Lexical Summary ekchóreó: To depart, to withdraw, to leave Original Word: ἐκχωρέω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance depart out. From ek and choreo; to depart -- depart out. see GREEK ek see GREEK choreo NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom ek and chóreó Definition to depart, withdraw NASB Translation leave (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 1633: ἐκχωρέωἐκχωρέω, ἐκχώρω; (from Sophocles and Herodotus on); to depart from; to remove from in the sense of fleeing from: Luke 21:21. (For בָּרַח, Amos 7:12.) Topical Lexicon Root Idea of Withdrawal The single New Testament occurrence of the verb underlying Strong’s Greek 1633 captures a decisive act of leaving a place that is about to experience divine judgment. It is not the frantic flight of panic but the resolute withdrawal of those who trust God’s warning and therefore remove themselves before catastrophe strikes. Setting in Luke 21 During His Olivet discourse Jesus foretells the siege of Jerusalem: “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, you will know that her desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city” (Luke 21:20-21). The imperative “get out” is the lone use of Strong’s 1633. In the flow of the prophecy it stands between the command to “flee” and the prohibition against re-entering the city, highlighting a moment of critical decision. The Lord’s concern is pastoral as well as prophetic: He provides a way of escape for obedient hearers even while announcing inevitable judgment on the city that has rejected Him (Luke 19:41-44). Old Testament and Intertestamental Background The command to withdraw before judgment echoes earlier divine warnings: These passages establish a biblical pattern in which God’s people are called to separate themselves from impending wrath while trusting His sovereignty over historical events. Historical Fulfillment in the First Century Eusebius (Ecclesiastical History 3.5) records that believers in Jerusalem heeded Jesus’ words and migrated to Pella in the Decapolis before the Roman armies returned to lay siege in A.D. 70. Their orderly withdrawal—mirroring the sense of the verb—became an early testimony to the reliability of Christ’s prophecy and the prudence of obeying His warnings. The preservation of this remnant served both evangelistic and pastoral purposes in the decades that followed. Theological Themes 1. Prophetic Certainty: The precision of Jesus’ instruction underscores the unity of divine foreknowledge and human responsibility. Practical Ministry Applications • Discernment and Obedience: Leaders must teach believers to recognize seasons when withdrawal—spiritual, moral, or physical—is the path of faithfulness. Related New Testament Concepts Though the word itself occurs only in Luke 21, its thematic relatives abound: Each passage mirrors the motif of timely departure in order to preserve purity and life. Summary Strong’s Greek 1633, appearing once in Luke 21:21, encapsulates the deliberate withdrawal of the faithful from a doomed environment. Rooted in a long biblical tradition, fulfilled historically in the flight to Pella, and mirrored in calls to moral and spiritual separation throughout Scripture, it reminds believers that heeding the Lord’s warnings is both a matter of prudence and an act of worship. Forms and Transliterations εκχωρειτωσαν εκχωρείτωσαν ἐκχωρείτωσαν εκχωρήσατε εκχώρησον ekchoreitosan ekchoreítosan ekchōreitōsan ekchōreítōsanLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |
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