Lexical Summary eisdechomai: To receive, to accept, to welcome Original Word: εἰσδέχομαι Strong's Exhaustive Concordance receive. From eis and dechomai; to take into one's favor -- receive. see GREEK eis see GREEK dechomai HELPS Word-studies 1523 eisdé NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom eis and dechomai Definition to admit, to receive (into one's favor) NASB Translation welcome (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 1523: εἰσδέχομαιεἰσδέχομαι: future εἰσδέχομαι; to receive kindly, i. e. contextually, to treat with favor: τινα, 2 Corinthians 6:17. (From Pindar and Sophocles down. Synonym: cf. δέχομαι, at the end.) Topical Lexicon Meaning and Nuance εἰσδέχομαι expresses a warm, full, inward welcome—more than a formal acceptance, it pictures God opening His dwelling to someone who has drawn near on His terms. The future tense in 2 Corinthians 6:17 (“I will receive you,”) turns the word into a promise whose fulfillment is as certain as the character of the One making it. Single New-Testament Occurrence 2 Corinthians 6:17 stands alone in the Greek New Testament. Paul cites Isaiah 52:11 (“Depart, depart, go out from there…”), applying the prophet’s call for Israel to leave Babylon’s impurity to the Corinthian church’s need to separate from pagan idolatry. The apostle then adds the divine pledge, “and I will receive you,” giving the congregation both a command and a covenant reassurance. The verse reads: “Therefore come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” Old-Testament Background 1. Exodus 29:45-46 shows God’s desire to “dwell among” His people after their consecration. In each passage, separation from defilement is the pre-condition for divine reception, foreshadowing Paul’s use of εἰσδέχομαι. Theological Themes Separation and Holiness Divine Adoption Covenant Presence Historical and Cultural Setting Corinth was a cosmopolitan port saturated with temples, guild feasts, and moral laxity. Christians faced pressure to maintain social connections that involved idolatrous rites. Paul cites εἰσδέχομαι to remind them that the loss of certain relationships is more than compensated by God’s welcoming presence. Septuagint Usage While εἰσδέχομαι is rare in the LXX, its cognate δέχομαι frequently translates Hebrew verbs for “accept” or “receive” sacrifice, prayer, or people (e.g., Amos 5:22; Malachi 1:10). Paul’s choice of the strengthened compound intensifies the idea: God not only accepts but brings the obedient into His very sphere. Pastoral and Ministry Implications Personal Holiness Corporate Purity Mission and Evangelism Assurance in Suffering Related New-Testament Motifs • Matthew 10:40-41—receiving Christ’s messengers parallels receiving Christ. Summary Strong’s Greek 1523, εἰσδέχομαι, crystallizes the biblical rhythm of separation and embrace: God’s people forsake impurity, and God Himself welcomes them into familial fellowship. Though the verb appears only once in the New Testament, its single utterance gathers up covenant history and future hope, offering the church both a call to holiness and a pledge of divine communion. Forms and Transliterations εισδέξασθαι εισδέξεται εισδεξομαι εισδέξομαι εἰσδέξομαι εισδέχεσθαι εισδέχεται εισέδυσαν eisdexomai eisdéxomaiLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |
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