[B-Greek] The meaning of APEKDEXOMAI.

Timothy Lawson tslawson1 at yahoo.com
Fri Dec 31 16:35:37 EST 2010


To all:

A friend of mine writes:

"I have summarily rejected the lexical definitions of apekdechomai, taking, 
instead, the meaning of the verb dechomai, and adding the meanings of the added 
prefixes.  This is just for your consideration.  It gives the verse a very 
different meaning.
 
Phil. 3:20
 
"For you see, our citizenship (result of living in a free city; or: commonwealth 
– realm of a free city; political realm) continues inherently existing (or: 
continues humbly ruling; continuously subsists; repeatedly has its 
under-beginning) resident within the midst of [the] atmospheres (or: heavens), 
from out of where (or: which place) we also continuously receive and take away 
in our hands from out of a Deliverer (a Savior; One restoring us to the health 
and wholeness of our original state and condition): [the] Lord (or: a Master), 
Jesus Christ,"
 
The hi-lited clause renders the Greek verb "apo-ek-dechometha."  Dechometha is 
the 1st per. pl. present tense of "dechomai," with two prepositions prefixed to 
it.  Dechomai means: to take into one's hands (first meaning); to receive 
(second meaning); to accept (third meaning).  Do you see any "waiting" in this 
word?
 
apo means: away; away from; off.  ek means: from out of; out of the midst of.  
Add these two modifiers to the above verb, and you get my translation. 


As you know, traditions die hard.  Liddell and Scott list apek as a preposition: 
away/from out of.
 
In a separate entry, a group of verbs are listed under apek-
apek-lanthanomai : to forget entirely (apek as an intensifier); to escape away 
from out of (one's) knowledge
apek-baino : to turn away and out
apek-ballo : to cast out and away
apek-bioo : to cease living (to be out and away from life)
apek-duomai : to strip off oneself
apek-luo : to relax, weaken
apek-ripto : to throw off and away
apek-teino : to draw off and away
apek-tasis : a spreading out and away
 
Now note that in all these cases the addition of this preposition to a verb 
either works as an intensifier of the verb, or adds the meaning of the 
preposition to the verb.  So why not with apek-dechomai?"

 
    I see that only two of his examples are deponent as is APEKDEXOMAI and their 
stems are active. 

 
LANQANW for APEKLANQANOMAI
EKDUW for APEKDUOMAI?
 
APEKDEXOMAI has a deponent for it's stem. Since it has a middle/passive form to 
begin with might this may affect the meaning of the preposition/s APEK.

   I've also pointed out that the Latin text translates APEKDEXOMAI with 
"exspecto" at Phil. 3:20 as well as the other seven places noted in BDAG. 


What factors influence how this word is understood?

T. Scott Lawson


      


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