Lexical Summary ektrepó: To turn aside, to deviate, to avoid Original Word: ἐκτρέπω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance avoid, turn out of the way. From ek and the base of trope; to deflect, i.e. Turn away (literally or figuratively) -- avoid, turn (aside, out of the way). see GREEK ek see GREEK trope NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom ek and the same as tropé Definition to turn away NASB Translation avoiding (1), put out of joint (1), turn aside (1), turned aside (2). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 1624: ἐκτρέπωἐκτρέπω: passive (present ἐκτρέπομαι); 2 aorist ἐξετραπην; 2 future ἐκτραπήσομαι; 1. to turn or twist out; passive in a medical sense, in a figurative sense of the limbs: ἵνα μή τό χωλόν ἐκτραπῇ, lest it be wrenched out of (its proper) place, dislocated (R. V. marginal reading put out of joint) (see examples of this use from medical writers in Stephanus' Thesaurus iii. col. 607 d.), i. e. lest he who is weak in a state of grace fall therefrom, Hebrews 12:13 (but Lünem., Delitzsch, others, still adhere to the meaning turn aside, go astray; cf. A. V., R. V. text). 2. to turn off or aside; passive in a middle sense (cf. Buttmann, 192 (166f)), to turn oneself aside, to be turned aside; (intransitive) to turn aside; Hesychius: ἐξετράπησαν. ἐξέκλιναν (τῆς ὁδοῦ, Lucian, dial. deor. 25, 2; Aelian v. h. 14, 49 (48); ἔξω τῆς ὁδοῦ, Arrian exp. Al. 3, 21, 7 (4); absolutely Xenophon, an. 4, 5, 15; Aristophanes Plutarch, 837; with mention of the place to which, Herodotus 6, 34; Plato, Sophocles, p. 222 a.; others); figuratively: εἰς ματαιολογίαν, 1 Timothy 1:6; ἐπί τούς μύθους, 2 Timothy 4:4; ὀπίσω τίνος, to turn away from one in order to follow another, 1 Timothy 5:15 (εἰς ἀδίκους πράξεις, Josephus, Antiquities 8, 10, 2). with the accusative to turn away from, to shun a thing, to avoid meeting or associating with one: τάς κενοφωνίας, 1 Timothy 6:20, (τόν ἔλεγχον, Polybius 35, 4, 14; Γαλλους ἐκτρέπεσθαι καί σύνοδον φεύγειν τήν μετ' αὐτῶν, Josephus, Antiquities 4, 8, 40). The Greek verb behind Strong’s 1624 pictures a deliberate or consequential “turning out of the way.” Whether the motion is willful (as in false teachers abandoning sound doctrine) or passive (a weak limb put “out of joint”), the result is departure from the God-ordained path. Across its five New Testament occurrences the word consistently portrays deviation from truth, duty, or wholeness—an image rooted in Scripture’s broader “way” motif, where righteousness is a straight road and sin a wandering detour. Contexts of Use 1. 1 Timothy 1:6 records early converts who, having “missed the mark,” were “turned aside to empty talk.” The verb underscores that heterodox teaching is not a mere harmless digression but an actual deflection from the gospel highway laid out in verses 3-5. 2. 1 Timothy 5:15 laments widows who “have already turned aside to follow Satan.” Here the motion is moral and personal, echoing Eve’s ancient turning (Genesis 3), showing that spiritual seduction replaces Christ’s lordship with the adversary’s influence. 3. 1 Timothy 6:20 urges Timothy to guard the deposit of faith, “turning away from irreverent, empty chatter and the contradictions of so-called knowledge.” The pastoral charge highlights vigilance: deviation often begins with careless fascination, not open rebellion. 4. 2 Timothy 4:4 foretells a future generation that “will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” The double turning—first of the ear, then of the entire life—portrays escalation from selective listening to full-blown apostasy. 5. Hebrews 12:13 exhorts believers to “make straight paths for your feet, so that the lame may not be put out of joint but rather healed.” The same verb conveys dislocation of a limb, reminding the Church that negligence in discipleship harms vulnerable members. Doctrinal Significance • Apostasy: The word links doctrinal error (1 Timothy 1:6; 6:20; 2 Timothy 4:4) with moral collapse (1 Timothy 5:15), showing that truth and holiness stand or fall together. • Corporate Responsibility: Hebrews 12:13 applies the concept to communal care. Leaders who fail to maintain straight paths cause the spiritually lame to be “put out of joint.” Sound doctrine and orderly fellowship are therefore restorative. • The Sufficiency of Scripture: Each warning assumes an authoritative standard from which one may turn. The antidote is steadfast adherence to the “pattern of sound words” (2 Timothy 1:13). Historical and Ministry Insights Early church fathers—Ignatius, Polycarp, and later Irenaeus—echo this term’s concern by distinguishing “the straight rule of faith” from heretical byways. In every era, movements that prize novelty risk the very deviation the Pastoral Epistles condemn. For modern ministry, the verb instructs: • Catechesis: Grounding believers in biblical literacy minimizes fascination with myths and “so-called knowledge.” • Discipline: Prompt correction of theological drift protects the “lame” before they are dislocated. • Shepherding the Vulnerable: Hebrews 12:13 calls leaders to create an environment where the weak are healed, not further injured by communal negligence. Pastoral Exhortation The remedy to turning aside is twofold: “Make straight paths” through intentional obedience and “guard the deposit” by preserving apostolic teaching. As Paul warns and Hebrews exhorts, keep eyes fixed on “Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:2), for He alone keeps the Church from every fatal detour. Englishman's Concordance 1 Timothy 1:6 V-AIP-3PGRK: τινὲς ἀστοχήσαντες ἐξετράπησαν εἰς ματαιολογίαν NAS: from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion, KJV: having swerved have turned aside unto INT: some having missed the mark turned aside to vain talking 1 Timothy 5:15 V-AIP-3P 1 Timothy 6:20 V-PPM-NMS 2 Timothy 4:4 V-FIP-3P Hebrews 12:13 V-ASP-3S Strong's Greek 1624 |
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