ἐκγαμίσκω

I give in marriage

Definition

The verb ἐκγαμίσκω means 'to give in marriage' or 'to give away in marriage,' specifically referring to the act of a parent or guardian arranging a marriage for a daughter. It carries the nuance of handing someone out of one's household into another through marriage. In the New Testament, it appears exclusively in Jesus' teaching about the resurrection in Luke 20:34-35. There, it describes the marital practices of the present age, contrasted with the state of those considered worthy of the age to come, where such giving in marriage does not occur. The word focuses on the social and legal act of arranging the union, not the marital relationship itself.

Biblical Usage

This word is used only twice in the New Testament, both in Luke 20:34-35. Jesus uses it in a contrast between the present age and the coming age. He states that in this age, people 'marry and are given in marriage' (γαμίσκονται καὶ ἐκγαμίσκονται), but those who attain to the resurrection and the coming age 'neither marry nor are given in marriage' (οὔτε γαμοῦσιν οὔτε ἐκγαμίσκονται). The word is paired with the active 'to marry' (γαμίσκω) to comprehensively describe the institution of marriage from both the active (taking a spouse) and passive (being given as a spouse) perspectives within that cultural framework.

Etymology

ἐκγαμίσκω is a compound verb formed from the preposition ἐκ (ek), meaning 'out of' or 'from,' and the verb γαμίσκω (gamiskō), meaning 'to give in marriage' or 'to marry.' The ἐκ prefix intensifies the sense of movement out of one's family or guardianship into another. It is related to the more common root γάμος (gamos), meaning 'marriage' or 'wedding.' The compound form emphasizes the transactional, social dimension of arranging a marriage where a woman is transferred from her father's authority to her husband's.

Semantic Range

This word is theologically significant as it appears in Jesus' pivotal teaching on the nature of the resurrection and the coming age (Luke 20:34-36). Its use highlights a fundamental contrast between the social structures and institutions of the present world (where marriage and procreation continue) and the transformed existence of the resurrection life. Understanding this specific term—focusing on the legal/social transfer in marriage—enriches the reading by showing that Jesus is not merely discussing intimate relationships but the entire earthly system of family lineage and continuity, which will be transcended. It points to a radical new mode of existence for the children of God and the resurrection.

In the 1st-century Jewish and Greco-Roman world, marriage was often an arranged social and economic transaction between families, particularly for daughters. The verb ἐκγαμίσκω reflects this context, where a father or guardian had the authority to 'give away' a woman in marriage. This stands in contrast to modern Western emphasis on individual romantic choice. Jesus' listeners would have immediately understood the term as referencing this standard cultural practice. His statement that this practice ceases in the resurrection age would have been a startling claim about the transformation of foundational social structures.

γαμέω (gameō, G1060) — a more general verb for 'to marry' (used by either gender). γαμίσκω (gamiskō, G1547) — the simpler, non-compound form meaning 'to give in marriage' or 'to marry'; ἐκγαμίσκω adds the explicit 'out of' nuance.

Word Details

Scripture References