ἐπιδέχομαι
epidéchomai
G1926 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To receive, accept, or welcome someone or something, often with intentionality or approval. In specific contexts, it denotes the act of admitting a person as a guest, a teacher, or an authority; it can also imply accepting instruction, authority, or a message.
Semantic Range
to admit (a guest), to welcome, to receive or accept (a person), to accept (a teaching, command, message), to take upon oneself, to allow entry
Root / Etymology
From the preposition ἐπί (upon, over) and the verb δέχομαι (to receive, to accept); the compound emphasizes an intensive or purposeful act of receiving or admitting beyond the simple generic sense of δέχομαι.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Greek, ἐπιδέχομαι can describe both physical and metaphorical accepting or receiving, including hospitality and assent to proposals or ideas. In the Hellenistic and Koine periods, as reflected in the Septuagint and the New Testament, the term broadens to include the acceptance of persons, teachings, and authoritative messages, sometimes stressing personal responsibility in the act of receiving. In the New Testament, it may refer to welcoming teachers (Luke 8:13) or receiving the word, indicating both a physical and ideological openness. Standard English translations often render it 'receive,' 'welcome,' or 'accept,' but this may underemphasize the intentional and sometimes formal aspect present in many Koine usages. Compared with the simpler δέχομαι, ἐπιδέχομαι can carry a sense of deliberate or official acceptance. The nuance between admitting a guest and accepting a teaching or command is present in various Koine sources and is context-dependent.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from ἐπί and δέχομαι; to admit (as a guest or (figuratively) teacher):--receive.
Root Family
ἐπιδέχομαι (epidéchomai) — to receive, to welcome, to accept, to admit
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1926-01 |
ἐπιδέχεται | epidechetai | V PRS MID IND 3P SG |
does ... receive | receives for himself | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1926-01 |
3 John 1:9 | ἐπιδέχεται | epidechetai | V PRS MID IND 3P SG |
receives | receives for himself | |
G1926-01 |
3 John 1:10 | ἐπιδέχεται | epidechetai | V PRS MID IND 3P SG |
does ... receive | receives for himself |