The Greek word aphanizo occurs five times in the New Testament.  It can mean to remove out of sight, disappear, and vanish away. It is used in reference to a person’s appearance (Matt. 6:16) and where treasures are destroyed (Matt. 6:19-20). It is also used regarding the lives of people in Acts 13:41 and James 4:14, but in these two verses, the context does not tell us if the “perishing” and “vanishing” are annihilation or human death with the continuation of existence afterward. The context of each doesn’t necessitate either option. Therefore, this word cannot be used to prove that annihilationism is true.

• Greek word:  ἀφανίζω, aphanizo
• Meaning:  to remove out of sight, disappear, vanish away
• Strong’s #: G853
• Frequency:  5 occurrences in 5 verses.

Summary of the meaning of the Greek word aphanizo, disappear, in all verses where it occurs in the New Testament.

1. Neglect appearance, 1 occurrence
   1. Matt. 6:16
2. To not exist, 3 occurrences
   1. Matt. 6:19, 20; James 4:14
      1. Treasures on earth, Matt. 6:19
      2. Vapor, James 4:14
3. Perish, 1 occurrence
   1. Acts 13:41

 

TABLE OF ALL NEW TESTAMENT USAGES OF APHANIZO, ἀφανίζω
Address	Verse	Meaning
Matt. 6:16	“Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.”	Neglect
Matt. 6:19	“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.”	To not exist
Matt. 6:20	“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;”	To not exist
Acts 13:41	“BEHOLD, YOU SCOFFERS, AND MARVEL, AND PERISH; FOR I AM ACCOMPLISHING A WORK IN YOUR DAYS, A WORK WHICH YOU WILL NEVER BELIEVE, THOUGH SOMEONE SHOULD DESCRIBE IT TO YOU.’ ””	Perish
James 4:14	“Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.”	To not exist

 

Dictionaries and Lexicons consulted

• “ἀφανίζω aphanízō; fut. aphanísō, from aphanḗs (852), hidden. To remove out of sight. In the pass., to be removed out of sight, disappear, vanish away (James 4:14); metaphorically, to faint with terror, to expire from fear (Acts 13:41 quoted from Hab. 1:5. See Sept.: Ezek. 30:9); to destroy, corrupt, spoil, as does the moth or canker (Matt. 6:19, 20 [cf. Luke 12:33 where diaphtheírō {1311}, destroy utterly, is used]); to deform, disfigure, as the hypocritical Pharisees deformed their countenances when they fasted (Matt. 6:16). The word aphanízō as well as its syn. should never be taken to mean annihilation. Nothing is annihilated but simply changes from one state to another. Destruction means the cessation of being what a person or thing is and taking another form of existence.
  Deriv.: aphanismós (854), disappearance.
  • Zodhiates, Spiros. The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament. Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2000, underline added
• “ἀφανίζω: to destroy the value or use of something—‘to destroy, to completely ruin.’ θησαυροὺς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ὅπου σὴς καὶ βρῶσις ἀφανίζει ‘treasures on earth where moth and tarnish destroy”
  • Louw, Johannes P., and Eugene Albert Nida. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains. New York: United Bible Societies, 1996.
• “ἀφανίζω [aphanizo /af·an·id·zo/] v. From 852; GK 906; Five occurrences; AV translates as “corrupt” twice, “disfigure” once, “perish” once, and “vanish away” once. 1 to snatch out of sight, to put out of view, to make unseen. 2 to cause to vanish away, to destroy, consume. 3 to deprive of lustre, render unsightly. 3A to disfigure.”
  • Strong, James. Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship, 1995.

 

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