3713. oregó

Lexicon

oregó: To reach out, to stretch oneself, to desire, to aspire

Original Word: ὀρέγω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: oregó
Pronunciation: o-re'-go
Phonetic Spelling: (or-eg'-om-ahee)
Definition: To reach out, to stretch oneself, to desire, to aspire
Meaning: I stretch forth, mid: I hanker after, long for, am eager for, aspire to.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

covet after, desire.

Middle voice of apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary (compare oros); to stretch oneself, i.e. Reach out after (long for) -- covet after, desire.

see GREEK oros

HELPS Word-studies

3713 orégomai ("a primitive verb," NAS Dictionary) – properly, stretch towards; (figuratively) strongly inclined to (pulled towards); aspire to; desire to attain (acquire), reach to.

3713 /orégomai ("aspire, stretch towards") is always in the Greek middle voice meaning, "stretching oneself out." This emphasizes the personal desire of the subject, focusing on what the object personally means to the subject (cf. Vine/Unger, White, NT).

[J. Thayer, "The middle voice literally means 'to stretch oneself out in order to touch or grasp something.' "]

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
a prim. verb
Definition
to stretch out, to reach after, to yearn for
NASB Translation
aspires (1), desire (1), longing (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 3713: ὀρέγω

ὀρέγω: (cf. Latinrego, German recken,strecken,reichen (English reach; Curtius, § 153)); from Homer down; to stretch forth, as χεῖρα, Homer, Iliad 15, 371, etc.; present middle (cf. Winers Grammar, p. 252 (237) note), to stretch oneself out in order to touch or to grasp something, to reach after or desire something: with a genitive of the thing, 1 Timothy 3:1; Hebrews 11:16; φιλαργυριας, to give oneself up to the love of money (not quite accurately since φιλαργυριας is itself the ὄρεξις; (cf. Ellicott at the passage)), 1 Timothy 6:10.

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: A primary verb

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: While there is no direct Hebrew equivalent for ὀρέγω, similar concepts of longing or aspiring can be found in Hebrew words such as תָּאַו (ta'av, Strong's 8373), which means to desire or long for, and שָׁאַף (sha'af, Strong's 7602), which means to pant after or to long for. These terms capture the essence of yearning and aspiration found in the Greek ὀρέγω.

Usage: The verb ὀρέγω is used in the New Testament to describe a strong desire or aspiration, often in a positive sense of reaching out for something noble or virtuous.

Context: The Greek verb ὀρέγω appears in the New Testament in contexts that emphasize a deliberate and earnest reaching out or longing for something. It is used metaphorically to describe the pursuit of noble goals or virtues. The term conveys a sense of intentionality and purpose in one's aspirations.

In 1 Timothy 3:1, the apostle Paul uses ὀρέγω to describe the desire for the office of an overseer: "This is a trustworthy saying: If anyone aspires to be an overseer, he desires a noble task." Here, the verb underscores the commendable nature of aspiring to a position of leadership within the church, highlighting the virtue of seeking to serve and guide others in a spiritual capacity.

The verb also appears in Hebrews 11:16, where it describes the longing of the patriarchs for a heavenly homeland: "Instead, they were longing for a better country, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them." In this context, ὀρέγω reflects the deep spiritual yearning for eternal fulfillment and the ultimate promise of God's kingdom.

The use of ὀρέγω in these passages illustrates the concept of reaching beyond the immediate and temporal, aspiring towards that which is eternal and divinely ordained. It encourages believers to set their sights on higher, spiritual goals, aligning their desires with God's purposes.

Forms and Transliterations

ορεγεται ορέγεται ὀρέγεται ορεγομενοι ορεγόμενοι ὀρεγόμενοι ορεγονται ορέγονται ὀρέγονται oregetai orégetai oregomenoi oregómenoi oregontai orégontai

Englishman's Concordance

1 Timothy 3:1 V-PIM-3S
GRK: τις ἐπισκοπῆς ὀρέγεται καλοῦ ἔργου
NAS: any man aspires to the office of overseer,
KJV: If a man desire the office of a bishop,
INT: anyone overseership aspires to of good a work

1 Timothy 6:10 V-PPM-NMP
GRK: ἧς τινὲς ὀρεγόμενοι ἀπεπλανήθησαν ἀπὸ
NAS: and some by longing for it have wandered away
KJV: while some coveted after, they have erred
INT: which some stretching after were seduced from

Hebrews 11:16 V-PIM-3P
GRK: δὲ κρείττονος ὀρέγονται τοῦτ' ἔστιν
NAS: But as it is, they desire a better
KJV: now they desire a better
INT: moreover a better they stretch forward to this is

Strong's Greek 3713
3 Occurrences

ὀρέγεται — 1 Occ.
ὀρεγόμενοι — 1 Occ.
ὀρέγονται — 1 Occ.