εἰσέρχομαι G1525
To enter, go into, or come in; of physical entry into a place or figurative entry into a state or condition.
One of the most common verbs of motion in the New Testament, covering everything from Jesus entering a synagogue to the solemn warning that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. The physical sense dominates -- entering houses, cities, boats, and the temple -- but the figurative extension into spiritual states (entering life, rest, joy, the kingdom) carries enormous theological weight. When Jesus says 'enter by the narrow gate' (Matt 7:13), both senses vibrate simultaneously: the physical image of a gate and the spiritual reality of entering God's kingdom. Greek translations from classical literature confirm the same dual range, from Herodotus's armies entering cities to Plato's souls entering new states.
1. enter a place physically — To enter a place physically -- going into a house, city, temple, boat, or other bounded location. This is the default and most frequent sense (179 of 195 occurrences). Spanish 'entró,' French 'entrer,' and German 'eingehen/hineingehen' all render straightforward spatial movement. Key passages include Jesus entering the synagogue (Mark 1:21), entering Jerusalem (Matt 21:10), and entering the temple (Luke 19:45). 179×
AR["دَخَلَ","دَخَلَتْ"]·ben["তিনি-প্রবেশ-করলেন","প্রবেশ-করল","প্রবেশ-করলেন","প্রবেশ-করেছিলেন"]·DE["eingehen","geht-hinein"]·EN["entered","he-entered","he-went-in","she-entered"]·FR["entrer"]·heb["נִכְנְסָה","נִכְנַס"]·HI["आ-गया","गय","गया","प्रवेश-किया","प्रवेश-की","लालच"]·ID["Dia-masuk","Ia-masuk","ia-masuk","masuk"]·IT["entrare"]·jav["Panjenenganipun-mlebet","lumebet","mlebet","panjenenganipun-mlebet"]·KO["들어가셨다","들어갔다","들어갔으니"]·PT["em-que-entrou","entrou"]·RU["вошла","вошёл"]·ES["entró"]·SW["Iēsoûs","Nōe","akaingia","aliingia","ameingia"]·TR["girdi"]·urd["آیا","اندر-گیا","داخل ہوا","داخل-ہوئی","داخل-ہوا","کفرنحوم"]
Matt 2:21, Matt 12:4, Matt 12:29, Matt 18:8, Matt 18:9, Matt 19:17, Matt 21:12, Matt 23:13, Matt 24:38, Mark 2:26, Mark 3:1, Mark 7:17 (+38 more)
▼ 2 more senses below
Senses
2. enter into a state — To enter figuratively into a state, condition, or spiritual reality -- such as entering the kingdom of God, entering into life, entering rest, or entering joy. Found in pivotal theological statements like 'unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven' (Matt 18:3) and 'enter into the joy of your master' (Matt 25:21). Translations maintain the same verb across languages but context shifts the domain from spatial to spiritual, making this a classic case of metaphorical extension from concrete motion to abstract transition. 14×
AR["سَيَدخُل","سَيَدْخُلُ","قَد-دَخَلَت","نَدْخُلَ","يَدخُلُ","يَدْخُلونَ","يَدْخُلَها","يَدْخُلُ","يَدْخُلُونَ","يَدْخُلْ"]·ben["প্রবেশ-করবে","প্রবেশ-করি","প্রবেশ-করেছে","সে-ভিতরে-আসবে"]·DE["eingehen","geht-hinein"]·EN["have-entered","shall-enter","they-will-enter","to-enter","we-may-enter","will-come","will-enter","will-go-in"]·FR["entrer"]·heb["הִגִּיעוּ","יִכָּנְסוּ","יִכָּנֵס","יָבֹאוּ","יָבוֹאוּ","נִכְנֹס"]·HI["आएँगे","जाएगा","पहुँच-गई-हैं","प्रवेश-करेंगे","प्रवेश-करेग","प्रवेश-करेगा"]·ID["akan-masuk","ia-akan-masuk","kami-masuk","masuk","mereka-akan-masuk","telah-masuk."]·IT["entrare"]·jav["badhe-mlebet","badhe-mlebet,","badhé-mlebet","lumebet","mlebet","mlebet.","sampun-mlebet."]·KO["들어가게.","들어가리라","들어가지","들어갈-것이다","들어갈-것이며","들어갔다.","들어올-것이다"]·PT["entrará","entrarão","entremos."]·RU["войдут","войдёт","войдёт,","войти","вошли."]·ES["entrará","entrarán","entrarían","entremos","han-entrado"]·SW["ata-ingia","ataingia","ingia","katika","kimefikia","kuingia","tuingie.","wataingia"]·TR["girecek","girecekler","gireceklerine","girecektir","girelim.","girmiştir"]·urd["جائیں-گے","جائے-گا","داخل-ہو-گا","داخل-ہوگا","داخل-ہوں-گے","داخل-ہوں-ہم","پہنچ-گئیں۔"]
Matt 7:21, Matt 19:23, Mark 5:12, Mark 10:15, Mark 10:23, Luke 18:17, John 10:9, Acts 20:29, Heb 3:11, Heb 3:18, Heb 4:3, Heb 4:5 (+2 more)
3. sense 3 — To pass through or go through a narrow or difficult passage, as in the camel-and-needle's-eye saying (Matt 19:24). English 'to pass' and Spanish 'pasar' appear alongside the standard 'enter,' suggesting translators feel the image is more about traversal than simple entry. The sense is closely related to physical entry but emphasizes the difficulty or impossibility of the passage. 2×
AR["أَنْ-يَدْخُلَ","أَنْ-يَمُرَّ"]·ben["প্রবেশ-করা"]·DE["geht-hinein"]·EN["to-enter","to-pass"]·FR["entrer"]·heb["לָעֲבֹר"]·HI["प्रवेश-करन"]·ID["masuk"]·IT["entrare"]·jav["lumebet"]·KO["들어가는-것","지나가는-것이"]·PT["entrar","passar,"]·RU["войти","пройти,"]·ES["entrar","pasar"]·SW["katika","kuliko"]·TR["geçmesi","girmesi"]·urd["داخل-ہونا"]
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×)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×)H5265 1. set out, journey, depart (Qal) (133×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
εἰσέρχομαι, future -ειεύσομαι: aorist -ήλῠθον, -ῆλθον: in Attic dialect, future is supplied by εἴσειμι, and imperfect by εἰσῄειν:— go in or into, enter, in Refs 8th c.BC+; ἄλσος, δόμους, Refs 5th c.BC+; εἰσῆλθ᾽ ἑκατόμβας invaded the hecatombs, Refs 8th c.BC+: but in Prose mostly with Preps., ἐς οἴκημα Refs 5th c.BC+; ἐς. ἐς τὰς σπονδάς come into the treaty, Refs; εἰς τὸν πόλεμον variant in Refs…