Lexical Summary egersis: Resurrection, awakening Original Word: ἔγερσις Strong's Exhaustive Concordance resurrection. From egeiro; a resurgence (from death) -- resurrection. see GREEK egeiro NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom egeiró Definition a rousing, a rising (from death) NASB Translation resurrection (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 1454: ἔγερσιςἔγερσις, ἐγερσεως, ἡ (ἐγείρω "a rousing, excitation:" τοῦ θυμοῦ, Plato, Tim., p. 70 c.; a rising up, Psalm 138:2 Topical Lexicon Overview of the Term ἔγερσις conveys the event of being raised from death to life. While the idea of resurrection pervades Scripture, this noun appears only once, underscoring its special link to the climactic events that surround the passion narrative. Biblical Occurrence Matthew 27:53 records the word’s sole New Testament appearance: “After Jesus’ resurrection, when they had come out of the tombs, they entered the holy city and appeared to many people.” Literary Context in Matthew Matthew 27:51-54 depicts three supernatural signs: the torn temple veil, the quaking earth, and opened tombs. The evangelist uses ἔγερσις to mark the moment when the crucified Messiah’s victory bursts into history. The saints who “appeared to many” authenticate Jesus’ own resurrection (Matthew 28:1-10) and preview the universal resurrection promised to all who belong to Him (1 Corinthians 15:20-23). Theological Significance 1. Divine Validation: The raising of the holy ones testifies that God has accepted the Son’s atoning work (Romans 1:4). Christological Dimensions Jesus’ own ἔγερσις fulfills His repeated predictions (Matthew 16:21; 17:23; 20:19). It proves His supremacy over death (Revelation 1:18) and secures justification for believers (Romans 4:25). The accompanying resurrection of the saints underlines that His victory is not isolated but corporate; His life becomes theirs (John 14:19). Eschatological Hope for Believers Because Jesus was “raised for our justification” (Romans 4:25), the same power that brought Him from the grave will raise all who are united to Him (Romans 8:11). The term thus anchors Christian hope in a bodily, historical, and future resurrection, not a mere spiritual survival (Job 19:25-27; Philippians 3:20-21). Old Testament Foreshadowing and Jewish Expectations Prophetic passages such as Isaiah 26:19 and Daniel 12:2 anticipated a general resurrection. Jewish intertestamental literature elaborated on this expectation. Matthew’s use of ἔγερσις signals that what was long foretold has begun in Jesus of Nazareth. Historical Reception in the Early Church Early Christian writers appealed to Matthew 27:53 to defend the reality of bodily resurrection against docetism and Gnostic denial of the flesh. The clause “appeared to many” supplied eyewitness corroboration for apologists such as Ignatius and Irenaeus, who linked the saints’ rising to the certainty of the final resurrection. Pastoral and Ministry Applications • Comfort in Bereavement: Mourning believers can declare with Paul, “We do not grieve like the rest, who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13). Conclusion Though occurring only once, ἔγερσις encapsulates the heartbeat of the gospel: death conquered, life inaugurated, and a future guaranteed. It binds the historical resurrection of Jesus to the experiential resurrection of believers, affirming the unbreakable promise, “Because I live, you also will live.” (John 14:19) Forms and Transliterations εγέρσει εγερσιν έγερσιν έγερσίν ἔγερσιν egersin égersinLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |
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