1548. ekgamiskó

Lexical Summary

ekgamiskó: To give in marriage

Original Word: ἐκγαμίζω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: ekgamiskó
Pronunciation: ek-gam-EE-skoh
Phonetic Spelling: (ek-gam-is'-ko)
KJV: give in marriage
Word Origin: [from G1537 (ἐκ - among) and G1061 (γαμίσκω - To give in marriage)]

1. to marry off a daughter

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

give in marriage.

From ek and gamisko; the same as ekgamizo -- give in marriage.

see GREEK ek

see GREEK gamisko

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
variant reading for gamiskó, q.v.

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 1548: ἐκ῟γαμίσκω

ἐκ῟γαμίσκω, equivalent to ἐκγαμίζω, which see: passive (present ἐκγαμίσκομαι); Luke 20:34f. R G; cf. γαμίσκω and Fritzsche on Mark, p. 529ff. Not found elsewhere.

Topical Lexicon

Concept and Scope

The verb denotes the deliberate act of arranging or permitting a marriage, especially the action of parents or guardians who “hand over” a son or daughter to a spouse. It therefore stresses authority, covenantal responsibility, and the social implications of marriage rather than the ceremony itself.

Septuagint Usage

Although absent from the Greek New Testament, the verb is well represented in the Septuagint, where it translates Hebrew roots such as nāṯan (to give) in marital contexts. Key occurrences include:
• Exodus 34:16 – Israel is warned not to “give in marriage” daughters or sons to the Canaanites lest they lead God’s people into idolatry.
• Deuteronomy 7:3 – the same prohibition is repeated, grounding marital policy in covenant purity.
• Judges 12:9 – Jair “gave in marriage” his thirty daughters, illustrating its normal civic use.
• Nehemiah 13:25 – Nehemiah contends with those who had “given in marriage” to foreign families, showing post-exilic vigilance over mixed marriages.

In each passage the action is presented as a weighty covenant decision with spiritual consequences that either advance or imperil faithfulness to the LORD.

Biblical Theology of “Giving in Marriage”

1. Parental stewardship. Scripture consistently places the initiative for arranging marriage on parents (Genesis 24:50-51; 29:19). The verb underscores that marriage is never a private affair but a communal covenant with generational impact.
2. Protection of covenant identity. The Pentateuch links giving in marriage to maintaining Israel’s holiness (Deuteronomy 7:3-4). The Septuagint’s use of this verb sharpens the sense that reckless intermarriage equals covenant betrayal.
3. Warning imagery. Jesus employs the broader idea of “marrying and being given in marriage” to depict business-as-usual complacency before judgment (Matthew 24:38; Luke 17:27). Though the form differs, the background of ἐκγαμίζω in Genesis-Flood narratives enriches His illustration: ordinary social arrangements cannot save when divine reckoning arrives.
4. Eschatological reversal. In the resurrection, “those who are considered worthy … neither marry nor are given in marriage” (Luke 20:35), highlighting that even a divinely sanctioned institution is temporary compared with the eternal union of Christ and His people (Revelation 19:7).

Historical and Cultural Insights

• Patrilineal society. Fathers wielded legal authority to arrange marriages, safeguarding inheritance lines (Numbers 27:8-9) and preventing land loss (Numbers 36:6-9).
• Bride-price and dowry. To “give in marriage” involved financial negotiations (Genesis 34:12; 1 Samuel 18:25), emphasizing that the verb reflects an economic as well as relational transaction.
• Tribal solidarity. By controlling marriage alliances, leaders protected tribal boundaries and national security, a concern evident in Nehemiah’s reforms.
• Women’s protection. While modern readers may view the practice as restrictive, in Israel’s context it provided social covering for daughters, discouraging exploitation by forbidding casual liaisons.

Ministry Applications

• Discipleship in family decisions. Parents are still called to shepherd children toward marriages that honor God (2 Corinthians 6:14). The ancient verb reminds churches to treat courtship as a realm for counsel, prayer, and accountability.
• Guarding covenant purity. Congregations must balance hospitality with vigilance, ensuring that partnerships—romantic or otherwise—do not compromise devotion to Christ.
• Eschatological focus. Teaching on marriage should point beyond temporal relationships to the ultimate marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9).
• Pastoral care. Like Nehemiah, leaders may sometimes confront unions that endanger spiritual health, yet always with the gospel aim of restoration and holiness.

Practical Reflection

Marriage, seen through the lens of ἐκγαμίζω, is not merely a personal milestone but a covenantal act with theological weight. It weaves together family authority, communal witness, and eschatological hope. By recovering this perspective, believers honor both the gift of earthly marriage and the greater reality to which it points.

Forms and Transliterations

εκγαμίσκονται εκγελάσεις εκγελάσεται εξεγέλα εξεγέλασαν

Englishman's Concordance

ἐκβληθήσεται — 1 Occ.
ἐκβληθήσονται — 1 Occ.
ἐκβληθέντος — 1 Occ.
ἐξέβαλεν — 5 Occ.
ἐξέβαλλον — 1 Occ.
ἐξεβάλομεν — 1 Occ.
ἐξέβαλον — 7 Occ.
ἐξεβλήθη — 1 Occ.
ἔκβασιν — 2 Occ.
ἐξέβησαν — 1 Occ.
ἔκγονα — 1 Occ.
ἐκδαπανηθήσομαι — 1 Occ.
ἐκδέχεσθε — 1 Occ.
ἐκδέχεται — 1 Occ.
ἐκδέχομαι — 1 Occ.
ἐκδεχομένων — 1 Occ.
ἐκδεχόμενος — 1 Occ.
ἐκδεχομένου — 1 Occ.
ἐξεδέχετο — 1 Occ.
ἔκδηλος — 1 Occ.