Lexical Summary analusis: Departure, release Original Word: ἀνάλυσις Strong's Exhaustive Concordance departure. From analuo; departure -- departure. see GREEK analuo NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom analuó Definition a loosing, departure NASB Translation departure (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 359: ἀνάλυσιςἀνάλυσις, ἀναλύσεώς, ἡ (ἀναλύω, which see); 1. an unloosing (as of things woven), a dissolving (into separate parts). 2. departure (a metaphor drawn from loosing from moorings preparatory to setting sail, cf. Homer, Odyssey 15, 548; (or, according to others, from breaking up an encampment; cf. Lightfoot on Philippians 1:23)), German Aufbruch: 2 Timothy 4:6 (departure from life; Philo in Flacc. § 21 (p. 544, Mang. edition) ἡ ἐκ τοῦ βίου τελευταῖα ἀνάλυσις; (Clement of Rome, 1 Cor. 44, 5 [ET] ἔγκαρπον καί τελείαν ἔσχον τήν ἀναλυσιν; Eusebius, h. e. 3, 32, 1 μαρτυρίῳ τόν βίον ἀναλῦσαι, cf. 3, 34). Cf. ἀνάλυσις ἀπό συνουσιας, Josephus, Antiquities 19, 4, 1). The noun ἀναλύσεως appears once in the Greek New Testament at 2 Timothy 4:6. Paul, imprisoned in Rome and aware that his execution is imminent, writes, “For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand” (Berean Standard Bible). The singular use heightens its gravity, framing Paul’s impending death not as defeat but as a purposeful transition. Context within Pauline Ministry 2 Timothy is widely recognized as the Apostle’s final canonical letter. The chosen term echoes his earlier language in Philippians 1:23, where the cognate verb conveys the longing “to depart and be with Christ.” Here, however, Paul is no longer expressing preference; he is announcing certainty. By coupling sacrificial imagery (“poured out”) with ἀναλύσεως, he portrays his martyrdom as the last act of a life already surrendered to the Lord (Romans 12:1; Acts 20:24). Old Testament Background The idea of “unloosing” or “release” resonates with Exodus typology. When Israel left Egypt, the Septuagint uses λύω-compounds to describe the undoing of bondage (Exodus 5:4-5). Paul’s word choice thus carries faint echoes of a greater Exodus—release from mortal constraints into the promised presence of God. The Pauline View of Death and Departure For Paul, death is not annihilation but transit. Elsewhere he speaks of being “at home in the body” versus “at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:6-8). ἀναλύσεως succinctly captures that same tension: departure from the present tent (2 Corinthians 5:1) to immediate fellowship with Christ, while still awaiting bodily resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:52). The term guards both truths: conscious communion after death and the yet-future re-embodiment. Eschatological Hope and the Believer’s Departure Because 2 Timothy 4 moves swiftly from Paul’s departure (verse 6) to the “crown of righteousness” laid up for “all who long for His appearing” (verse 8), ἀναλύσεως links personal death with cosmic consummation. Individual departures accumulate toward the final appearing of Jesus Christ, when He will “bring with Him those who have fallen asleep” (1 Thessalonians 4:14). Pastoral and Ministry Application Paul’s use of the word offers guidance for believers facing mortality: Historical Reception in the Early Church Early Christian writers quickly adopted the image of departure. Ignatius, on his way to martyrdom (circa A.D. 110), speaks of his desire to be “loosed to God,” likely echoing Paul’s vocabulary. The term helped shape liturgical prayers that commend the dying into God’s hands, underscoring continuity between apostolic teaching and later worship. Practical Considerations for the Modern Church 1. Funeral liturgies can reclaim the biblical language of departure to testify both to Christ’s victory and to the intermediate state of the believer. Conclusion Though occurring only once, ἀναλύσεως gathers rich strands of biblical theology—sacrifice, exodus, pilgrimage, and resurrection—into a single word. Its use in 2 Timothy 4:6 turns the shadow of death into a doorway opened by Christ, inviting every believer to serve faithfully until the hour of joyful departure. |
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