συνέχω

I press together, confine, compel, am afflicted with

Definition

The verb συνέχω (synechō) carries a range of meanings centered on the idea of holding or pressing together. Its primary sense is to physically confine, press on, or hem in, as when a city is surrounded by armies (Luke 19:43). It can also describe being seized or gripped by a powerful force, such as a fever (Luke 4:38) or intense emotion like anguish (Luke 12:50). In a more active sense, it means to hold fast or detain someone, as the crowd held onto Stephen (Acts 7:57), or to compress a crowd (Luke 8:45). The passive voice often indicates being afflicted or oppressed by something, like various diseases (Matthew 4:24).

Biblical Usage

Συνέχω appears 12 times in the New Testament, primarily in the Gospels of Luke and Matthew, and once in Acts. Its usage is diverse, depicting physical constraint (Luke 19:43, Acts 7:57), medical affliction (Matthew 4:24, Luke 4:38), and internal emotional or spiritual pressure (Luke 12:50). In Luke 8:37, it describes the Gerasenes being 'seized' with great fear. The word often appears in passive forms, emphasizing the experience of being constrained or afflicted by an external force.

Etymology

Derived from the preposition σύν (syn), meaning 'with' or 'together,' and the common verb ἔχω (echō), meaning 'to have' or 'to hold.' The compound thus literally means 'to hold together.' This root meaning evolved to encompass the various senses of constraining, confining, and being in the grip of something.

Semantic Range

This word is theologically significant as it vividly portrays human experience under divine constraint and earthly affliction. Jesus uses it to describe the 'distress' (συνέχομαι) he feels until his baptism of suffering is completed (Luke 12:50), highlighting his voluntary submission to God's redemptive plan. It also illustrates the power of sin and sickness from which Christ offers liberation (Matthew 4:24, Luke 4:38-39). Understanding its range from external siege to internal anguish deepens our appreciation for biblical descriptions of suffering, oppression, and divine urgency.

In a Greco-Roman context, the word's use for being 'hemmed in' by enemies (Luke 19:43) would evoke the terrifying reality of siege warfare. Its medical usage for being 'gripped' by a fever reflects ancient understanding of illness as an overpowering external force that seizes the body, rather than a modern internal condition.

θλίβω (thlibō, G2346) — emphasizes pressing or tribulation, often with a sense of crushing; πιέζω (piezō, G4085) — to press down or squeeze, used less frequently; κατέχω (katechō, G2722) — to hold back, detain, or possess, with a stronger sense of restraint or control.

Word Details

Scripture References