ἀποδημέω

ἀποδημέω 1 aor. ἀπεδήμησα (s. ἀπόδημος; Pind., Hdt. et al.; ins, pap; Ezk 19:3 A; TestJos 3:5) lit. ‘be away from one’s deme’ (a district in a city-state); opp. ἐνδημέω (cp. [ἐνδημῶν καὶ] ἀπ[οδημῶν] Mitt-Wilck. II/2, 284, 3 [II B.C.]).

① to travel away from one’s domicile, go on a journey εἰς (PSI 436, 2 [248 B.C.]; 413, 24f) χώραν μακράν to a distant country Lk 15:13. Abs. (PSI 416, 3 [III B.C.]; Jos., Ant. 6, 227, C. Ap. 2, 259) Mt 21:33; 25:15; Mk 12:1; Lk 20:9. ἄνθρωπος ἀποδημῶν a man who was about to go on a journey Mt 25:14 (related imagery Epict. 4, 1, 58 of a slave’s master who ἀποδημεῖ but ἥξει); sim. Hs 5, 2, 2.—Fig., euphem. ἀ. τῆς σαρκός be absent fr. the flesh=die (cp. ἤδη ἄγγελοι ἦσαν vs. 3), or perh.=be in a trance MPol 2:2 (=die: Epict. 3, 24, 88; Ar. [Milne 76, 38f] προπέμπουσιν ὡς ἀποδημοῦντα cp. MMeister, Axioch. Dial., diss. Breslau 1915, 87, 1).

② to be distant from, be away, absent (Pind. et al.) ἀπὸ τ. κυρίου fr. the Lord 2 Cor 5:6 v.l.; Mk 13:34 v.l. (cp. PTebt 104, 17 ἐνδημῶν [q.v.] κ. ἀποδημῶν).—DELG s.v. δῆμος. M-M. TW.