ἐνεδρεύω
enedreúō
G1748 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To lie in wait, to ambush, primarily indicating the act of hiding with intent to attack or seize by surprise. In extended or metaphorical contexts, can indicate plotting or setting a trap against someone with hostile intent.
Semantic Range
to ambush, to lie in wait, to set a trap, to plot (against), to entrap (figurative)
Root / Etymology
From the noun ἐνέδρα (ambush, a lying in wait), which is itself from ἐν (in) and ἕδρα (a seat, base, or position); thus originally meaning 'to be positioned in ambush.' The verb formation is regular, following Greek verbal morphology from a nominal root.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical and Hellenistic Greek, ἐνεδρεύω carries the concrete sense of staging a physical ambush—lying in wait for an enemy, prey, or target (as in military, hunting, or criminal contexts). In the Septuagint and in New Testament Greek, the term generally retains its literal sense but can also be used metaphorically for the act of plotting or conspiring against someone, often with the aim of causing harm, as in secretly preparing an attack or trap, sometimes of a legal or conspiratorial nature (see Acts 23:21, ἐνεδρεύοντες αὐτὸν, 'lying in wait for him'). Standard English translations such as 'lay wait for,' 'plot,' or 'set an ambush' are literal but do not always capture the deliberate and hostile intent inherent in the verb. Distinct from synonymous verbs such as ἐπιβουλεύω (to plot against), which emphasize the act of plotting rather than the aspect of lying in wait or ambush. The word occurs rarely and generally describes premeditated, concealed, hostile action; no theological or idiomatic extension is evident beyond these spheres in biblical Greek usage.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from ἐνέδρα; to lurk, i.e. (figuratively) plot assassination:--lay wait for.
Root Family
ἐνεδρεύω (enedreuō) — to ambush, to lie in wait, to set a trap
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1748-01 |
ἐνεδρεύοντες | enedreuontes | V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M PL |
lying in wait | those lying in ambush | those lying in ambush | 1 |
G1748-02 |
ἐνεδρεύουσιν | enedreuousin | V PRS ACT IND 3P PL |
are lying in ambush | they are lying in ambush | they are lying in ambush | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1748-01 |
Luke 11:54 | ἐνεδρεύοντες | enedreuontes | V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M PL |
lying in wait | those lying in ambush | those lying in ambush |
G1748-02 |
Acts 23:21 | ἐνεδρεύουσιν | enedreuousin | V PRS ACT IND 3P PL |
are lying in ambush | they are lying in ambush | they are lying in ambush |