ὀπίσω

ὀπίσω — opísō

ὀπίσω ((perhaps) from ἡ ὄπις; and this from ἐπω, ἕπομαι, to follow (but cf. Vanicek, p. 530)), adverb of place and time, from Homer down; the Sept. for אַחַר, אָחור and especially for אַחֲרֵי; (at the) back, behind, after;

1. adverbially of place: ἑστάναι, Luk 7:38; ἐπιστρέψαι ὀπίσω, back, Mat 24:18 (ὑποστρέφειν ὀπίσω, Josephus, Antiquities 6, 1, 3); τά ὀπίσω, the things that are behind, Php 3:13 (14); εἰς τά ὀπίσω ἀπέρχεσθαι, to go backward, Vulg.abire retrorsum, Joh 18:6; to return home, of those who grow recreant to Christ's teaching and cease to follow him, Joh 6:66; στρέφεσθαι, to turn oneself back, Joh 20:14; ἐπιστρέφειν, to return back to places left, Mar 13:16; Luk 17:31; ὑποστρέψαι εἰς τά ὀπίσω, tropically, of those who return to the manner of thinking and living already abandoned, 2Pe 2:21 Lachmann; βλέπειν (Vulg. (aspicere or)respicere retro (A. V. to look back)), Luk 9:62.

2. By a usage unknown to Greek authors, as a preposition with the genitive (Winers Grammar, § 54, 6; Buttmann, § 146, 1);

a. of place: Rev 1:10 (WH marginal reading ὄπισθεν); (Num 25:8; Son 2:9); in phrases resembling the Hebrew (cf. Winers Grammar, 30; Buttmann, as above and 172 (150)): ὀπίσω τίνος ἔρχεσθαι to follow anyone as a guide, to be his disciple or follower, Mat 16:24; Luk 9:23; Mar 8:34 R L Tr marginal reading WH; (cf. Luk 14:27); also ἀκολουθεῖν, Mar 8:34 G T Tr text; Mat 10:38 (see ἀκολουθέω, 2 at the end); πορεύεσθαι, to join oneself to one as an attendant and follower, Luk 21:8 (Sir 46:10); to seek something one lusts after, 2Pe 2:10 (cf. Winers Grammar, 594 (553); Buttmann, 184 (160)); ἀπέρχομαι ὀπίσω τίνος, to go off in order to follow one, to join one's party, Mar 1:20; Joh 12:19; to run after a thing which one lusts for (cf. Buttmann, as above), ἑτέρας σαρκός, Jud 1:7; δεῦτε ἐπίσω μου (see δεῦτε, 1), Mat 4:19; Mar 1:17; ἀποστέλλειν τινα ὀπίσω τίνος, Luk 19:14; ἀφισταναι, ἀποσπᾶν, τινα ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ, to draw one away to (join) his party, Act 5:37; Act 20:30; ἐκτρέπεσθαι, to turn out of the right path, turn aside from rectitude, 1Ti 5:15; by a pregnant construction, after θαυμάζειν, to wonder after i. e. to be drawn away by admiration to follow one (Buttmann, 185 (160f)), Rev 13:3 (πᾶς ὁ λαός ἐξέστη ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ, 1Sa 13:7); ὕπαγε ὀπίσω μου (A. V. get thee behind me), out of my sight: Luk 4:8 R L brackets; Mat 4:10 (G L brackets);; Mar 8:33.

b. of time, after: ἐρήξεσθαι ὀπίσω τίνος, to make his public appearance after (subsequently to) one, Mat 3:11; Mar 1:7; Joh 1:15; Joh 1:27; Joh 1:30 (ὀπίσω τοῦ σαββάτου, Neh 13:19).