1735. endechomai

Lexical Summary

endechomai: To accept, to allow, to admit, to receive

Original Word: ἐνδέχομαι
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: endechomai
Pronunciation: en-DEKH-om-ahee
Phonetic Spelling: (en-dekh'-et-ahee)
KJV: can (+ not) be
Word Origin: [third person singular present of a compound of G1722 (ἔν - among) and G1209 (δέχομαι - receive)]

1. (impersonally) it is accepted in, i.e. admitted (possible)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

can be.

Third person singular present of a compound of en and dechomai; (impersonally) it is accepted in, i.e. Admitted (possible) -- can (+ not) be.

see GREEK en

see GREEK dechomai

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from the comp. of en and dechomai
Definition
to admit, approve, to be possible
NASB Translation
cannot* (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 1735: ἐνδέχομαι

ἐνδέχομαι; to receive, approve of, admit, allow (as τόν λόγον, Herodotus 1, 60). Impersonally, ἐνδέχεται it can be allowed, is possible, may be (often thus in Greek prose from Thucydides down): followed by an accusative with an infinitive Luke 13:33; cf. Luke 17:1. (Cf. δέχομαι, at the end.)

Topical Lexicon

Overview

Strong’s Greek 1735 occurs once in the New Testament, at Luke 13:33, where it appears as an impersonal verbal form meaning that something “cannot” or “is not admissible.” The term conveys an emphatic sense of divine or moral impossibility rather than mere difficulty.

Usage in Scripture

Luke 13:33: “Yet I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day, for it is not admissible for a prophet to perish outside Jerusalem.”

Here the Lord Jesus Christ declares that Jerusalem is the appointed place where prophets meet hostile rejection. By using this word, He frames His impending death as an unalterable necessity within God’s redemptive plan.

Contextual Significance

1. Unstoppable Mission: The verb underscores Jesus’ resolve. Neither Herod’s threats (Luke 13:31–32) nor any human scheme can hinder the timetable set by the Father.
2. Prophetic Pattern: Scripture repeatedly shows God’s messengers rejected in Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 24:20–22; Jeremiah 26:20–23; Matthew 23:37). Jesus places His own ministry in continuity with that pattern, affirming the consistency of God’s dealings throughout redemptive history.
3. Divine Sovereignty: The construction highlights that what God has decreed “cannot” be otherwise (cf. Acts 4:27–28). Jesus’ path to the cross is inevitable because it fulfills Scripture (Psalm 118:22; Isaiah 53:10).

Theological Themes

• Necessity versus Possibility: The term may be translated “it is not possible,” but the force is stronger than logical impossibility; it denotes moral rightness and prophetic destiny under God’s covenantal arrangements.
• Christology: Jesus is conscious of a divine compulsion (“I must press on”), echoing other “must” statements (John 3:14; Luke 24:26), all pointing to the predetermined plan of salvation.
• Judgment and Mercy: While Jerusalem’s history of rejecting prophets exposes its guilt, the same city becomes the launch point of the gospel after the resurrection (Luke 24:47; Acts 1:8), displaying the triumph of grace over hardened unbelief.

Historical Background

In Greco-Roman rhetoric the verb group could describe legal propriety—what is allowable in a court or civic setting. Luke, writing to a Gentile audience familiar with such nuances, uses the term to stress that Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem is not merely fated but legally and morally “in order” within God’s court of justice.

Comparison with Related Concepts

• Unlike δύναμαι (“to be able”) or ἐξόν (“it is lawful”), the word in Luke 13:33 emphasizes suitability and propriety tied to God’s covenant.
• Hebrews 6:4–6 employs ἀδύνατον (“impossible”) for another theological impossibility, but there the focus is on human repentance after total apostasy, whereas Luke 13:33 centers on Christ’s ordained path.

Implications for Ministry

1. Confidence in Calling: Believers can serve with Christ-like determination, knowing that no threat or opposition can thwart God’s purposes (Philippians 1:6).
2. Prophetic Boldness: Pastors and missionaries may expect resistance yet press forward, assured that ultimate outcomes lie in God’s hands (Acts 20:22–24).
3. Urban Engagement: Jesus’ word about Jerusalem challenges the church to minister even in spiritually resistant centers, trusting the Lord to turn places of opposition into hubs of revival.

Practical Application

• Prayer: Ask for grace to discern what “must” be done in obedience to God’s will, refusing to yield to intimidation.
• Perseverance: When facing rejection, remember that Christ’s path included suffering ordained for a greater victory.
• Evangelism: Proclaim the gospel in cities and cultures that seem closed, confident that God can transform them as He did first-century Jerusalem.

Key References

Luke 13:31–35; Matthew 23:29–39; Acts 4:27–31; 2 Chronicles 24:20–22; Jeremiah 26:20–23; Psalm 118:22; Isaiah 53:10.

Forms and Transliterations

ενδεδεμένα ενδεδεμένη ενδεδεμένοι ενδέδεσαι ενδεηθήσεται ενδεχεται ενδέχεται ἐνδέχεται endechetai endéchetai

Englishman's Concordance

Luke 13:33 V-PIM/P-3S
GRK: ὅτι οὐκ ἐνδέχεται προφήτην ἀπολέσθαι
NAS: and the next [day]; for it cannot be that a prophet
INT: for not it is possible [for] a prophet to perish

Strong's Greek 1735
1 Occurrence

ἐνδέχεται — 1 Occ.