Lexical Summary embaptó: To dip in, to immerse Original Word: ἐμβαπτό Strong's Exhaustive Concordance dip. From en and bapto; to whelm on, i.e. Wet (a part of the person, etc.) By contact with a fluid -- dip. see GREEK en see GREEK bapto NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom en and baptó Definition to dip in NASB Translation dipped (1), dips (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 1686: ἐμβάπτωἐμβάπτω (see ἐν, III. 3): 1 aorist participle ἐμβάψας; to dip in: τί, John 13:26a Lachmann, 26b R G L text; τήν χεῖρα ἐν τῷ τρυβλίῳ, Matthew 26:23; middle ὁ ἐμβαπτόμενος μετ' ἐμοῦ (Lachmann adds τήν χεῖρα) εἰς τό (WH add ἕν in brackets) τρύβλιον, Mark 14:20. (Aristophanes, Xenophon, others.) Topical Lexicon Usage in the Gospel Narratives Embaptō appears only in Matthew 26:23 and Mark 14:20, both set during the final Passover meal. In each instance the verb frames Jesus’ solemn identification of His betrayer: Cultural and Liturgical Background First-century Passover meals featured shared dishes of bitter herbs, fruit-nut charoset, and vinegar or broth for unleavened bread. Dipping a morsel was more than a casual gesture; it expressed fellowship, covenant loyalty, and table intimacy. To share a dish signified mutual trust (compare Psalm 41:9). Judas’ use of the same bowl therefore heightens the treachery of his act, fulfilling Scripture while also exposing the hardness of the human heart even in the closest proximity to divine grace. Old Testament Echoes 1. Exodus 12:22: hyssop dipped into the lamb’s blood protected the Israelites at the first Passover. These antecedents reveal a recurring pattern: dipping establishes covenant, and betrayal within that act exposes covenant violation. Theological Significance 1. Divine Foreknowledge and Human Responsibility Embaptō scenes underscore Jesus’ full awareness of His betrayal, yet He grants Judas every opportunity for repentance. Sovereignty and human choice coexist without contradiction. As the true Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7), Jesus anticipates His own blood being applied for deliverance. The dipping motion symbolically parallels the hyssop-blood ritual, pointing to His atoning sacrifice. Table fellowship illustrates the spiritual reality later taught in 1 Corinthians 10:16-21: sharing a meal testifies to shared allegiance. Judas’ duplicity warns against hypocritical participation in sacred observances. Distinction from Baptizō Although cognate with baptizō (“to immerse”), embaptō describes a partial, momentary dipping. The nuance guards against forcing either word into the other’s theological domain. Baptism typifies union with Christ in death and resurrection; embaptō, in context, highlights relational intimacy—and its tragic breach—at the very moment the New Covenant meal is instituted. Early Church Reflection Patristic writers such as Augustine (Tractates on John 62.3) saw Judas’ dipping as emblematic of those who outwardly partake of the sacraments yet remain inwardly alienated. The Didache (9.5) exhorts communicants to examine themselves, echoing Paul’s warning in 1 Corinthians 11:28-29 and preserving the gravity inherent in the Gospel scene. Ministry Implications • Self-Examination: The Lord’s Table demands sincerity; pastors should call believers to heed Paul’s “Let a man examine himself.” Summary The rare verb embaptō, though occurring only twice, opens profound vistas on covenant loyalty, Christ’s substitutionary mission, and the perennial call to authentic discipleship. At the very table where redemption is celebrated, the dipping of a piece of bread unmasks the human heart and magnifies the Savior’s redemptive resolve. Forms and Transliterations εμβαπτομενος εμβαπτόμενος ἐμβαπτόμενος εμβαψας εμβάψας ἐμβάψας embapsas embápsas embaptomenos embaptómenosLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Matthew 26:23 V-APA-NMSGRK: εἶπεν Ὁ ἐμβάψας μετ' ἐμοῦ NAS: And He answered, He who dipped his hand KJV: and said, He that dippeth [his] hand INT: he said the [one] having dipped with me Mark 14:20 V-PPM-NMS Strong's Greek 1686 |
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