δέχομαι

δέχομαι — déchomai

δέχομαι; (future 2 person plural δεξεσθε, Eph 6:17 Rec.bez); 1 aorist ἐδεξάμην; perfect δεδεγμαι (Act 8:14); deponent middle; the Sept. mostly for לָקַח;

1. to take with the hand: τό γράμμα (L text T Tr WH τά γράμματα), Luk 16:6 f; τό ποτήριον, Luk 22:17; to take hold of, take up, τήν περικεφαλαίαν... τήν μάχαιραν, Eph 6:17; τό παιδίον εἰς ἀγκάλας, Luk 2:28.

2. to take up, receive (German aufnehmen,annehmen);

a. used of a place receiving one: ὅν δεῖ οὐρανόν δέξασθαι (οὐρανόν is subject), Act 3:21 (Plato, Theact., p. 177 a. τελευτησαντας αὐτούς... ὁ τῶν κακῶν καθαρός τόπος οὐ δέξεται).

b. with the accusative of person to receive, grant access to, a visitor; not to refuse contact or friendship: Luk 9:11 R G; Joh 4:45; 2Co 7:15; Gal 4:14; Col 4:10; to receive to hospitality, Mat 10:14; Mat 10:40; Mar 6:11; Luk 9:5; Luk 9:53; Luk 10:8; Luk 10:10; Act 21:17 Rec.; Heb 11:31 (often in Greek writings from Homer down); παιδίον, to receive into one's family in order to bring up and educate, Mat 18:5; Mar 9:37; Luk 9:48; to receive εἰς τούς οἴκους, τάς σκηνάς, Luk 16:4; Luk 16:9; δέξαι τό πνεῦμα μου, to thyself in heaven, Act 7:59.

c. with the accusative of the thing offered in speaking, teaching, instructing; to receive favorably, give ear to, embrace, make one's own, approve, not to reject: τόν λόγον, Luk 8:13; Act 8:14; Act 11:1; Act 17:11; 1Th 1:6; 1Th 2:13; Jas 1:21; τά τοῦ πνεύματος 1Co 2:14; τήν παράκλησιν, 2Co 8:17; τήν ἀγάπην τῆς ἀληθείας namely, commended to them, 2Th 2:10; (add the elliptical construction in Mat 11:14) (often in Greek writings); to receive a benefit offered, not to reject it, 2Co 8:4 Rec. d. to receive equivalent to to take upon oneself, sustain, bear, endure: τινα, his bearing and behavior, 2Co 11:16 τήν ἀδικίαν, Hebrew נָשָׂא, Gen 50:17; πᾶν, ὁ ἐάν ἐπαχθῇ, Sir 2:4; μυθον χαλεπόν, Homer, Odyssey 20, 271, and often in Greek writers).

3. to receive, get, (German empfangen): ἐπιστολάς, Act 22:5; γράμματα, Act 28:21; τήν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, to become a partaker of the benefits of God's kingdom, Mar 10:15; Luk 18:17; λόγια ζῶντα, Act 7:38; εὐαγγέλιον, 2Co 11:4; τήν χάριν τοῦ Θεοῦ, 2Co 6:1; — equivalent to to learn: Php 4:18 ((?) see the commentaries at the passage). [SYNONYMS: δέχομαι, λαμβάνω: The earlier classic use of these verbs sustains in the main the distinction laid down in the glossaries (e. g. Ammonius, under the word λαβεῖν; λαβεῖν μέν ἐστι, τό κείμενον τί ἀνέλεσθαι. δέξασθαι δέ, τό διδόμενον ἐκ χειρός), and the suggestion of a self-prompted taking still adheres to λαμβάνω in many connections (cf. λαβεῖν τινα γυναῖκα, ἀρχήν λαβεῖν) in distinction from a receiving of what is offered; in use, however, the words overlap and distinctions disappear; yet the suggestion of a welcoming or an appropriating reception generally cleaves to δέχομαι. See Schimdt, chapter 107, who treats of the compound of δέχομαι. in detail. Compare: ἀναδέχομαι, ἀποδέχομαι, διαδέχομαι, εἰσδέχομαι, ἐκδέχομαι, ἀπεκδέχομαι, ἐνδέχομαι, ἐπιδέχομαι, παραδέχομαι, προσδέχομαι, ὑποδέχομαι.]