ἀκολουθ-έω G0190
Follow — to walk behind or accompany someone; especially, to follow as a disciple in committed allegiance
In the Gospels, ἀκολουθέω serves double duty with extraordinary theological significance. On the surface it simply means to walk behind or travel with someone — crowds following Jesus on the roads of Galilee (Matt 4:25). But the same verb becomes the definitive term for discipleship when Jesus says 'Follow me' (Matt 9:9; 16:24), transforming a spatial action into a lifelong commitment. French 'suivre' and German 'nachfolgen' both preserve this ambiguity. The disciples who literally left their nets to walk behind Jesus (Matt 4:20) were simultaneously entering the deeper sense of pledging their lives to his teaching and mission.
Senses
1. follow physically, accompany — Physical following or accompanying — to move behind or alongside someone, walking after them on a journey or through a crowd. The basic spatial sense from which the metaphorical meaning grows. French 'suivre,' German 'nachfolgen,' Spanish 'seguir' all treat this as ordinary locomotion. Prominent in crowd scenes: Matt 4:25 ('great crowds followed him from Galilee'), Matt 8:1, and Matt 8:10 ('not even in Israel have I found such faith' — said to one who came following). 69×
AR["تَبِعاهُ", "تَبِعوهُ", "تَبِعَ", "تَبِعَا", "تَبِعَاهُ", "تَبِعَتهُ", "تَبِعَتْهُ", "تَبِعَهُ", "تَبِعُوهَا", "تَبِعُوهُ", "تَبِعْنَ", "وَ-تَبِعَاهُ"]·ben["অনুসরণ-করছিলেন", "অনুসরণ-করল", "অনুসরণ-করলেন", "অনুসরণ-করেছিল"]·DE["folgt-nach", "nachfolgen"]·EN["followed", "had-followed", "he-followed", "they-followed"]·FR["suivre"]·heb["הָלְכ-וּ", "הָלְכוּ", "הָלְכוּ אַחֲרֵי", "הָלְכוּ-אַחֲרֵי", "הָלְכוּ-אַחֲרֶיהָ", "הָלְכוּ-אַחֲרָיו", "הָלַךְ"]·HI["के", "पिछ-किय", "पीछे-आए", "पीछे-आया", "पीछे-चलता-था", "पीछे-चली", "पीछे-चले", "पीछे-पीछे-आई-थीं", "पीछे-हो-लिए", "पेएचे-अअये"]·ID["mengikuti", "mereka-mengikut", "mereka-mengikuti"]·IT["seguire"]·jav["ndherek", "ndherekaken", "ndhèrèk", "ndhèrèkaken", "ndèrèk", "ndèrèkaken", "sami-ndhèrèk", "sami-ndèrèk", "tumut"]·KO["따라갔다", "따랐다", "따랐으니"]·PT["seguia", "seguiram", "seguiu"]·RU["последовал", "последовали", "последовали-за", "следовали"]·ES["le-siguieron", "lo-siguieron", "seguía", "siguieron", "siguió"]·SW["alimfuata", "wakafuata", "wakamfuata", "wali-m-fuata", "walikuwa-wamemfuata", "walimfuata", "yalifuata", "yeye"]·TR["izledi", "izlediler", "izlemişlerdi", "takip-ettiler"]·urd["آئیں-تھیں", "پیروی-کی", "پیچھے-آئے", "پیچھے-ہو-لیے"]
Matt 4:20, Matt 4:22, Matt 4:25, Matt 8:1, Matt 8:23, Matt 9:9, Matt 9:19, Matt 9:27, Matt 10:38, Matt 12:15, Matt 14:13, Matt 19:2 (+38 more)
2. follow as disciple — Following as discipleship — to attach oneself to a master as a committed disciple, expressing allegiance, obedience, and willingness to share the teacher's way of life. The imperative 'Follow me' (ἀκολούθει μοι) becomes Jesus' characteristic call to discipleship. Spanish 'Sígueme,' Korean '나를 따르라,' and Hindi 'मेरे पीछे आ' all carry the relational weight. Matt 9:9 (the call of Matthew), Matt 16:24 ('let him deny himself and follow me'), and Matt 19:27 ('we have left everything and followed you') mark the decisive passages. 21×
AR["أَنْ-أَتْبَعَكَ", "أَنْ-تَتْبَعَ", "اتبَع", "اتْبَعْنِي", "الَّذِينَ-تَبِعْتُمُونِي", "اِتبَعْني", "اِتْبَعْني", "تَبِعنا", "تَبِعْنَاكَ", "سَأَتْبَعُكَ", "سَـ-تَتْبَعُنِي", "فَـ-لْيَتْبَعْ", "فَلْيَتْبَعْنِي", "لِيَتْبَعْنِي", "يَتْبَعْنِي"]·ben["অনুসরণ-কর", "অনুসরণ-করতে", "অনুসরণ-করব", "অনুসরণ-করবে", "অনুসরণ-করুক", "অনুসরণ-করেছ", "অনুসরণ-করেছি", "অনুসরণ-করো"]·DE["folgt-nach", "nachfolgen"]·EN["Follow", "I-will-follow", "follow", "followed", "have-followed", "having-followed", "let-him-follow", "to-follow", "you-will-follow"]·FR["suivre"]·heb["אֵלֵךְ-אַחֲרֶיךָ", "הָלַכְנוּ", "הָלַכְנוּ-אַחֲרֶיךָ", "הוֹלְכִים", "יֵלֵךְ", "יֵלֵךְ-אַחֲרֵי", "יֵלֵךְ-אַחֲרַי", "לֵךְ", "לֵךְ אַחֲרַי", "לֵךְ-אַחֲרֵי", "לֵךְ-אַחֲרַי", "לָלֶכֶת־אַחֲרֶיךָ", "לָלֶכֶת־אַחֲרַי", "תֵּלֵךְ־אַחֲרַי"]·HI["आ", "चले-हैं", "पिछ-करने-वलोन-ने", "पिछ-करे", "पिछ-किय", "पीछे-आ", "पीछे-आउंगा", "पीछे-आए", "पीछे-आएगा", "पीछे-आना", "पीछे-हो-लिया"]·ID["Aku-akan-mengikuti", "Ikutlah", "biarlah-mengikut", "biarlah-mengikuti", "engkau-akan-mengikut", "ia-mengikut", "ikutlah", "kami-mengikut", "mengikut", "mengikuti", "telah-mengikut", "yang-mengikuti"]·IT["seguire"]·jav["Ndhereka", "Ndhèrèk", "Ndhèrèka", "Ndhèrèkna", "badh醤dhèrèkaken", "kadhèrèkna;", "kawula-sedaya-sampun-ndherek", "ndhèrèk", "ndhèrèkaken", "ndhèrèkaken;", "ndhèrèkna", "ndèrèka", "sampun-ndèrèk"]·KO["나를-따르라", "따라오라", "따랐습니다", "따르겠습니다", "따르기를", "따르라", "따른-자들이", "따를-것이다", "따를지니라"]·PT["Segue", "Segue-", "Seguir-te-ei", "que-me-seguistes", "seguimos", "seguir", "seguirás", "siga", "temos-seguido"]·RU["Последую", "Следуй", "Следуй-за", "да-следует", "последовавшие-за", "последовали", "последовали-за", "последовать", "последуешь", "пусть-следует"]·ES["Sigue", "Sígueme", "que-me-habéis-seguido", "seguir", "seguirás", "siga", "sígame", "sígueme", "te-hemos-seguido", "te-seguimos", "te-seguiré"]·SW["Nifuate", "Nitakufuata", "anifuate", "kukufuata", "kunifuata", "mimi", "tumekufuata", "utanifuata", "wewe"]·TR["izle", "izledik", "izlemek", "izlesin", "izleyeceksin", "izleyenler", "İzle", "İzleyeceğim"]·urd["اُسے", "پیروی-کر", "پیروی-کرنے-والوں-نے", "پیروی-کروں-گا", "پیروی-کرے", "پیروی-کی", "پیچھے-آئے", "پیچھے-آئے-گا", "پیچھے-آنا", "چلے", "چلے-ہیں"]
Matt 8:19, Matt 8:22, Matt 9:9, Matt 16:24, Matt 19:27, Matt 19:28, Mark 2:14, Mark 8:34, Mark 10:28, Luke 5:27, Luke 9:23, Luke 9:57 (+9 more)
Related Senses
H0935 1. come, arrive (Qal) (2413×)G1473 1. first person singular pronoun (2084×)H3318 1. Qal: go out, depart, come forth (891×)H7725 1. to return, come/go back (Qal) (874×)H5927 1. go up, ascend (Qal) (779×)H7971 1. to send, dispatch (Qal) (701×)G2064 1. come / arrive (physical movement toward) (588×)H5307 1. Qal: fall down physically (339×)H5375 1. Qal: to lift up, raise (330×)H5975 1. to stand, stand up (310×)H5674a 1. Qal: pass by, pass through (256×)H3381 1. Qal: to go down, descend (physical movement) (242×)G1831 1. go/come out physically (193×)H5337 1. deliver, rescue, save (Hifil) (188×)H7901 1. lie down, rest, sleep (183×)G1525 1. enter a place physically (179×)H7812 1. prostrate oneself, bow down, worship (173×)H3318 2. Hifil: bring out, lead out, take out (persons) (172×)H7725 2. to bring back, restore (Hifil) (151×)H5674a 2. Qal: cross over (134×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἀκολουθ-έω, follow one, go after or with him, frequently of soldiers and slaves:—mostly with dative person, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἀ. ἐφ᾽ ἁρπαγήν, of soldiers, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἀκολουθῶν, ὁ, as substantive, ={ἀκόλουθος}Refs 4th c.BC+ __2 of stars, follow in the diurnal rotation, Refs 4th c.BC+ __II metaphorically, follow, be guided by, τῇ γνώμῃ τινόςRefs 5th c.BC+; τοῖς πράγμασιν, τοῖς τοῦ πολέμου…