ἐκλεκτός

ἐκλεκτός — eklektós

ἐκλεκτός, ἐκλεκτή, ἐκλεκτόν (ἐκλέγω), picked out, chosen; rare in Greek writ:, as Thucydides 6, 100; Plato, legg. 11, p. 938 b.; 12, 948 a., etc.; the Sept. for בָּחוּר and בָּחִיר; in the N. T.

1. chosen by God, and a. to obtain salvation through Christ (see ἐκλέγω); hence, Christians are called οἱ ἐκλεκτοί τοῦ Θεοῦ, the chosen or elect of God (cf. Winer's Grammar, 35 (34); 234 (219)), (יְהוָה בְּחִירֵי, said of pious Israelites Isa 65:9; Isa 65:15; Isa 65:23; Psalm 104:43, cf. Wis 4:15): Luk 18:7; Rom 8:33; Col 3:12; Tit 1:1; without the genitive Θεοῦ, Mat 24:22; Mat 24:24; Mar 13:20; Mar 13:22; 1Pe 1:1; with the addition of τοῦ Χριστοῦ, as the genitive of possessor, Mat 24:31; Mar 13:27 (T Tr omit the genitive); κλητοί καί ἐκλεκτοί καί πιστοί, Rev 17:14; γένος ἐκλεκτόν, 1Pe 2:9 (from Isa 43:20, cf. Additions to Esther 8:40 [Esther 8:368:12t] (Esth. 6:17, p. 64, Fritzsche edition)); ἐκλεκτοί, those who have become true partakers of the Christian salvation are contrasted with κλητοί, those who have been invited but who have not shown themselves fitted to obtain it (others regard the 'called' and the 'chosen' here as alike partakers of salvation, but the latter as the 'choice ones' (see 2 below), distinguished above the former; cf. James Morison or Meyer at the passage), Mat 20:16 (here T WH omit; Tr brackets the clause);; finally, those are called ἐκλεκτοί who are destined for salvation but have not yet been brought to it, 2Ti 2:10 (but cf. Huther or Ellicott at the passage).

b. The Messiah is called preeminently ὁ ἐκλεκτός τοῦ Θεοῦ, as appointed by God to the most exalted office conceivable: Luk 23:35, cf. Luk 9:35 L marginal reading T Tr WH; cf. Dillmann, Das Buch Henoch (übers.u.erkhärt;allgem.Einl.), p. 23:

c. Angels are called ἐκλεκτοί, as those whom God has chosen out from other created beings to be peculiarly associated with him, and his highest ministers in governing the universe: 1Ti 5:21; see ἅγιος, 1 b.; μαρτύρομαι δέ ἐγώ μέν ὑμῶν τά ἅγια καί τούς ἱερούς ἀγγέλους τοῦ Θεοῦ, Josephus, b. j. 2, 16, 4 under the end; (yet others explain by 2Pe 2:4; Jud 1:6; cf. Ellicott on 1 Timothy, the passage cited).

2. universally, choice, select, i. e. the best of its kind or class, excellent, preeminent: applied to certain individual Christians, 2Jn 1:1; 2Jn 1:13; with ἐν κυρίῳ added, eminent as a Christian (see ἐν, I. 6 b.), Rom 16:13; of things: λίθος, 1Pe 2:4 (6) (Isa 28:16; 2Es 5:8; Enoch, chapter 8 Greek text, Dillmann edition, p. 82f).