παρεκάλουν

parakaléō

they begged

To call to one’s side for the purpose of addressing, encouraging, exhorting, or consoling; in broader contexts, to urge, entreat, request, exhort, comfort, or encourage. The primary sense involves summoning or addressing someone closely, whether for encouragement, admonition, teaching, appeal, or reassurance. Secondary senses can include appealing for help, offering instruction or warning, and comforting or consoling those in distress.

G3870

Acts 13:42 · Word #4

Lexicon G3870

Lemmaπαρακαλέω
Transliterationparakaléō
Strong'sG3870
DefinitionTo call to one’s side for the purpose of addressing, encouraging, exhorting, or consoling; in broader contexts, to urge, entreat, request, exhort, comfort, or encourage. The primary sense involves summoning or addressing someone closely, whether for encouragement, admonition, teaching, appeal, or reassurance. Secondary senses can include appealing for help, offering instruction or warning, and comforting or consoling those in distress.

Morphology V IMPF ACT IND 3P PL All morphology codes

Part of Speech V — Verb — An action or state of being
Tense IMPF — Imperfect — Continuous or repeated past action
Voice ACT — Active — The subject performs the action
Mood IND — Indicative — States a fact or reality
Person 3P — 3rd person — The one spoken about ("he/she/it/they")
Number PL — Plural — More than one

Common Translation

Phrasethey begged
Literalthey-besought

Lexical Info

Lemmaπαρακαλέω
Strong'sG3870

SIBI-P1 Translation G3870-28

they were calling near

Morphological NotesVerb; imperfect tense (past ongoing), active voice, indicative mood, 3rd person plural.
Rendering RationaleThe imperfect active indicative, 3rd person plural, conveys ongoing past action, hence "they were calling." "Calling near" preserves the literal root sense of calling someone alongside, from which exhorting and comforting derive.

View full lexicon entry for G3870 →

SILEX v2

SIBI-P2 (Context-Aware)

they were urging

Same as P1No — adjusted for context
RationaleP1 'they were calling near' is root-faithful but in context the verb means to urge, request, or entreat, not physically calling someone near. Adjusted for proper idiomatic sense.