Lexical Summary parapheró: To carry away, to bear along, to lead astray Original Word: παραφέρω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance remove, take away. From para and phero (including its alternate forms); to bear along or aside, i.e. Carry off (literally or figuratively); by implication, to avert -- remove, take away. see GREEK para see GREEK phero HELPS Word-studies 3911 paraphérō (from 3844 /pará, "from close-beside" and 5342 /phérō, "to carry, bring along") – properly, to remove (carry away) something very closely felt. It occurs four times in the NT. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom para and pheró Definition to bring to, to carry away NASB Translation carried along (1), carried away (1), remove (2). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 3911: παραφέρωπαραφέρω: (1 aorist infinitive παρενεγκαι (Luke 22:42 Tdf., cf. Veitch, p. 669)); 2 aorist infinitive παρενεγκεῖν (Luke 22:42 R G), imperative παρένεγκε ((ibid. L Tr WH); present passive παραφέρομαι; see references under the word φέρω); 1. to bear (cf. παρά, IV. 1), bring to, put before: of food (Herodotus, Xenophon, others). 2. to lead aside (cf. παρά, IV. 2) from the right course or path, to carry away: Jude 1:12 (R. V. carried along) (where Rec. περιφέρεσθε); from the truth, Hebrews 13:9 where Rec. περιφερ. (Plato, Phaedr., p. 265 b.; Plutarch, Timol. 6; Antoninus 4, 43; Herodian, 8, 4, 7 (4 edition, Bekker)). 3. to carry past, lead past, i. e. to cause to pass by, to remove: τί ἀπό τίνος, Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42. Strong’s Greek 3911 pictures an intentional shifting or removal from one place or state to another. Whether it is a cup that is asked to be taken away, a believer who must refuse to be swept off course, or clouds driven aimlessly by the wind, the verb always implies movement out of an appointed course. In every context Scripture treats that movement as consequential, demanding discernment about who or what does the carrying—and toward which end. Occurrences in Scripture • Mark 14:36—“Abba, Father,” He said, “all things are possible for You. Take this cup from Me. Yet not what I will, but what You will.” A Cup Sought to Be Removed (Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42) In Gethsemane the verb gives voice to the Son’s humanity. The “cup” is the full measure of divine wrath against sin. By asking that it be “taken away,” Jesus is not resisting the Father’s plan but submitting His will to it. The movement requested is conditional—“Yet not My will”—and underscores the deeper truth that atonement requires the cup to remain. The word therefore intensifies the contrast between what might be allowable and what is eternally necessary. Christ’s obedient refusal to be moved from the Father’s purpose guarantees redemption. Guarding Doctrine from Drift (Hebrews 13:9) The exhortation “Do not be carried away” stands at the close of a letter that has presented Jesus Christ as the same “yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). The placement is deliberate. Because Jesus is unchanging, teaching about Him must be equally stable. The verb exposes false doctrine as a current strong enough to uproot if one is not anchored. The command is corporate (“Do not be carried away”), reminding the church that vigilance is communal. Discernment belongs to the whole body for the sake of the purity of the gospel. False Teachers as Aimless Clouds (Jude 12) Jude paints apostate teachers as “clouds without water, carried along by the wind.” They promise refreshment but bring drought. Their being “carried along” is uncontrolled and directionless, revealing a life no longer under the lordship of Christ. The same word that describes what believers must resist in Hebrews now brands deceivers who have surrendered to that very drift. Scripture thus establishes a moral polarity: disciples stand firm; deceivers are swept away. Theological Themes 1. Sovereignty versus Self-Will—In Gethsemane the verb shows submission overcoming desire, proving that true freedom is found in yielding to God rather than seeking removal from His will. Historical and Cultural Background First-century sailors feared being “carried off course” by shifting winds—a vivid picture for congregations scattered throughout the Roman world. Hebrews, likely addressed to Jewish believers tempted to return to temple ritual, and Jude, written against a tide of antinomianism, both employ the maritime nuance of the verb to warn that spiritual drift is more perilous than physical shipwreck. The cup imagery in the Gospels recalls Old Testament use of “cup” for divine wrath (Psalm 75:8; Isaiah 51:17), showing continuity between covenants. Pastoral and Ministry Applications • Teach the whole counsel of God to prevent congregational drift. Summary Strong’s Greek 3911 consistently confronts the reader with a fork in the road: either removal from God’s design or steadfast perseverance within it. Jesus, by refusing to be moved from the Father’s redemptive plan, secures salvation for those who likewise refuse to be “carried away” by error. False teachers, surrendering to the winds of their own making, illustrate the opposite destiny. The word thus serves as a call to vigilance, submission, and unwavering allegiance to the truth once for all delivered to the saints. Englishman's Concordance Mark 14:36 V-AMA-2SGRK: δυνατά σοι παρένεγκε τὸ ποτήριον NAS: are possible for You; remove this KJV: unto thee; take away this INT: possible to you take away the cup Luke 22:42 V-AMA-2S Hebrews 13:9 V-PMM/P-2P Jude 1:12 V-PPM/P-NFP Strong's Greek 3911 |
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