ἐξέρχομαι

exérchomai

G1831 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To go or come out from a place, to depart or leave a location. In extended usage: to proceed, emerge, or originate from a source; used of literal movement (individuals or groups physically exiting a space), as well as more figurative senses such as something originating or developing from a source, or an event coming to pass. In some contexts, denotes public appearance or declaration.

Semantic Range

to go out, to depart, to leave, to emerge, to come forth, to originate, to proceed, to be made public, to escape

Root / Etymology

Compound of the preposition ἐκ ('out of, from') and ἔρχομαι ('to come, go'). The combined form expresses movement outward from a source or place.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, ἐξέρχομαι primarily denotes departing or coming out from a location, frequently used for people exiting buildings, cities, or gatherings, or for objects or phenomena emerging from a source. In the Septuagint and New Testament, it retains this sense but is also used metaphorically (e.g., words or teachings 'going forth,' spirits leaving someone, reports spreading, events emerging). The term contrasts with εἰσέρχομαι ('to enter'), forming a lexical pair for movement in and out. Standard English translations ('go out,' 'come out,' 'depart') capture the base sense but sometimes lose the nuance of origin, source, or process indicated in context. In the New Testament, often used for Jesus or his followers leaving places, or for processes/events (e.g., a report going out, something being made public). Related to, but broader than, more specific verbs such as ἀπέρχομαι ('to go away'). Usage remains consistent from classical through Koine Greek, with additional metaphorical uses more prominent in later texts.

Translation Consistency

primary "go out" 32 occurrences

Exérchomai primarily denotes exiting or emerging from a place and is most naturally rendered with the outward-motion sense. "Go out" covers literal departing (went out, goes out), figurative emergence/origination, and public appearance (news or a statement that "went out"). It matches the most common English renderings (e.g. "went"/"went out") while remaining natural and consistent for all inflected forms.

Alternatives (187 occurrences):
"went out" (94x) "having gone out" (53x) "going out" (11x) "came out" (8x) "those going out" (5x) "come out" (5x) "gone out" (5x) "goes out" (3x) "going out (you plural)" (2x) "when he went out" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from ἐκ and ἔρχομαι; to issue (literally or figuratively):--come (forth, out), depart (out of), escape, get out, go (abroad, away, forth, out, thence), proceed (forth), spread abroad.

Root Family

ἐξέρχομαι (exerchomai) — to go, to come, to move out

Root ἐρχ- to come, to go, to move

Word Forms

35 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G1831-13 ἐξῆλθεν exelthen V AOR ACT IND 3P SG went out went out went out 65
G1831-17 ἐξῆλθον exelthon V AOR ACT IND 1P SG having gone out I went out having gone out 45
G1831-19 ἐξελθόντες exelthontes V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M PL went out having gone out having gone out 18
G1831-11 ἐξέλθῃ exelthe V AOR ACT SUBJ 3P SG come out may go out go out 13
G1831-10 ἐξήλθατε exelthate V AOR ACT IND 2P PL did you go out you went out you went out 11
G1831-12 ἐξελθεῖν exelthein V AOR ACT INF to go out to go out to go out 10
G1831-30 ἐξερχόμενοι exerchomenoi V PRS MID PTCP NOM M PL coming out those going out those going out 5
G1831-09 ἐξῆλθαν exelthan V AOR ACT IND 3P PL departed they went out they went out 3
G1831-28 ἐξέρχεται exerchetai V PRS MID IND 3P SG come goes out goes out 3
G1831-14 ἐξέλθῃς exelthes V AOR ACT SUBJ 2P SG you come out you should go out you should go out 3

Occurrences in Scripture

219 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G1831-07 Matthew 2:6 ἐξελεύσεται exeleusetai V FUT MID IND 3P SG shall come he/she/it will go out he/she/it will go out
G1831-14 Matthew 5:26 ἐξέλθῃς exelthes V AOR ACT SUBJ 2P SG you come out you should go out you should go out
G1831-30 Matthew 8:28 ἐξερχόμενοι exerchomenoi V PRS MID PTCP NOM M PL coming out those going out those going out
G1831-19 Matthew 8:32 ἐξελθόντες exelthontes V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M PL having come out having gone out having gone out
G1831-13 Matthew 8:34 ἐξῆλθεν exelthen V AOR ACT IND 3P SG came out went out went out
G1831-13 Matthew 9:26 ἐξῆλθεν exelthen V AOR ACT IND 3P SG went out went out went out
G1831-19 Matthew 9:31 ἐξελθόντες exelthontes V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M PL went out having gone out having gone out
G1831-31 Matthew 9:32 ἐξερχομένων exerchomenon V PRS MID PTCP GEN M PL going out of those going out of those going out
G1831-15 Matthew 10:11 ἐξέλθητε exelthete V AOR ACT SUBJ 2P PL you leave you may go out you may go out
G1831-30 Matthew 10:14 ἐξερχόμενοι exerchomenoi V PRS MID PTCP NOM M PL going out those going out going out