ἐγκατα-λείπω G1459
Forsake, abandon, leave behind — whether deserting a person in need or neglecting communal assembly
Egkataleipo is one of the most emotionally charged verbs in the New Testament. Jesus cries from the cross, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?' (Matt 27:46; Mark 15:34), quoting Psalm 22:1 — and yet Peter at Pentecost declares that God did not 'abandon' his Holy One to the grave (Acts 2:27, 31). Paul uses it of personal desertion: 'Demas has forsaken me' (2 Tim 4:10) and 'everyone deserted me' (2 Tim 4:16). The word also extends to neglecting an assembly (Heb 10:25), where the object shifts from a person to a communal practice. Spanish 'abandonar' serves both senses uniformly.
Senses
1. forsake, abandon — To forsake, abandon, or desert a person, especially in a moment of dire need — carrying deep emotional and theological weight. Jesus' cry of dereliction (Matt 27:46; Mark 15:34) and God's promise 'I will never forsake you' (Heb 13:5) stand at opposite poles of this sense. Paul's personal experience of abandonment by Demas and others (2 Tim 4:10, 16) and Isaiah's remnant prophecy applied in Romans 9:29 all cluster here. Spanish 'abandonar' and German 'verlassen' both convey the relational betrayal involved. 9×
AR["أُهْمِلَكَ", "تَتْرُكَ", "تَرَكوني", "تَرَكَ", "تَرَكَني", "تَرَكْتَنِي", "مَتروكينَ", "يُتْرَكْ"]·ben["আমি-পরিত্যাগ-করব", "ছেড়ে-দিয়েছে,", "ছেড়ে-দিয়েছে।", "পরিত্যক্ত-হইলেন", "পরিত্যক্ত;", "পরিত্যাগ-করলে", "পরিত্যাগ-করিবে", "পরিত্যাগ-করেছ", "রেখে-যেতেন"]·DE["verlassen", "ἐγκατέλιπες", "ἐνκαταλείψεις", "ἐνκατελείφθη"]·EN["abandoned", "did-you-forsake", "forsaken", "had-left", "was-abandoned", "will-I-forsake", "you-will-abandon"]·FR["abandonner"]·heb["אֶעֱזֹב", "הוֹתִיר", "נֶעֱזַב", "נֶעֱזָבִים", "עֲזַבְתָּנִי", "עָזְבוּ", "עָזָב", "תַּעֲזֹב"]·HI["-पिता-से", "छोड़-दिया", "छोड़ा-होता", "छोड़ेगा", "छोद-गये.", "छोद-दिय,", "त्याग-दिया", "त्यागूँगा", "त्यागे-जाते-हुए"]·ID["Aku-abaikan.", "Dia-ditinggalkan", "Engkau-akan-meninggalkan", "Engkau-meninggalkan", "Engkau-tinggalkan", "ditinggalkan", "meninggalkan"]·IT["abbandonare", "egkatalipō", "egkatelipen", "egkatelipes", "egkatelipon"]·jav["Kawula-tegakaken", "Panjenengan-tilar?", "badhé-nilar", "katilar", "katilar;", "nilar,", "nilar.", "ninggalaken", "sampun-nilar"]·KO["그-", "남겨-두셨다면", "내가-버리지", "버렸다", "버리셨나이까", "버리셨습니까", "버림받지-않고", "하나님-께서"]·PT["abandonarei", "abandonarás", "abandonaste", "deixasse", "desamparados", "foi-abandonado", "me-abandonaste"]·RU["Он-был-оставлен", "Ты-оставил", "Ты-оставишь", "нам", "оставил", "оставили", "оставляемые", "покину"]·ES["abandonaron", "abandonarás", "abandonaré", "abandonaste", "abandonó", "fue-abandonado", "hubiera-dejado", "me-abandonaste", "siendo-abandonados"]·SW["alituachia", "ameniacha", "hakuachwa", "hutaacha", "nitakutelekeza.", "tukiachwa;", "umeniacha", "waliniacha"]·TR["bıraksaydı", "terk edilmiş", "terk-edeceksin", "terk-edeceğim", "terk-edildi", "terk-etti", "terk-ettin"]·urd["ترک-کروں-گا", "چھوڑ-دِیا", "چھوڑ-دیا", "چھوڑا-گیا", "چھوڑتا", "چھوڑے-جاتے-ہیں", "چھوڑے-گا"]
2. forsake, desert (an assembly) — To forsake or neglect an established practice of assembling together — a specialized application where the object is not a person but a communal gathering. Hebrews 10:25 urges believers not to forsake 'the assembling of ourselves together,' using the same verb but redirecting it from interpersonal abandonment to communal negligence. The single occurrence distinguishes itself from sense 1 by its corporate, habitual focus rather than personal desertion. 1×
AR["تَارِكِينَ"]·ben["ত্যাগ-করছ"]·DE["verlassen"]·EN["forsaking"]·FR["abandonner"]·heb["נָטוֹשִׁים"]·HI["छोड़ते-हुए"]·ID["meninggalkan"]·IT["egkataleipontes"]·jav["nilar"]·KO["버리지"]·PT["abandonando"]·RU["оставляя"]·ES["abandonando"]·SW["ache"]·TR["terk-ederek"]·urd["چھوڑتے-ہوئے"]
Related Senses
H8033 1. There (locative adverb) (835×)H7760a 1. put, place, set physically (444×)H8064 1. heavens / sky (329×)H5439 1. around, all around (spatial) (319×)H4057b 1. wilderness, desert region (270×)H3220 1. sea, body of water (269×)H0520a 1. cubit (unit of length) (246×)H0127 1. ground, land (territory) (210×)H3383 1. Jordan River (proper noun) (183×)G1093 1. earth, the world (176×)H5800a 1. forsake, abandon (Qal active) (166×)H8121 1. sun (celestial body) (133×)H7126 1. offer, present sacrificially (122×)H6828 1. north, cardinal direction (120×)H2351 1. outside, exterior space (119×)H5104 1. river, stream (119×)H7341 1. width, breadth (101×)G1563 1. there (95×)H7126 2. draw near, approach (95×)G2281 1. sea, large body of water (91×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἐγκατα-λείπω, leave behind, παῖδα Refs 8th c.BC+; ἐ. τὸ κέντρον, of a bee, Refs 5th c.BC+: hence of Pericles, τὸ κέντρον ἐγκατέλιπε τοῖς ἀκροωμένοις Refs 5th c.BC+ __2 leave in the lurch, NT+5th c.BC+; abandon, νεκροὺς Refs 5th c.BC+ __3 leave out, omit, Refs 5th c.BC+ __4 leave traces behind, Refs 4th c.BC+ __II passive, to be left behind in a race, Refs 5th c.BC+ __II.2 leave residual symptoms or sequelae, Refs 5th c.BC+