4890. sundromé

Lexical Summary

sundromé: Assistance, help, support

Original Word: συνδρομή
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: sundromé
Pronunciation: soon-dro-MAY
Phonetic Spelling: (soon-drom-ay')
KJV: run together
NASB: rushed together
Word Origin: [from (the alternate of) G4936 (συντρέχω - ran together)]

1. a running together
2. (riotous) concourse

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

run together.

From (the alternate of) suntrecho; a running together, i.e. (riotous) concourse -- run together.

see GREEK suntrecho

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from suntrechó
Definition
a running together, i.e. a concourse (esp. of a riotous gathering)
NASB Translation
rushed together (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 4890: συνδρομή

συνδρομή, συνδρομης, ἡ (συντρέχω), a running together, concourse, especially hostile or riotous: Acts 21:30. (Aristotle, rhetor. 3, 10, p. 1411a, 29; Polybius, Diodorus, others; 3Macc. 3:8.)

Topical Lexicon

Definition and First-Century Nuance

Strong’s Greek 4890 conveys the idea of a sudden “running together,” a swift convergence of people who, stirred by a common impulse, form an agitated crowd. In Greco-Roman literature the term was used for civic melees or panic-driven throngs; Luke applies it to a religious mob that erupts in Jerusalem.

Single New Testament Occurrence

Acts 21:30 records the only New Testament use: “Then the whole city was stirred, and the people rushed together. They seized Paul, dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut” (Berean Standard Bible). The word captures the explosive, almost instinctive, movement of the masses who misjudged Paul as a defiler of the sanctuary.

Historical Setting

1. Paul had completed his third missionary journey and returned to Jerusalem carrying relief funds for the saints (Acts 20:22; Romans 15:25-27).
2. To allay rumors that he had abandoned Moses, Paul joined four men in a Nazirite vow (Acts 21:23-26).
3. Diaspora Jews from Asia, likely remembering Paul’s ministry in Ephesus, falsely accused him of bringing Trophimus the Ephesian into the inner courts (Acts 21:27-29).
4. The resulting συνδρομή galvanized the entire city during the feast season, turning a ceremonial setting into chaos.

Theological Significance

• The episode fulfills Christ’s prophecy that His servants would be delivered to synagogues and prisons (Luke 21:12-13), yet would thereby bear witness before rulers.
• The crowd’s mistaken zeal illustrates how religious fervor, absent truth, can oppose God’s purposes. Just as mobs shouted, “Crucify Him!” (Matthew 27:22-23), so here they seek Paul’s death, unwittingly furthering the spread of the gospel to Rome (Acts 23:11; Philippians 1:12-13).
• The Temple gates closing behind Paul highlight Israel’s impending judicial hardening; the physical shutting anticipates the spiritual blindness Paul later explains in Romans 11:7-10.

Relation to Other Biblical Crowd Incidents

• Stephen’s martyrdom (Acts 7:57-58) and the riot in Ephesus (Acts 19:29-34) present parallel scenes of uncontrolled collective passion.
• Old Testament precursors include the men of Sodom gathering at Lot’s house (Genesis 19:4) and the mob at Gibeah (Judges 19:22). In each case, corporate sin accelerates judgment.
• By contrast, righteous assemblies—such as Israel uniting to hear the Law (Nehemiah 8:1-8) or believers gathering at Pentecost (Acts 2:1)—show how God also summons crowds for blessing. The deciding factor is obedience to revealed truth.

Implications for Christian Ministry

1. Expect opposition: faithful proclamation often provokes collective hostility (2 Timothy 3:12).
2. Maintain integrity: Paul’s prior purification vow underscores the need to avoid needless offense while never compromising gospel essentials (1 Corinthians 9:19-23).
3. Use lawful means: Paul’s appeal to Roman citizenship (Acts 22:25) legitimizes prudent recourse to civil protections.
4. Seize the platform: every disturbance became an opportunity for Paul to testify—first to the mob on the Temple steps (Acts 22:1-21), then to kings and governors (Acts 24–26).
5. Trust providence: what began with a violent συνδρομή set in motion Paul’s voyage to Rome, aligning perfectly with divine intention (Acts 23:11).

Conclusion

Though occurring only once, συνδρομή stands as a vivid reminder that the gospel advances amid tumult. Mobs may rush together, but the Sovereign Lord directs events so that His servants, like Paul, carry the message “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

Forms and Transliterations

συνδρομη συνδρομή συνδρομὴ σύνεγγυς sundrome sundromē syndrome syndromē syndromḕ

Englishman's Concordance

Acts 21:30 N-NFS
GRK: καὶ ἐγένετο συνδρομὴ τοῦ λαοῦ
NAS: and the people rushed together, and taking hold
INT: and there was a commotion of the people

Strong's Greek 4890
1 Occurrence

συνδρομὴ — 1 Occ.