Quick Definition
ἀφίστημι v. I lead away, seduce, depart, abstain from
Strong's Definition
from 575 and 2476; to remove, i.e. (actively) instigate to revolt; usually (reflexively) to desist, desert, etc.
KJV Usage: depart, draw (fall) away, refrain, withdraw self
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
verb | ἵστημι
39.41 · Hostility, Strife · Rebellion
to incite to revolt, to cause to rebel to cause people to rebel against or to reject authority
15.51 · (ἀφίσταμαι[a]) · Linear Movement · Leave, Depart, Flee, Escape, Send
to go away, to depart, to leave to move away from, with emphasis upon separation and possible lack of concern for what has been left
LUK 2:37 · LUK 4:13 · LUK 13:27 · ACT 12:10 · ACT 15:38 · ACT 19:9 · ACT 22:29 · 2CO 12:8 · 2TI 2:19
34.26 · (ἀφίσταμαι[b]) · Association · Join, Begin To Associate
to fall away, to forsake, to turn away to abandon a former relationship or association, or to dissociate (a type of reversal of beginning to associate)
34.41 · (ἀφίσταμαι[c]) · 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
1 The meanings of παραπίπτω, ἐκπίπτω[c], ἀποστρέφομαι[b], and ἀφίσταμαι[b] appear to focus upon the initial aspects of dissociation. As such, they constitute a reversal of the process of joining or beginning to associate. 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.
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
ἀφίστημι aphistēmi 14x
trans. to put away, separate; to draw off or away, withdraw, induce to revolt, Acts 5:37; intrans., and mid., to depart, go away from, Lk. 2:37; met. to desist or refrain from, let alone, Acts 5:38; 22:29; 2 Cor. 12:8; to make defection, fall away, apostatize, Lk. 8:13; 1 Tim. 4:1; Heb. 3:12; to withdraw from, have no intercourse with, 1 Tim. 6:5; to abstain from, 2 Tim. 2:19
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
ἀφ-ίστημι,
[in LXX for סור, מעל, etc. (41 words in all);]
trans. in pres., impf., fut., 1 aor., to put away, lead away; metaph., to move to revolt: Ac 5:37.
Intrans. in pf., plpf., 2 aor., to stand off, depart from, withdraw from: c. gen., Lk 2:37; seq. ἀπό, Lk 4:13 13:27, Ac 5:38 12:10 15:38 19:9 22:29, II Co 12:8; metaph., ἀπὸ ἀδικίας, II Ti 2:19; ἀπὸ θεοῦ, (fall away, apostatize), He 3:12. Mid. (exc. 1 aor., wh. is trans.), to withdraw oneself from, absent oneself from: Lk 2:37; metaph., fall away, apostatize: absol., Lk 8:13; c. gen., I Ti 4:1 (MM, s.v.; Cremer, 308).†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
ἀφίστημι. The transitive tenses recur in formulz upon contracts of sale, etc. : the vendor is to ‘‘repel” any claimant or trespasser. Thus BGU IV. 112719 (B.c. 18) καὶ πάντα τὸν ἐπελευσόμενον ἢ ἐμποησόμενον αὐτὸν A. ἀφιστάσιν παραχρῆϊμα τοῖς ἰδίοις δαπανή]μασιν. Generally it is ἀποστήσειν, as P. M. Meyer notes on P Giss J. 512°, where is a list of instances. Cf. P Lond 357 (B.c. 146 or 135) (=I., Ρ- 46) ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ἀποστήσωι, ἀποστήσω ἐπάναγκον, “if I do not repel him, I will do so under compulsion’’ (Ed.). In P Par 59° (8.6. 160) (= Witkowski?, p. 75) τὸν λόγον τῶν χαλκῶν (sc. λαβέ)" ἀπέστηκα (δραχμὰς) ἢ ἀργυρίου (δραχμὰς) Δσξ, Grenfell-Hunt-Smyly and Wilcken suspect a mistake for ἀπέσχηκα : Witkowski objects that ἀπέχω would have been enough, and would render ‘‘solutum accepi.” But ἀπέσχηκα is quitecommon. Witkowski shows that even in Homer ἀφίσταμαι could mean ‘‘solvo pecuniam debitam.” It also means ‘‘renounce a claim to” or ‘‘ give up occupation of,” etc., c. ger. vez, with or without ἀπό: thus in P Grenf IT, 28° (B.c. 103) ἀφίσταται Σεννῆσις.. . . ἀπὸ τῆς ἐωνημένης ὑπ᾽ αὐτῆς παρὰ IlereapoepOlws . . .
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
ἀφίστημι (aphistēmi) — to leave. ἀφίστημι: causal in present and imperfect, in future ἀποστήσω, and aorist I ἀπέστησα, as also in aorist I middle (see. below):—put away, remove, keep out of the way, τὸ ἀσθενέστατον τοῦ στρατεύματος[Refs 5th c.BC+]; of diseases, [Refs 5th c.BC+]hinder from.., [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἀ. τὰς τῶν πολεμίων ἐπιβουλάς frustrate them, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἀ. τὸν ἄρχοντα depose him, [Refs 5th c.BC+] —aorist middle, Ἀργείων δόρυ πυλῶν ἀπεστήσασθε remoued it from your own gates, [Refs 5th c.BC+], having retired.
2. cause to revolt, of allies, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
3. in geometrical constructions, cut off, [Refs 5th c.AD+]
II. weigh out, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; pay, δραχμὰς ή ἀργυρίου[Refs 2nd c.BC+]aorist I middle, μὴ.. ἀποστήσωνται Ἀχαιοὶ χρεῖος lest they weigh out (i. e. pay in full) the debt, [Refs 8th c.BC+] —in strict sense of middle, ἀποστήσασθαι τὸν χαλκόν to have the brass weighed out to one, [Refs 8th c.BC+]
III. middle, give a final decision (or break up, dismiss the assembly), ῥήτρα cited in [Refs 1st c.AD+] __B intransitive, in passive, as also in aorist 2 ἀπέστην, imperative ἀπόστηθι[Refs 5th c.BC+]perfect ἀφέστηκα in present sense, syncopated. in plural ἀφέστᾰμεν, -στᾰτε, -στᾶσι, as in infinitive ἀφεστάναι, participle ἀφεστώς, -ῶσα, -ός or -ώς: pluperfect ἀφεστήκειν, Attic dialect -κη[Refs 5th c.BC+]: future middle ἀποστήσομαι[Refs 5th c.BC+]aorist I middle is causal (see. above)): for future ἀφεστήξω see entry .:—stand away or aloof from, keep far from, ὅσσον δὲ τροχοῦ ἵππος ἀφίσταται[Refs 8th c.BC+]; ὡς γραφεὺς (or βραβεὺς) ἀποσταθείς[Refs 5th c.BC+] lose one's wits, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; οὐδενὸς ἀποστήσονται ὅσα ἂν δίκαια λέγητε depart from, object to right proposals, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἀ. ἀρχῆς to be deposed from office, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; simply, resign, [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; ἀ. τῶν πραγμάτων, τῆς πολιτείας, etc., withdraw from business, politics, have done with it, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; ἔργων ἢ πόνων ἢ κινδύνων shun them, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ὧν εἷλεν ἀποστάς giving up all claim to what he had won (at law), [Refs 4th c.BC+]; τὴν πολιτείαν.. τὴν ἀφεστηκυῖαν τοῦ μέσου πλεῖον further removed from.., [Refs 4th c.BC+]; ἀ. ἐκ Σικελίας withdraw from the island, give up the expedition, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; retire, ἐς Ἰθώμην[Refs]: rarely c.accusative, avoid, shrink from, τὸν ἥλιον[Refs 5th c.BC+] __B.2 in Prose, ἀ. ἀπό τινος revolt from.., [Refs 5th c.BC+]: absolutely, revolt, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ὑπό τινος at his instigation, [Refs 5th c.BC+] __B.3 ἀ. τινί make way for another, give way to him, [Refs 5th c.BC+] __B.4 with genitive, shrink from, τῶν κινδύνων[Refs 5th c.BC+]: also with infinitive, shrink from doing, ἀπέστην τοῦτ᾽ ἐρωτῆσαι σαφῶς[Refs 5th c.BC+] __B.5 absolutely, stand aloof, recoil from fear, horror, etc., τίπτε καταπτώσσοντες ἀφέστατ;[Refs 8th c.BC+]; desist, μὴ νῦν -ώμεθα[Refs 5th c.BC+]a runaway, [Refs 5th c.BC+] __B.6 in Medicine texts, ἀφίσταται, ={ἀπόστασις γίγνεται, εἰς ἄρθρα} [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἀ. ὀστέον exfoliates, [Refs]; also ἀ. ἀπὸ τῶν ὀστῶν[Refs 5th c.BC+]; also, project, stand out, ὦτα ἀφεστηκότα[Refs 1st c.BC+] __B.6.b to be separated by the formation of an abscess, [Refs 2nd c.AD+] (also in active, τὸ πύον ἀφίστησι 7.715).