ἀπο-θλίβω G0598
to press upon, crowd; to squeeze or compress by pressing against
This verb means to press upon, crowd against, or compress through squeezing. Luke 8:45 records the disciples' response when Jesus asked who touched Him: 'The crowds surround and press upon You.' The verb emphasizes the pressure of bodies crowding against Jesus in a packed space. This wasn't gentle touching but the inevitable jostling of dense crowds. The contrast between deliberate faith-touch (the woman with bleeding) and unconscious crowd-pressing highlights Jesus's awareness of spiritual contact amid physical compression.
Senses
1. sense 1 — The crowds 'apothlibousin'—pressing upon Jesus—create the context for His question 'Who touched me?' The disciples found the question absurd: countless people were jostling against Him. Spanish 'te oprimen' (they press you), French 'presser,' and English 'crowd/press' all capture the compression sense, while German transcribes the Greek. But Jesus distinguished between crowd pressure (mere physical contact) and faith-touch (spiritual connection that drew power). Many pressed; one touched. Physical proximity doesn't equal spiritual connection. 1×
AR["يَزحَمونَ"]·ben["চাপছে"]·DE["ἀποθλίβουσιν"]·EN["crowd"]·FR["presser"]·heb["דּוֹחֲפִים"]·HI["दबाती-है"]·ID["mendesak"]·IT["apothlibousin"]·jav["ndhèsèl"]·KO["밀치고-있습니다"]·PT["te-comprimem"]·RU["теснят"]·ES["te-oprimen"]·SW["wanakusukuma"]·TR["bastırıyor,"]·urd["گھیرتی-ہے"]
Related Senses
H7965 1. peace, absence of conflict (198×)H3467 1. save, deliver, rescue (Hifil active) (156×)H5127 1. flee, run away (Qal) (144×)G1515 1. peace, well-being, harmony (93×)H8002 1. peace offering(s) (87×)G4982 1. save spiritually, grant salvation (79×)H3444 1. salvation, deliverance (67×)H4422 1. Nifal: escape, flee (63×)H1272 1. flee, run away (Qal) (58×)H6869b 1. distress, trouble (57×)G4991 1. of salvation (46×)G2347 1. tribulation, affliction, distress (45×)H0983 1. security, safety, confidence (42×)H6031b 1. Piel: afflict, oppress (42×)H6040 1. affliction, misery, suffering (36×)H3468 1. salvation, deliverance (33×)G5343 1. flee, run away (28×)H3467 2. savior, deliverer (Hifil participle substantive) (28×)H8668 1. salvation, deliverance (27×)H8252 1. be quiet, be at rest (26×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἀπο-θλίβω [ῑ], squeeze out, τοὺς ὄρχειςRefs 4th c.BC+; τῆς χώρας from the place, Refs 2nd c.AD+ __2 press or force back, τὸ αἷμαRefs 5th c.BC+ __3 press tightly, τὰ κράσπεδαRefs 4th c.BC+press upon, crowd, NT __4 crush, LXX __II Grammars, drop a letter in the middle of a word, Refs 2nd c.AD+ __III oppress much, LXX+2nd c.AD+passive, πρὸς τὸ τὴν πόλιν ἀποθλιβῆναι Wilcken Refs 2nd c.BC+