The verb απειλεω (apeileo) means to threaten, or more precise, to hold someone in suspense for either something good (a promise) or something bad (a threat) coming, although in the classics most often something bad was coming or was implied to come.

It's not at all clear where this verb came from, as there are no other words like this one in European languages. But a creative Greek poet may have surmised that this word combined the familiar prefix απο (apo), meaning from or out of, and the word ειλη (eile) or ιλη (ile), a troop or band of men, or the verb ειλω (eilo), to roll up or pack close. These words aren't used in the New Testament, but noun ειλη (eile), may also describe the warmth of the sun and the compound ειλικρινης (eilikrines) describes purity-as-if-made-by-the-sun. Noun ιλη (ile) is used in the compound ομιλος (homilos), a single-minded crowd.

Further creativity may have reminded our Greek poet of the aorist of the verb αιρεω (haireo), to grasp or seize, which assumes the form ειλον (eilon), or even the Hebrew verb אפל ('apal), to make dark.

But whatever the pedigree, our verb is used in the New Testament in Acts 4:17 and 1 Peter 2:23 only. From it derive: