Lexical Summary harpagé: Plunder, robbery, seizure Original Word: ἁρπαγή Strong's Exhaustive Concordance extortion, robberyFrom harpazo; pillage (properly abstract) -- extortion, ravening, spoiling. see GREEK harpazo HELPS Word-studies Cognate: 724 harpagḗ – to plunder (pillage), fueled by "violent greed" (L & N, 1, 25.24). See 726 (harpazō). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom harpazó Definition pillage, plundering NASB Translation robbery (2), seizure (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 724: ἁρπαγήἁρπαγή, ἁρπαγῆς, ἡ (ἁρπάζω), rapine, pillage; 1. the act of plundering, robbery: Hebrews 10:34. 2. plunder, spoil: Matthew 23:25; Luke 11:39. (Isaiah 3:14; Nahum 2:12. In Greek writings from Aeschylus down.) ἁρπαγή (Strong’s 724) portrays the forcible seizure of what belongs to another—whether by official confiscation, private plunder, or corrupt gain. The word therefore moves in two distinct but related spheres: (1) violent persecution that strips believers of earthly goods, and (2) predatory greed that hides beneath a religious veneer. Occurrences in the New Testament 1. Matthew 23:25 – hypocritical leaders are “full of extortion and self-indulgence.” Contextual Insights Matthew and Luke record Jesus rebuking the religious elite for a heart that hungers after ill-gotten gain while pretending outward purity. The noun here underscores systemic, calculated exploitation rather than an isolated theft. Hebrews envisages an official plundering—believers’ homes or shops sealed by magistrates or mobs. The word choice links the Pharisees’ private corruption with the public persecution later faced by the church: both are forms of ἁρπαγή. Moral and Theological Themes Greed is unmasked as theft before God, regardless of the social respectability that may cloak it (Matthew 23:25). Conversely, loss endured for Christ’s sake becomes an occasion for joy grounded in “a better and permanent possession” (Hebrews 10:34). Thus ἁρπαγή exposes false religion and strengthens true faith: it judges the covetous heart and sanctifies the suffering saint. Connection to Old Testament Prophetic Warnings Prophets repeatedly condemned those who “seize houses and take them” (Micah 2:2) or “turn aside the needy in the gate” (Amos 5:12). The Septuagint often employs cognate terms (e.g., ἁρπάζω) for such injustices, preparing the way for the New Testament’s application of ἁρπαγή. Jesus and the writer of Hebrews stand in this prophetic stream, announcing both judgment and hope. Historical Background Under Roman rule Jews could press charges of sacrilege against Christians, leading to property loss. In the mid-first century, local governors possessed latitude to confiscate goods (cf. Acts 17:6-9). The addressees of Hebrews were probably experiencing that very climate. Matthew and Luke reveal an earlier phase: unscrupulous leaders enriching themselves through religious office, a practice noted by Josephus regarding the temple hierarchy. Practical Ministry Implications • Leaders must guard against any hint of financial exploitation; purity of heart, not ceremonial polish, is God’s standard. Enduring Relevance for the Church ἁρπαγή reminds every generation that possessions are transient, justice matters to God, and hypocrisy invites divine woe. Where unjust seizure persists, the church must speak prophetically; where believers lose all for Christ, the church must console them with the “inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading” (1 Peter 1:4). Englishman's Concordance Matthew 23:25 N-GFSGRK: γέμουσιν ἐξ ἁρπαγῆς καὶ ἀκρασίας NAS: they are full of robbery and self-indulgence. KJV: they are full of extortion and excess. INT: they are full of robbery and self-indulgence Luke 11:39 N-GFS Hebrews 10:34 N-AFS Strong's Greek 724 |
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