Lexical Summary epilambanomai: To take hold of, to seize, to grasp, to help Original Word: ἐπιλαμβάνομαι Strong's Exhaustive Concordance catch, lay hold on. Middle voice from epi and lambano; to seize (for help, injury, attainment, or any other purpose; literally or figuratively) -- catch, lay hold (up-)on, take (by, hold of, on). see GREEK epi see GREEK lambano HELPS Word-studies 1949 epilambánomai (from 1909 /epí, "on, fitting" intensifying 2983 /lambánō, "aggressively take") – properly, lay hold of something, showing personal initiative ("focused resolve") that "matches" the seizing (i.e. laying hold of what is "apt, meet"). Example: 1 Tim 6:19: "Storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of (1949 /epilambánomai) that which is life indeed" (NASU). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom epi and lambanó Definition to lay hold of NASB Translation catch (2), give help (1), gives help (1), seized (2), take hold (2), taking (1), taking hold (1), took (4), took hold (5). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 1949: ἐπιλαμβάνωἐπιλαμβάνω; 2 aorist middle ἐπελαβόμην; to take in addition (cf. ἐπί, D. 4), to take, lay hold of, take possession of, overtake, attain to. In the Bible only in the middle; the Sept. for אָחַז and הֶחֱזִיק; a. properly, to lay hold of or to seize upon anything with the hands (German sichanetwasanhalten): τῶν ἀφλαστων νηός, Herodotus 6, 114; hence, universally, to take hold of, lag hold of: with the genitive of person, Matthew 14:31; Luke 9:47. (Tr WH accusative); (Luke 23:26 R G); Acts 17:19; Acts 21:30, 33; with the accusative of person, Luke 23:26 L T Tr WH, but in opposition see Meyer; for where the participle ἐπιλαβόμενος is in this sense joined with an accusative, the accusative, by the σχῆμα ἀπό κοίνου, depends also upon the accompanying finite verb (cf. Buttmann, § 132, 9; (so Winer's Grammar, (edited by Lünem.) 202 (190))): Acts 9:27; Acts 16:19; Acts 18:17, cf. Luke 14:4. with the genitive of a thing: τῆς χειρός τίνος, Mark 8:23; Acts 23:19; of a leader, and thus metaphorically, of God, Hebrews 8:9 (cf. Winers Grammar, 571 (531); Buttmann, 316 (271)); with the genitive of a person and of a thing: ἐπιλαμβάνειν τίνος λόγου, ῤήματος, to take anyone in his speech, i. e. to lay hold of something said by him which can be turned against him, Luke 20:20 (Tr λόγον), 26 (WH Tr marginal reading τοῦ for αὐτοῦ); ἐπιλαμβάνειν τῆς αἰωνίου (others, ὄντως) ζωῆς, to seize upon, lay hold of, i. e. to struggle to obtain eternal life, 1 Timothy 6:12, 19 (cf. Winers Grammar, 312 (293)). b. by a metaphor drawn from laying hold of another to rescue him from peril, to help, to succor (cf. German sicheinesannehmen): τίνος, Hebrews 2:16; in this sense used besides only in Sir. 4:11 and Schol. ad Aeschylus Pers. 739. In Appian. bel. civ. 4, 96 the active is thus used with the dative: ἡμῖν τό δαιμόνιον ἐπιλαμβανει. Strong’s Greek 1949 portrays a deliberate act of “taking hold”—sometimes in rescue, sometimes in arrest, sometimes in personal appropriation of God’s promises. Its nineteen New Testament appearances span narrative, doctrinal, and pastoral settings, giving the word a rich theological and practical breadth. Physical Intervention and Rescue Matthew records the most vivid lifesaving moment: “Immediately Jesus reached out His hand, took hold of him, and said, ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?’” (Matthew 14:31). The verb highlights both the urgency of Peter’s need and the sufficiency of the Lord’s grip. Luke uses the term for Simon of Cyrene, who was “seized” to carry the cross (Luke 23:26), underscoring that even involuntary participation can fit within divine purpose. Healing Touch of Jesus In Mark 8:23 Jesus “took the blind man by the hand” before opening his eyes; in Luke 14:4 He “took hold of the man, healed him, and sent him away.” The same word that describes forcible seizure elsewhere here conveys compassionate, personal contact. Healing is not impersonal; Christ’s restorative work involves a firm but tender grasp on the sufferer. Judicial Seizure and Persecution Luke, the historian of Acts, employs 1949 repeatedly for arrests and mob actions: the owners of the slave girl “seized Paul and Silas” (Acts 16:19); philosophers at Athens “took hold of him and brought him” to the Areopagus (Acts 17:19); the Jerusalem crowd “seized Paul” in the temple (Acts 21:30), leading to Roman custody (Acts 21:33). These texts reveal how gospel proclamation often provokes hostile “grasping,” yet each incident advances the sovereign plan of God for the spread of the message. Engagement in Debate and Teaching Luke 20:20 pictures spies hoping to “seize on His words,” introducing a verbal application of the term. Though hostile listeners attempt to trap Jesus, they ultimately fail (Luke 20:26). The word therefore illustrates both the futile grasp of unbelief and the unassailable wisdom of Christ. Spiritual Appropriation and Perseverance Paul urges Timothy, “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of eternal life” (1 Timothy 6:12), and later charges the wealthy to “be generous and willing to share, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life” (1 Timothy 6:19). Here the verb shifts from God’s grasp on humanity to the believer’s active appropriation of salvation’s realities. Eternal life is not passive possession; it is consciously gripped, cherished, and lived out. Christ’s Priestly Help Hebrews employs the term with covenantal overtones: “For surely it is not angels He helps, but He helps the seed of Abraham” (Hebrews 2:16). Twice in the same verse the author stresses Messiah’s solidarity with the redeemed. The Son personally “takes hold” of Abraham’s family, fulfilling the promise cited later in Hebrews 8:9 where God “took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt.” The Exodus pattern becomes the template for the greater redemption accomplished in Christ. Covenant Continuity Hebrews 8:9 echoes the Septuagint of Jeremiah 31, reminding readers that the God who once grasped Israel’s hand now offers a new covenant written on the heart. The recurring image of divine grasp—historic, prophetic, and fulfilled—underscores Scripture’s unity and progressive revelation. Practical Ministry Implications 1. Assurance: Believers stand secure because Christ has seized them first (Matthew 14:31; Hebrews 2:16). Summary Strong’s 1949 weaves a theological tapestry in which God firmly lays hold of His people, believers steadfastly lay hold of eternal life, and adversaries futilely lay hold of the messengers of truth. Whether rescuing, healing, helping, or exhorting, the verb consistently conveys decisive action that secures God’s redemptive intentions and calls His servants to a similarly intentional faithfulness. Englishman's Concordance Matthew 14:31 V-AIM-3SGRK: τὴν χεῖρα ἐπελάβετο αὐτοῦ καὶ NAS: out His hand and took hold of him, and said KJV: [his] hand, and caught him, INT: the hand took hold of him and Mark 8:23 V-APM-NMS Luke 9:47 V-APM-NMS Luke 14:4 V-APM-NMS Luke 20:20 V-ASM-3P Luke 20:26 V-ANM Luke 23:26 V-APM-NMP Acts 9:27 V-APM-NMS Acts 16:19 V-APM-NMP Acts 17:19 V-APM-NMP Acts 18:17 V-APM-NMP Acts 21:30 V-APM-NMP Acts 21:33 V-AIM-3S Acts 23:19 V-APM-NMS 1 Timothy 6:12 V-AMM-2S 1 Timothy 6:19 V-ASM-3P Hebrews 2:16 V-PIM/P-3S Hebrews 2:16 V-PIM/P-3S Hebrews 8:9 V-APM-GMS Strong's Greek 1949 |
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