The Greek verb apelpizo (G560) means either to expect something back in return or, in later usage, to despair or give up hope. It is a compound of apo (from) and elpizo (to hope). The word appears once in the New Testament in Luke 6:35, where Jesus uses it in the context of lending and giving to enemies — a passage that redefines the entire economy of human generosity.
In Luke 6:35, Jesus commands: 'Love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting (apelpizo) to get anything back.' The phrase captures the radical economic ethics of the kingdom: kingdom generosity is not a transaction but a gift. By stripping away the expectation of return (apelpizo = 'hope for nothing back'), Jesus liberates His followers from the reciprocity economy that governs human society and invites them into the abundance economy of God, who 'is kind to the ungrateful and wicked' (Luke 6:35). This mirrors the character of God, who gives rain to the righteous and unrighteous alike (Matthew 5:45).