γρηγορ-έω G1127
To watch, be alert; primarily spiritual vigilance and eschatological readiness, occasionally literal wakefulness.
Formed from the perfect tense of egeiro (to awaken), gregoreo carries the built-in sense of someone already roused and now maintaining that alert state. Jesus uses it as his signature command in the Olivet Discourse — 'Watch, for you do not know the day' (Matt 24:42) — and again in Gethsemane's anguished appeal, 'Could you not watch with me one hour?' (Matt 26:40). Paul extends it to the moral life: 'Be watchful, stand firm in the faith' (1 Cor 16:13). The rare literal sense — staying physically awake against a thief — appears in the householder parable (Matt 24:43, Luke 12:39), where Spanish 'habría velado' and English 'would have stayed awake' mark the counterfactual physical alertness.
Senses
1. be spiritually vigilant — Spiritual and moral vigilance: to be alert, watchful, and on guard in readiness for the Lord's return or against moral danger. This dominant sense (21 of 23 occurrences) spans the eschatological warnings of the Olivet Discourse (Matt 24:42, 25:13), the Gethsemane vigil (Matt 26:38-41), and the apostolic exhortations (1 Cor 16:13, 1 Thess 5:6, Rev 3:2-3). Spanish 'Velad,' French 'veiller,' and German 'wachen/wacht' consistently render the imperative as a call to sustained spiritual alertness rather than mere physical wakefulness. 21×
AR["أَنْ-تَسْهَرَ", "أَنْ-تَسْهَرُوا", "اسهَروا", "اسْهَرُوا", "اِسْهَرُوا", "تَسْهَرْ", "ساهِراً", "ساهِرينَ", "ساهِرِ", "سَاهِرِينَ", "سَهِرْنا", "نَسْهَرَ"]·ben["জাগি", "জাগ্রত", "জাগ্রত-থাকো", "জাগ্রত-হও", "জাগ্রত-হয়ে", "জেগে-থাক", "জেগে-থাকতে", "জেগে-থাকো", "তুমি-সতর্ক-থাক,", "সতর্ক-থাকা,", "সতর্ক-থাকো;"]·DE["wachen", "wacht"]·EN["Watch", "be-alert", "be-watchful", "being-watchful", "let-us-watch", "one-watching", "to-watch", "watch", "watchful", "watching", "we-watch", "you-watch"]·FR["veiller"]·heb["הִשְׁקְדוּ", "הִשְׁקִדוּ", "הִשָּׁמְרוּ", "הַשּׁוֹקֵד", "לִ-שְׁמֹר", "לִשְׁקֹד", "נִשְׁקֹד", "עֵר", "עֵרִים", "שִׁמְרוּ", "שִׁקְדוּ", "שׁוֹקְדִים", "תִּשְׁמֹר"]·HI["जअगेन", "जगते-हुए", "जागता-रहनेवाला", "जागता-हुआ,", "जागते-रहने-को", "जागते-रहो", "जागते-हुए", "जागने", "तू-जागेगा,"]·ID["Berjaga-jagalah", "Berjaga-jagalah;", "berjaga", "berjaga,", "berjaga-jaga", "berjaga-jagalah", "berjagalah", "kamu-berjaga,", "kita-berjaga", "marilah-berjaga", "yang-berjaga"]·IT["grēgorountes", "grēgorēsate", "grēgorēsēs", "grēgorōmen", "grēgorōn", "vegliare"]·jav["Melek", "Melek-meleka", "jaga", "jagana", "jagi", "kita-melek", "melek", "meleka", "panjenengan-tangi", "sami-melek", "tangi", "waspada", "waspada,", "waspada;"]·KO["깨어-있고", "깨어-있기-를", "깨어-있기를", "깨어-있는", "깨어-있는-자여", "깨어-있든", "깨어-있으라", "깨어-있으면서", "깨어있는", "깨어있다면"]·PT["Vigiai", "vigiai", "vigiai,", "vigiando", "vigiar", "vigiares", "vigiemos", "vigilante"]·RU["Бодрствуйте", "бодрствовать", "бодрствуем", "бодрствуйте", "бодрствуйте,", "бодрствуйте;", "бодрствующий,", "бодрствующим,", "бодрствующими", "бодрствуя", "будешь-бодрствовать,", "да-бодрствуем", "пободрствовать"]·ES["Velad", "que-vela", "velad", "velando", "velar", "velas", "velemos", "vigilante"]·SW["Kesheni", "akeshaye,", "basi", "hutokesha,", "kesha,", "kesheni", "kukesha", "mkikesha", "tukesha", "wakikesha"]·TR["Uyanık-olun", "geleceğim", "uyanik-olarak", "uyanık", "uyanık olun", "uyanık-kalmaya", "uyanık-kalın", "uyanık-olalım", "uyanık-olan", "uyanık-olun"]·urd["جاگتا", "جاگتا-رہنے-والا", "جاگتے-رہو", "جاگتے-رہو؛", "جاگتے-ہوئے", "جاگنا", "جاگیں", "جاگیں-ہم", "جاگے"]
Matt 24:42, Matt 25:13, Matt 26:38, Matt 26:40, Matt 26:41, Mark 13:34, Mark 13:35, Mark 13:37, Mark 14:34, Mark 14:37, Mark 14:38, Luke 12:37 (+9 more)
2. stay awake literally — Literal physical wakefulness: remaining awake at night, particularly as a guard against intrusion. Confined to the householder parables in Matt 24:43 and Luke 12:39, where the master would have stayed awake had he known the thief's hour. English 'would have stayed awake' and Spanish 'habría velado' mark the counterfactual, distinguishing this concrete, bodily sense from the metaphorical vigilance that dominates the word's NT usage. 2×
AR["لَسَهِرَ"]·ben["জাগ্রত-থাকত", "জেগে-থাকত"]·DE["wacht"]·EN["he-would-have-stayed-awake", "would-have-watched"]·FR["veiller"]·heb["שָׁקַד"]·HI["जागता"]·ID["dia-akan-berjaga", "ia-berjaga"]·IT["vegliare"]·jav["badhé-melek", "melek"]·KO["깨어-있었으리라", "깨어-있었을-것이다"]·RU["бодрствовал-бы"]·ES["habría-velado"]·SW["ambaye", "angalikesha"]·TR["uyanık-kalırdı", "uyanık-olurdu"]·urd["جاگتا"]
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
γρηγορ-έω, late present, formed from perfect ἐγρήγορα (which see), to be or become fully awake, watch, LXX+NT+3rd c.AD+; ἐπὶ τὰς πόλειςLXXpassive, ἐγρηγορήθη ἐπὶ τὰ ἀσεβήματά μουLXX; opposed to καθεύδω, of life opposed to death, NT