Lexical Summary ekdechomai: To wait for, to expect, to look for Original Word: ἐκδέχομαι Strong's Exhaustive Concordance expect, look for, wait for. From ek and dechomai; to accept from some source, i.e. (by implication) to await -- expect, look (tarry) for, wait (for). see GREEK ek see GREEK dechomai HELPS Word-studies 1551 ekdé NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom ek and dechomai Definition to take or receive, by impl. to await, expect NASB Translation expect (1), looking (1), wait (1), waiting (3), waits (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 1551: ἐκδέχομαιἐκδέχομαι; imperfect ἐξεδεχομην; (ἐκ from some person or quarter); 1. to receive, accept ((Homer), Aeschylus, Herodotus, and following). 2. to look for, expect, wait for, await: τί, John 5:3 R L; Hebrews 11:10; James 5:7; τινα, Acts 17:16; 1 Corinthians 16:11; ἀλλήλους ἐκδέχεσθε wait for one another, namely, until each shall have received his food, 1 Corinthians 11:33, cf. 1 Corinthians 11:21; followed by ἕως etc. Hebrews 10:13; (absolutely, 1 Peter 3:20 Rec., but see Tdf.s note at the passage). Rarely with this meaning in secular authors, as Sophocles Phil. 123; Apollod. 1, 9, 27 § 3; ἕως ἄν γένηται τί, Dionysius Halicarnassus 6, 67. (Compare: ἀπεκδέχομαι. Cf. δέχομαι, at the end.) The verb ἐκδέχομαι portrays an active, confident waiting that joins expectancy to reception. In every New Testament occurrence the context demands more than idle delay; it calls for faith-filled readiness to take possession of what God is certain to provide—whether fellowship, vindication, partners in ministry, or the consummation of redemptive history. Occurrences and Key Themes 1. Ecclesial Courtesy and Unity (1 Corinthians 11:33) “Therefore, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.” The Corinthian fellowship meal had degenerated into selfish haste. Paul restores order by requiring ἐκδέχομαι: believers must restrain personal appetite until every member is present. Waiting becomes a practical expression of the one-body reality created by Christ’s broken body. 2. Pastoral Partnership and Hospitality (1 Corinthians 16:11) “Therefore let no one despise him. Send him on his way in peace, that he may come to me, for I am expecting him with the brothers.” Paul’s anticipation of Timothy underscores the early church’s interdependence. The church’s reception of a worker they “expect” demonstrates that readiness to welcome servants of the gospel is integral to faithful ministry. 3. Patient Endurance in Trial (James 5:7) “Therefore, brothers, be patient until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth…” The farmer’s long-range expectancy anchors James’s exhortation to persevere under oppression. Ἐκδέχομαι here links steadfastness to eschatological hope; believers endure because the harvest (the Lord’s return) is assured. 4. Hope for the Helpless (John 5:3) “In these colonnades lay a multitude of the sick, blind, lame, and paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water.” The infirm by Bethesda embody Israel’s yearning for deliverance. Their prolonged ἐκδέχομαι prepares the narrative contrast: the Messiah arrives, and the one who had no man to help finds immediate help in the Son of Man. Expectation meets fulfillment in Christ’s compassionate authority. 5. Strategic Pause in Mission (Acts 17:16) “Now while Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was troubled within him when he saw the city full of idols.” Paul’s waiting is missional, not idle. The delay sharpens his gospel burden, leading to the Mars Hill address. Thus ἐκδέχομαι frames one of Scripture’s clearest models of contextualized evangelism. 6. Messianic Confidence in Ultimate Triumph (Hebrews 10:13) “…waiting from that time until His enemies are made a footstool for His feet.” The ascended Christ Himself practices ἐκδέχομαι. His seated posture signals completed atonement; His waiting underscores inevitable victory. Believers share this confidence, resting in a finished work while anticipating its public vindication. 7. Patriarchal Vision of a Better City (Hebrews 11:10) “For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” Abraham’s ἐκδέχομαι spans generations. His tent-dwelling lifestyle points beyond Canaan to the New Jerusalem, illustrating that faithful waiting transcends earthly horizons. Historical and Ministry Significance • Early Christian worship: The term regulates the Lord’s Supper, shaping liturgical sensitivity to the entire body of Christ. Spiritual Lessons for Believers Today 1. Waiting is inherently communal; consider others before self in corporate worship. Englishman's Concordance John 5:3 V-PP-GMPGRK: χωλῶν ξηρῶν ἐκδεχομένων τὴν τοῦ KJV: withered, waiting for the moving INT: lame paralyzed awaiting the of the Acts 17:16 V-PPM/P-GMS 1 Corinthians 11:33 V-PMM/P-2P 1 Corinthians 16:11 V-PIM/P-1S Hebrews 10:13 V-PPM/P-NMS Hebrews 11:10 V-IIM/P-3S James 5:7 V-PIM/P-3S Strong's Greek 1551 |
    |