1880. epanerchomai

Lexical Summary

epanerchomai: To return, to come back

Original Word: ἐπανέρχομαι
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: epanerchomai
Pronunciation: ep-an-er'-khom-ahee
Phonetic Spelling: (ep-an-er'-khom-ahee)
KJV: come again, return
NASB: return, returned
Word Origin: [from G1909 (ἐπί - over) and G424 (ἀνέρχομαι - went)]

1. to come up on, i.e. return

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

come again, return.

From epi and anerchomai; to come up on, i.e. Return -- come again, return.

see GREEK epi

see GREEK anerchomai

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from epi and anerchomai
Definition
to return
NASB Translation
return (1), returned (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 1880: ἐπανέρχομαι

ἐπανέρχομαι; 2 aorist ἐπανηλθον; to return, come back again: Luke 10:35; Luke 19:15. (Herodotus; frequent in Attic writings.)

Topical Lexicon

Overview

Used only twice in the New Testament, this verb expresses the action of coming back to a place or person after a purposeful interval away. Although the word is rare, both occurrences appear in parables spoken by Jesus Christ, making its theological weight far greater than its statistical frequency.

Occurrences in Scripture

• Luke 10:35 – “The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Take care of him,’ he said, ‘and on my return I will repay you for any extra expense you may have.’”
• Luke 19:15 – “When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered that the servants to whom he had given the money be called to him to learn what each had gained.”

Theological Themes

1. Accountability: The returning Samaritan and the returning nobleman both expect a report. In both scenes, stewardship is assessed in the presence of the one who entrusted resources.
2. Compassion Fulfilled: In Luke 10:35, the promise to come back seals the Samaritan’s mercy with personal responsibility; care is not abandoned when immediate crisis passes.
3. Eschatological Expectation: Luke 19:15 mirrors the future appearing of Christ. The nobleman’s return after receiving a kingdom foreshadows the consummation of the reign of Jesus and the final reckoning with His servants.

Historical Setting

First-century inns were typically simple, often unsafe hostelries. A traveler promising to return and settle debts would have been a noteworthy guarantee, underscoring the Samaritan’s integrity. Similarly, the parable of the minas echoes the political journey of Herod Archelaus, who traveled to Rome to receive authority and later returned—an image familiar to Jesus’ audience and strategically employed to frame the certainty of the Lord’s own victorious return.

Intertextual Echoes

Old Testament narratives often include a promised return: Abraham’s words in Genesis 22:5, “We will worship and then we will come back to you,” and Moses’ repeated descents from Sinai. The motif accents faithfulness in covenant relationships and heightens anticipation whenever God’s representative departs. The New Testament uses this same fabric, weaving Christ’s ascension and promised second coming into the pattern.

Practical Ministry Implications

1. Follow-Up Discipleship: As the Samaritan pledges to revisit the wounded man, so pastors and believers are called to long-term care, not one-time acts of aid (compare Acts 15:36).
2. Stewardship Preaching: Luke 19:15 supplies a framework for teaching on spiritual gifts, financial resources, and ministry opportunities. The certainty of the Master’s return grounds exhortations to diligence.
3. Mercy Ministries: The promise to come back legitimizes short-term relief work only when coupled with sustained involvement; mere handouts are not the biblical ideal.

Pastoral Applications

• Sermon Series: Pair Luke 10 and Luke 19 to contrast compassionate service and kingdom stewardship, highlighting that both mercy and accountability arise from the same returning Lord.
• Counseling: Encourage believers who feel overlooked that the Lord “will return” and settle every account (2 Corinthians 5:10).
• Missions Strategy: Build structures for revisiting mission fields and church plants, imitating the Samaritan’s planned return and Paul’s return journeys (Acts 18:23).

Homiletical Outline Example

1. Promise of Return (Luke 10:35) – Love that Stays Engaged
2. Purpose of Return (Luke 19:15) – Reckoning with Resources
3. Power of Return (John 14:3) – Christ’s Ultimate Coming

Conclusion

Though occurring only twice, this verb crystallizes a foundational New Testament truth: the one who entrusts gifts will surely come back. Every act of mercy, every coin invested, and every talent stewarded lives under the light of that promised return.

Forms and Transliterations

επανελεύσεται επανελεύσομαι επανελθειν επανελθείν ἐπανελθεῖν επανελθών επανερχεσθαι επανέρχεσθαί ἐπανέρχεσθαί επάνηκε επανήξει επανθήσει epanelthein epaneltheîn epanerchesthai epanérchesthaí

Englishman's Concordance

Luke 10:35 V-PNM/P
GRK: ἐν τῷ ἐπανέρχεσθαί με ἀποδώσω
NAS: when I return I will repay
INT: on the coming back I will repay

Luke 19:15 V-ANA
GRK: ἐν τῷ ἐπανελθεῖν αὐτὸν λαβόντα
NAS: When he returned, after receiving
KJV: he was returned, having received
INT: on the coming back again of him having received

Strong's Greek 1880
2 Occurrences

ἐπανελθεῖν — 1 Occ.
ἐπανέρχεσθαί — 1 Occ.