ . : here we must assume a momentary slip of spelling with πιστεύω in mind of course ἀπιστεύω is an impossible word even in papyri. Syll 802 .24 (dialect, iii/B.C.) ἀπίστει τοῖς ἰάμασιν καὶ ὑποδιέσυρε τὰ ἐπιγράμμα [τ ]α , said of a sceptic at the Asclepios temple in Epidaurus. So lines 30, 31 . The appearance of the word for incredulity helps the case for ἀπειθέω as retaining its proper force.
Liddell-Scott — Intermediate Greek Lexicon
ἀπιστέω "to be ἄπιστος", and so, "to disbelieve, distrust, mistrust", c. acc., Od. , Eur. :—Pass. "to be distrusted", Thuc. , Xen. c. dat. pers., Hdt. , attic; ἀπ. τινί τι "to disbelieve" one in a thing, Hdt. ; τινι περί τι id=Hdt. :—absol. "to be distrustful, incredulous", id=Hdt. c. inf. "to doubt that . ." , Soph. ; ἀπ. μὴ γενέσθαι τι "to doubt" that it could be, Thuc. = ἀπειθέω, "to disobey", τινί Hdt. , attic: —absol. "to be disobedient, refuse to comply", Soph. , Eur. τὸ σῶμ᾽ οὐκ ἀπιστήσω χθονί, i. e. "I will not hesitate to commit" it to the earth, Eur.
STEPBible — Tyndale Abridged Greek Lexicon
ἀπιστέω, -ῶ
(ἄπιστος), [in LXX: Wis.1:2 10:7 12:17 18:13, Sir.1:27, 2Ma.8:13 * ;]
__1. to disbelieve, be faithless: Mrk.16:11, 16, Luk.24:11, 41, Act.28:24, 1Pe.2:7; so prob. also Rom.3:3, 2Ti.2:13 (ICC, CGT, in ll; MM, see word).
__2. = ἀπειθέω (Hdt.; on this sense in Ro, 2Ti, ll. with, see Vaughan on Ro, l.with; Lft., Notes, 265; Thayer, see word).†
(AS)
📖 In-Depth Word Study
Not believe (569) apisteo
Did not believe (569) (apisteo from a = without + pistós = believing, faithful) means literally without believing. They refuse to believe and thus are unfaithful. To disbelieve, to doubt or not to acknowledge. To betray a trust. Unbelief is a failure to respond to God with trust (pistis) and at heart shows, not doubt, but rejection
Vine feels that...
“disbelieve” is the best rendering, implying that the unbeliever has had a full opportunity of believing and has rejected it (Vine, W E: Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. 1996. Nelson)
Apisteo is used 6 times in the NAS: (Mark 16:11, Mark 16:16, Luke 24:11, 41 all refer to disbelieving Christ's resurrection, of the Jews listening to Paul's testimony of Christ in Acts 28:24, Ro 3:3, 2Ti 2:13-note; Peter uses apisteo of those who disbelieved and thus rejected the Stone, Christ = 1Peter 2:7-note) and is translated disbelieve, not believe, faithless. Apisteo is not found in the non-apocryphal Septuagint (LXX).
This statement by Paul has a modern day application for the professing church (and for skeptics). The fact that many people today reject the Scriptures, even alleging that the Bible has been disproved by modern science and reason, means nothing. God's Word has been forever settled in Heaven and will endure forever (Ps 119:89-Spurgeon's note, Ps 119:160-Spurgeon's note), even after this present earth has passed away (Mt 24:35). God's revealed Word is absolute truth, and will judge all its detractors in the last day (see notes on Rev 20:12-note; Re 22:18,19-note).
Paul could also be using apisteo in this verse to mean they "were unfaithful". In either case, God remains faithful to His promises. In this verse the Jew raises a second objection. God has made a promise to Abraham to be a God to him and to his seed in all generations. "Shall God's faithfulness be made of none effect, His promise be broken, because a great part of Israel does not believe upon the promised Seed of Abraham, who was to bless all nations?"
Kent Hughes says
This is a strange objection which argues essentially: “Paul, how can you possibly say we Jews have so completely failed in our privileged position and still insist that we are an advantaged people? If we have failed as you insist, God’s Word is powerless and He is unfaithful. (Hughes, K: Preaching the Word: Romans Righteousness from Heaven)
THEIR UNBELIEF WILL NOT NULLIFY (render invalid, inoperative and powerless) THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD: me e apistia auton ten pistin tou theou katargesei (3SFAI): (Ro 11:29; Nu 23:19; 1Sa 15:29; Isa 54:9,10; 55:11; 65:15,16; Jer 33:24, 25, 26; Mt 24:35; 2Ti 2:13; Heb 6:13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18) (faithfulness of God - Ps 84:7; Jn 1:16; 2Cor 3:18; 2Th 1:3; Titus 1:1,2)
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