What does ἐξαπατάω (exapatáō) mean in the Bible?
Exapataō means to deceive or lead into serious error. Its six governed uses name different deceivers, means, and dangers.
Greek · G1818
ἐξαπατάω
To seduce wholly
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ἐξαπατάω G1818
Pronunciation exapatáō
What does ἐξαπατάω (exapatáō) mean in the Bible?
Exapataō means to deceive or lead into serious error. Its six governed uses name different deceivers, means, and dangers.
Reader summary
Full entry for ἐξαπατάω (G1818) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G1818?
The BSB source-word alignment has 6 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include deceive (2), [who] was deceived (1), deceived (1), they deceive (1), was deceived (1).
Where does ἐξαπατάω (exapatáō) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Romans 7:11. Its strongest book concentrations include Romans (2), 1 Corinthians (1), 1 Timothy (1), 2 Corinthians (1).
What This Word Actually Means
Exapataō means to deceive or lead into serious error. Its six governed uses name different deceivers, means, and dangers. Romans 7:11 says sin seized opportunity through the commandment, deceived Paul, and through it put him to death. Romans 16:18 warns that smooth talk and flattery deceive the hearts of the naive. First Corinthians 3:18 commands readers not to deceive themselves about worldly wisdom.
Second Corinthians 11:3 recalls the serpent deceiving Eve while warning that the church's minds may be led away from sincere and pure devotion to Christ. Second Thessalonians 2:3 warns against deception concerning the day of the Lord. First Timothy 2:14 applies the verb to Eve within Paul's argument about Adam, Eve, transgression, teaching, and order. The verb identifies deception, but the passage must establish the deceiver, content, vulnerability, consequence, and pastoral response.
How the Bible Uses It
The six governed G1818 uses cover deception by sin, false teachers, self-estimation, the serpent, eschatological claims, and the Genesis transgression.
- Rom.7.11
For sin, seizing its opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through the commandment put me to death.
Sin is the deceiving agent and exploits the commandment within Paul's account of sin and death.
- Rom.16.18
By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.
Paul identifies persuasive speech as the means by which divisive teachers deceive the unsuspecting.
- 1Cor.3.18
Let no one deceive himself. If any of you thinks he is wise in this age, he should become a fool, so that he may become wise.
Self-deception concerns claiming wisdom according to the standards of the present age.
- 2Cor.11.3
I am afraid, however, that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may be led astray from your simple and pure devotion to Christ.
The Genesis comparison serves Paul's concern that the church may be led from sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
- 2Thess.2.3
Let no one deceive you in any way, for it will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction.
The warning concerns claims about the day of the Lord and is governed by the sequence Paul states.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It deceive 2× 1 Corinthians 3:18, 2 Thessalonians 2:3
[who] was deceived 1× 1 Timothy 2:14
deceived 1× Romans 7:11
they deceive 1× Romans 16:18
was deceived 1× 2 Corinthians 11:3
Show sample aligned rows
Romans 7:11 ἐξηπάτησέν to deceived Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Romans 16:18 ἐξαπατῶσιν to they deceive Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural 1 Corinthians 3:18 ἐξαπατάτω to deceive Verb - Present Imperative Active - 3rd Person Singular 2 Corinthians 11:3 ἐξηπάτησεν to was deceived Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular 2 Thessalonians 2:3 ἐξαπατήσῃ to deceive Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular 1 Timothy 2:14 ἐξαπατηθεῖσα to [who] was deceived Verb - Aorist Participle Passive - Nominative Feminine Singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Romans 7:11
Aligned rows 6
Books represented 5
Romans 2 1 Corinthians 1 2 Corinthians 1 2 Thessalonians 1 1 Timothy 1
Source forms
ἐξαπατάτω 1x exapatatō 1 Corinthians 3:18
ἐξαπατηθεῖσα 1x exapatētheisa 1 Timothy 2:14
ἐξαπατήσῃ 1x exapatēsē 2 Thessalonians 2:3
ἐξαπατῶσιν 1x exapatōsin Romans 16:18
ἐξηπάτησεν 1x exēpatēsen 2 Corinthians 11:3
ἐξηπάτησέν 1x exēpatēsen Romans 7:11
Parsing patterns
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular 2x Romans 7:11, 2 Corinthians 11:3
Verb - Aorist Participle Passive - Nominative Feminine Singular 1x 1 Timothy 2:14
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular 1x 2 Thessalonians 2:3
Verb - Present Imperative Active - 3rd Person Singular 1x 1 Corinthians 3:18
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural 1x Romans 16:18
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Test persuasive claims by Scripture, context, allegiance to Christ, and observable fruit.
- Correct deception without humiliating those who were misled or making vulnerability a permanent identity.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim that all persuasive speech is deceptive.
- Do not claim that women are inherently more gullible because Eve was deceived.
- Do not claim that every disputed eschatological interpretation is deliberate deception.
Evidence Summary
Greek word. Complete or thorough deception, intensified form emphasizing total seduction rather than mere misleading
Strong's G1818
Lexical occurrences 6 verses Greek text appearances 5 times Word forms 4 forms 6 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Romans 7:7-13 Source Gloss
to seduce wholly
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
5 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Romans 7:11 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Active Indicative
ἐξηπάτησέ exhpathsen
I deceive thoroughly
Read verse Romans 16:18 Verb Third Person Plural Present Active Indicative
ἐξαπατῶσι exapatwsin
I deceive thoroughly
Read verse 1 Corinthians 3:18 Verb Third Person Singular Present Active Imperative
ἐξαπατάτω· exapatatw
I deceive thoroughly
Read verse 2 Corinthians 11:3 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Active Indicative
ἐξηπάτησεν exhpathsen
I deceive thoroughly
Read verse 2 Thessalonians 2:3 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Active Subjunctive
ἐξαπατήσῃ exapathsh
I deceive thoroughly
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
Grammatical Forms
How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 4 Aligned forms 6 Tenses Aorist, Present Voices Active, Passive
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Tenses
Voices
Indicative states a fact or reality 3×
Aorist Active Rom 7:11 · 2 Cor 11:3 2×
Present Active Rom 16:18 1×
Imperative command or strong request 1×
Present Active 1 Cor 3:18 1×
Subjunctive possibility, probability, or purpose 1×
Aorist Active 2 Thess 2:3 1×
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 1×
Aorist Passive 1 Tim 2:14 1×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 6 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect
Tense
aorist 4 present 2
Voice
active 5 passive 1
Mood
indicative 3 imperative 1 participle 1 subjunctive 1
NT Occurrences
Romans 7:11 ἐξηπάτησέν aorist active indicative completed Romans 16:18 ἐξαπατῶσι present active indicative ongoing 1 Corinthians 3:18 ἐξαπατάτω present active imperative imperative 2 Corinthians 11:3 ἐξηπάτησεν aorist active indicative completed 2 Thessalonians 2:3 ἐξαπατήσῃ aorist active subjunctive subjunctive 1 Timothy 2:14 ἐξαπατηθεῖσα aorist passive participle participle
Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.
Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
New Testament Witnesses
To deceive thoroughly.
Showing 1 selected witness from 6 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
ἐξαπατάω is built from these roots:
Why This Word Matters
Highlights sin’s deceptive strategy in using the commandment to bring death. Romans 7:7-13
For the Preacher and Teacher
G1818 shows deception working through more than explicit lies. Sin can exploit something good, flattering speech can disguise divisive motives, people can deceive themselves about wisdom, and religious claims can unsettle a church about the day of the Lord. Paul also uses Eve's deception as a warning about minds being led from sincere devotion to Christ and within his instruction in First Timothy.
These passages call for humility, doctrinal attention, and tested speech, not suspicion toward every question or disagreement. A leader who labels critics deceived without answering from Scripture can imitate the manipulation the warnings oppose. Churches should examine claims, agents, methods, and fruit while caring for those who have been misled. Deception is serious, but restoration should seek truth, repentance, safety, and renewed devotion to Christ rather than humiliation or gender-based contempt.
Anchor passage
2Cor.11.3
Doctrinal connections
- Romans 7:7-13 distinguishes the holy commandment from sin that exploits it to deceive and kill.
- Romans 16:17-20 joins deception by smooth speech to divisiveness, obedience, wisdom, and God's promised victory.
- First Corinthians 3:18-23 contrasts worldly wisdom with belonging to Christ.
- Second Corinthians 11:1-4 joins Eve's deception to rival teaching and devotion to Christ.
- Second Thessalonians 2:1-12 governs deception about the day of the Lord within stated events and love of truth.
- First Timothy 2:13-15 invokes creation and transgression within a passage requiring careful whole-context interpretation.
Active, middle, subjunctive, and passive forms distribute agency differently. Grammar and complements identify sin, teachers, the self, the serpent, or an unspecified deceiver rather than treating deception as an abstract force.
From Old to New Testament
Genesis 3 is an explicit background in Second Corinthians and First Timothy. Other canonical deception themes may support synthesis only when their agents and claims remain distinct.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain