Lexical Summary episuntrechó: To run together, to rush together Original Word: ἐπισυντρέχω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance come running together. From epi and suntrecho; to hasten together upon one place (or a particular occasion) -- come running together. see GREEK epi see GREEK suntrecho NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom epi and suntrechó Definition to run together again NASB Translation rapidly gathering (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 1998: ἐπισυντρέχωἐπισυντρέχω; to run together besides (i. e. to others already gathered): Mark 9:25. Not used by secular writers. Topical Lexicon Word and Context ἐπισυντρέχει depicts a sudden convergence—people rushing together toward a focal point of divine activity. The sole New Testament occurrence (Mark 9:25) records the crowd’s impetuous movement toward Jesus at the foot of Mount Hermon, just after the Transfiguration. Narrative Setting: Mark 9:14–29 The larger pericope contrasts human inability with Christ’s sovereign power. Nine disciples are powerless before a violent demon; the scribes exploit the situation; the father wavers between doubt and desperate faith. Into this tension the verb appears: “When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, He rebuked the unclean spirit” (Mark 9:25). The gathering does not deter the Lord; rather, it occasions a public display of authority. The timing accentuates two truths: 1. Jesus is never threatened by public scrutiny. Christological Implications The episode underscores Jesus as the decisive center who draws humanity—seekers, skeptics, and sufferers alike. The rush of the multitude prefigures the universal magnetism foretold in John 12:32: “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.” The term therefore serves as a narrative microcosm of His larger mission: gathering scattered sinners into one redeemed people. Implications for Discipleship and Pastoral Ministry 1. Public Expectation: Ministry often unfolds under the gaze of onlookers. Faithfulness requires the same composure Jesus displayed when the crowd converged. Missional and Evangelistic Resonance The verb’s imagery reinforces the church’s evangelistic mandate. When Christ is genuinely manifested, people rush to the scene. Acts 2:6 records a similar dynamic: “When this sound rang out, a crowd came together in bewilderment.” Spirit-empowered proclamation provokes holy curiosity, providing gospel opportunity. Intertextual Echoes and Theological Threads Old Testament language of gathering (Psalm 50:5; Isaiah 2:2) anticipates Messiah’s centripetal pull. The Markan scene therefore contributes to the unfolding storyline of divine assembly, culminating in the eschatological multitude of Revelation 7:9. Application for Worship and Spiritual Formation In corporate worship believers reenact the impulse of ἐπισυντρέχει: hastening together around Christ’s presence in Word and Table. Individually, the term invites self-examination—do I run toward Christ’s authority or linger in the periphery? The crowd ran, but only the father cried, “I do believe; help my unbelief!” Authentic faith marries movement with confession. Forms and Transliterations επισυντρεχει επισυντρέχει ἐπισυντρέχει episuntrechei episyntrechei episyntrécheiLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |
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