συνάγω

I gather together

Definition

The verb συνάγω fundamentally means 'to gather together' or 'to assemble.' In the New Testament, it carries several nuanced meanings depending on context. It can refer to physically gathering people, as when crowds are assembled to hear Jesus teach (Matthew 13:2), or gathering material things, like collecting crops at harvest (Matthew 13:30). It also has a significant relational sense, meaning to welcome or receive someone hospitably, as in offering fellowship. In a more ominous sense, it describes gathering for judgment, such as separating the wheat from the chaff (Matthew 3:12).

Biblical Usage

Συνάγω appears 61 times in the New Testament, predominantly in the Gospels (especially Matthew) and Revelation. It is used in diverse contexts: gathering crowds for teaching (Matthew 13:2), gathering believers for fellowship (Matthew 18:20), gathering the nations for judgment (Matthew 25:32), and gathering material possessions (Matthew 6:26). In Revelation, it often describes the gathering of forces for conflict (Revelation 16:14, 19:19). A key pattern is its use for both positive assembly (the church) and eschatological gathering (for judgment).

Etymology

The word is a compound of the preposition σύν (syn), meaning 'with' or 'together,' and the common verb ἄγω (agō), meaning 'to lead' or 'to bring.' Thus, its core idea is 'to lead or bring together.' This transparent etymology directly informs its biblical meanings of assembling, collecting, and uniting. Cognates include συναγωγή (synagōgē, G4864), meaning 'a gathering' or 'synagogue,' and συναθροίζω (synathroizō, G4867), a more intensive synonym for gathering a crowd.

Semantic Range

Συνάγω is theologically significant as it underpins key concepts of community and eschatology. It describes the gathering of God's people, foreshadowing the church (Matthew 18:20). Most profoundly, it is central to Jesus' mission statements about gathering people to himself, in contrast with scattering (Matthew 12:30). The word also carries heavy eschatological weight, describing God's final act of gathering all people for judgment (Matthew 13:30, 47-48) and the ultimate gathering of the elect (Matthew 24:31). Understanding this range from fellowship to final judgment enriches reading of Jesus' parables and apocalyptic literature.

In the first-century Jewish context, the act of 'gathering' had strong communal and religious connotations. The related noun συναγωγή (synagōgē) was the central institution for local Jewish assembly, worship, and teaching. When Jesus speaks of 'gathering' or being 'gathered,' his audience would have heard echoes of this community identity. Furthermore, agricultural imagery of gathering harvest (Matthew 13:30) was immediately understandable in an agrarian society, symbolizing both provision and the culmination of a season's work, which Jesus applies to the culmination of history.

ἐπισυνάγω (episynagō, G1996) — to gather together in addition or to a specific point; often used for gathering believers. συναθροίζω (synathroizō, G4867) — to gather or collect together in a crowd, often with a sense of tumult. ἀθροίζω (athroizō, G523) — to gather or crowd together (a simpler, non-compound form).

Word Details

Scripture References