Lexical Summary eklanthanomai: To forget completely, to be utterly oblivious Original Word: ἐκλανθάνομαι Strong's Exhaustive Concordance forget. Middle voice from ek and lanthano; to be utterly oblivious of -- forget. see GREEK ek see GREEK lanthano HELPS Word-studies 1585 eklanthánomai (from 1537 /ek, "out from and to" and 2990 /lanthánō, "forget") – properly, completely forget, removed out from memory (consideration) and to the sin of willful neglect, i.e. with the outcome of being wholly (totally) absent from one's mind. This personal neglect (rejection) means to willfully dismiss (used only in Heb 12:5). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom ek and lanthanó Definition to forget utterly NASB Translation forgotten (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 1585: ἐκλανθάνωἐκλανθάνω: to cause to forget; middle, to forget; perfect ἐκλέλησμαι, followed by the genitive: Hebrews 12:5. (Homer and following.) Topical Lexicon Semantic Range and Nuance The verb translated “lose heart” (Hebrews 12:5) conveys the idea of diminishing strength to the point of collapse. It pictures an internal weakening rather than an outward fall: the spirit slackens, resolve melts, and perseverance evaporates. The perfect tense in Hebrews 12:5 heightens the nuance: the writer warns against allowing a settled state of spiritual exhaustion to overtake the community. Immediate Context in Hebrews 12 Hebrews 12 moves from the imagery of the stadium (Hebrews 12:1-3) to the household, where God disciplines His children for their good. “Lose heart” stands in deliberate contrast to “run with endurance” (Hebrews 12:1) and “do not grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:3). The author therefore links discouragement with dropping out of the race just short of the finish line. Old Testament Background The quotation blends Proverbs 3:11-12 (LXX) into the epistle’s argument: “My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the LORD, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you.” (Hebrews 12:5) In Proverbs the warning guards against despising or crumbling under Yahweh’s loving correction. Hebrews adopts the same father-son dynamic but applies it to the church under the New Covenant, grounding Christian endurance in the unchanging character of God. Theology of Divine Discipline 1. Discipline evidences sonship (Hebrews 12:6-8). A believer who never faces God’s chastening should question whether he truly belongs to the household. Historical and Greco-Roman Setting In secular Greek literature the cognate family often appears in military or athletic contexts to warn against troops breaking ranks or runners giving up. Hebrews leverages that cultural backdrop yet anchors perseverance in covenant theology rather than civic virtue. Early Christian writers (e.g., Clement of Rome, Polycarp) echo the same verb when exhorting congregations under persecution not to abandon faith. Ministry Implications • Pastoral Care: Leaders are to diagnose discouragement quickly, applying Scripture so that members interpret hardship as paternal love, not divine neglect. Practical Application 1. Examine Attitudes: When hardship arises, ask whether irritation or despair signals a heart already beginning to “lose heart.” Summary Strong’s Greek 1585 captures a critical warning against spiritual collapse. In Hebrews 12:5 it safeguards believers from interpreting divine discipline through the lens of abandonment. Instead, the text redefines trials as evidence of Fatherly love, a refining process that readies the saints for holiness and glory. Forms and Transliterations εκλελησθε εκλέλησθε ἐκλέλησθε εξαλατόμησαν εξελατόμησας eklelesthe eklelēsthe eklélesthe eklélēstheLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Hebrews 12:5 V-RIM/P-2PGRK: καὶ ἐκλέλησθε τῆς παρακλήσεως NAS: and you have forgotten the exhortation KJV: And ye have forgotten the exhortation INT: and you have forgotten the exhortation |
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