ἐγγίζω G1448
Draw near, approach: spatially to a person or place; temporally of events or seasons at hand; spiritually to God.
The Greek verb eggizo carries the spatial force of its root eggys ('near') into three registers. Physically, it describes people approaching places — Jesus drawing near to Jerusalem (Matt 21:1). Temporally, it announces that moments of fulfillment are 'at hand' — the kingdom of heaven (Matt 3:2; 4:17), the hour of betrayal (Matt 26:45). Spanish acercarse and French s'approcher serve both uses without distinction, but German sometimes shifts from nahen to nahe sein for the temporal sense. A spiritually intimate sense appears in Hebrews 7:19 and James 4:8, where drawing near to God carries the weight of covenant access — 'Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.'
2. approach spatially — To approach physically in space — drawing near to a person, city, or location. With 20 occurrences, this literal spatial sense appears when Jesus and the disciples approach Jerusalem (Matt 21:1; Mark 11:1), when the messengers from Cornelius draw near to Joppa (Acts 10:9), and when sinners and tax collectors approach Jesus to listen (Luke 15:1). Spanish acercándose, French approcher, and German nahen all deploy standard motion verbs. Luke particularly favors eggizo for narrative scene-setting, using the approach of characters to signal that pivotal encounters are about to unfold (Luke 7:12; 19:29, 37, 41). 20×
AR["اقتَرَبوا","اقتَرَبَ","اقتِرابِ-هِ","اقْتَرَبا","اقْتَرَبَ","مُقْتَرِبًا","مُقْتَرِبِينَ","يَقْتَرِبَ","يَقْتَرِبُ","يَقْتَرِبُونَ"]·ben["কাছে-আসছিল","কাছে-আসতে","কাছে-আসলে","কাছে-আসলেন","কাছে-এল","কাছে-এলেন","কাছে-এলো","কাছে-এসে","কাছে-এসেছিলেন","তারা-কাছে-এলেন","তারা-নিকটে-আসছিল","নিকটবর্তী-হতে","নিকটে-আসিতে"]·DE["nahen","naht"]·EN["drawing-near","drew-near","having-approached","having-drawn-near","he-approached","he-came-near","he-drew-near","they-draw-near","they-drew-near","to-draw-near"]·FR["approcher","s'approcher"]·heb["בְּהִתְקָרְבִי","הִתְקָרְבוֹ","הִתְקָרְבוּ","הִתְקָרֵב","הִתְקָרֵב,","מִתְקָרְבִים","מִתְקָרֵב","נִגַּשׁ","קְרֵבִים","קָרְבוּ","קָרֵב","קָרַב"]·HI["नज़दीक-आते-हुए","नज़दीक-आया","निकट-आए","निकट-आकर","निकट-आते-हुए","निकट-आते-हैं","निकट-आने-पर","निकट-आया","निकटआनेसे","पहुँचते-हुए","पहुंचते-हुए","पास-आए","पास-आकर","पास-आया","वह-करेएब-अअय,"]·ID["Ia-mendekat","dia mendekat","dia-mendekat","ketika-mendekat","mendekat","mereka-mendekat"]·IT["avvicinarsi"]·jav["Nalika-nyedhak","Panjenenganipun-nyedhak","Panjenenganipun-nyedhak,","celak","nyedhak","nyedhaki","nyedhaki,","nyelaki,","piyambakipun-nyedhak","sami-celak","sasampunipun-celak"]·KO["가까워졌을-때","가까워지는-것-이","가까워지는-동안","가까이-갔을-때에","가까이-오기","가까이-오는","가까이-오셨다","가까이-오시고","가까이-오시는-동안","가까이-오시면서","가까이-오심","가까이-온","가까이-왔노라,","가까이-왔다","가까이-왔을-때","그들이-가까이-오다","다가와"]·PT["aproximando-se","aproximar-se","aproximaram-se","aproximou-se","chegou","tendo-se-aproximado,"]·RU["приближаться","приближаются","приближающемуся","приближающиеся","приближающихся","приближения","приблизившегося","приблизившись","приблизившись,","приблизились","приблизилось","приблизился"]·ES["acercarse","acercándome","acercándose","se-acercan","se-acercaron","se-acercó"]·SW["-","Hierosolyma","akamkaribia","akikaribia","alikaribia","kukaribia","nikikusogea","wakikaribia,","wakimkaribia","walikaribia","wanakaribia"]·TR["yaklasti","yaklaşan","yaklaşanların","yaklaşarak","yaklaşmak","yaklaşmasından","yaklaştı","yaklaştılar","yaklaşınca","yaklaşıp","yaklaşırken","yaklaşırlar"]·urd["آتے-ہوئے","قریب-آ-کر","قریب-آئے","قریب-آتے-ہوئے","قریب-آتے-ہیں","قریب-آنا","قریب-آیا","نزدیک-آ-کر","نزدیک-آئے","نزدیک-آتے-ہوئے","نزدیک-آنے","نزدیک-آنے-پر","نزدیک-آیا"]
Matt 21:1, Matt 21:34, Mark 11:1, Luke 7:12, Luke 15:1, Luke 15:25, Luke 18:35, Luke 18:40, Luke 19:29, Luke 19:37, Luke 19:41, Luke 22:47 (+8 more)
▼ 2 more senses below
Senses
1. draw near temporally — Of a time, event, season, or eschatological reality approaching or being imminent — 'the kingdom of heaven has drawn near' (Matt 3:2; 4:17; 10:7). This temporal sense (20 occurrences) anchors Jesus' earliest proclamation and recurs in the Olivet Discourse (Matt 26:45-46) and apostolic expectation ('the coming of the Lord has drawn near,' Jas 5:8). Spanish se ha acercado and French s'approcher preserve the motion metaphor for time, while Korean 가까이 오다 (come close) and German nahen similarly apply spatial movement vocabulary to temporal imminence — a universal conceptual metaphor. 20×
AR["اقتَرَبَ","اقتَرَبَت","اقْتَرَبَ","اقْتَرَبَتْ","اِقتَرَبَ","اِقْتَرَبَ","سَيَقتَرِبُ","قَد-اقتَرَبَ","لِأَنَّهُ-قَدِ-اقْتَرَبَ","يَقتَرِبُ","يَقْتَرِبُ"]·ben["কাছাকাছি-হল","কাছে-আসছিল","কাছে-আসছে","কাছে-আসবেন","কাছে-আসে","কাছে-এসেছে","নিকটবর্তী-হয়েছে","নিকটে-এসেছে;"]·DE["nahen","naht"]·EN["Has-come-near","Has-drawn-near","Was-drawing-near","approaching","comes-near","draws-near","has-come-near","has-drawn-near","he-will-draw-near","was-drawing-near"]·FR["approcher","s'approcher"]·heb["הִתְקָרֵב","יִתְקָרֵב","מִתְקָרֵב","מִתְקָרֶבֶת","קָרְבָה","קָרֵב","קָרַב"]·HI["निकट-आ-गई-है","निकट-आ-गया-है","निकट-आ-रहा-था","निकट-आई-है","निकट-आती-हुई","निकट-आती-है","निकट-आया","निकट-आया-है","पास-आएगा","पास-आता-है","पास-आया-है"]·ID["Dia-akan-mendekat","Mendekat","Sudah-dekat","mendekat","sudah-dekat","sudah-dekat.","telah-dekat","telah-dekat;"]·IT["avvicinarsi"]·jav["Nyedhak","Sampun-cedhak","Sampun-celak","badhé-celak","celak","celék","nyedhak","sampun-cedhak","sampun-cedhak;","sampun-celak","sampun-celak.","wis-cedhak"]·KO["가까워졌느니라","가까워졌다","가까워졌다.","가까웠다","가까이-오고","가까이-오는","가까이-온다","가까이-올-것이다","가까이-왔다","가까이-왔다고","가까이왔다"]·PT["Aproximou-se","aproxima-se","aproximar-se","aproximar-se-á","aproximava-se","aproximou-se","aproximou-se;","se-aproximou."]·RU["Приближался","Приблизилось","поэтому","приближается","приближалось","приближающийся","приблизилось","приблизилось.","приблизился","приблизился.","приблизится"]·ES["Se-acercaba","Se-ha-acercado","acercándose","se-acerca","se-acercaba","se-acercará","se-ha-acercado"]·SW["Ilikuwa-inakaribia","Imekaribia","Umekaribia","amekaribia","atawakaribia","hakaribu","imekaribia","inakaribia","kumekaribia","ulikaribia","umekaribia","umekaribia;"]·TR["Yaklaşıyordu","yaklaşacak","yaklaşan","yaklaşmıştır","yaklaştı","yaklaştıkça","yaklaşır","yaklaşıyor"]·urd["آ-گئی","آ-گیا","آتا","قریب-آ-رہی-تھی","قریب-آ-گئی","قریب-آ-گئی-ہے","قریب-آ-گیا-ہے","قریب-آئے-گا","قریب-آتا","قریب-آیا","قریب-ہے","قریب-ہے۔"]
Matt 3:2, Matt 4:17, Matt 10:7, Matt 26:45, Matt 26:46, Mark 1:15, Mark 14:42, Luke 10:9, Luke 10:11, Luke 12:33, Luke 21:8, Luke 21:20 (+8 more)
3. draw near to God — To draw near to God in worship, prayer, or spiritual approach — a relational and cultic use where the verb carries the weight of covenant access. Only 2 clear occurrences: Hebrews 7:19, where the better hope enables believers to 'draw near to God,' and the famous imperative of James 4:8, 'Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.' Spanish acercaos a Dios, French approchez-vous de Dieu, and German nahet euch Gott all preserve the spatial metaphor for spiritual intimacy. The LXX background is rich: eggizo regularly translates Hebrew qarav in priestly contexts of approaching the altar, giving this NT sense deep cultic resonance. 2×
AR["اقتَرِبوا","نَقْتَرِبُ"]·ben["কাছে-এসো","নিকটে-আসি"]·DE["nahen"]·EN["Draw-near","we-draw-near"]·FR["approcher"]·heb["הִתְקָרְבוּ","מִתְקָרְבִים"]·HI["निकट-आते-हैं","पास-आओ"]·ID["Mendekatlah","kita-mendekat"]·IT["avvicinarsi"]·jav["celaka","kita-nyedhak"]·KO["가까이-가는니라","가까이-오라"]·PT["aproximai-vos","aproximamo-nos"]·RU["приближаемся","приблизьтесь"]·ES["acercaos","nos-acercamos"]·SW["mkaribieni","tunakaribia"]·TR["yaklaşın","yaklaşıyoruz"]·urd["قریب-آؤ","نزدیک-ہوتے-ہیں"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἐγγίζω, aorist ἤγγισα Refs 4th c.BC+: perfect ἤγγικα LXX+NT: (ἐγγύς):—bring near, bring up to, τῇ γῇ τὰς ναῦς LXX+2nd c.BC+ __II mostly intransitive, approach, LXX+4th c.BC+; εἰς θάνατονLXX; ἕωςLXX+NT; to be imminent, ἤγγικεν ἡ παρουσία τοῦ Κυρίου NT: also, with genitive, approximate to, Refs 1st c.BC+ __II.2 to be next of kin, LXX __III with infinitive, to be on the point of doing, ναοῦ -οντος συμπεσεῖν Refs