ἐκκρεμ-άννῡμι G1582
To hang upon, cling to; to be suspended from or attach oneself to something with intense focus
This verb means to hang from or upon something, particularly to hang on someone's words with rapt attention. In Luke 19:48, the people were 'hanging on' Jesus's words—listening with such intense focus they seemed suspended from his teaching. The literal sense is hanging from or being suspended, but metaphorically it describes devoted attention or clinging attachment. Classical usage confirms both literal hanging from something and metaphorical devotion to a person or cause. The multilingual evidence (Spanish 'estaba pendiente' = was hanging, French 'être suspendu' = to be suspended) preserves the hanging metaphor.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Luke 19:48 describes how 'the people were hanging on (ἐξεκρέματο) him' to hear Jesus—so captivated by his teaching they seemed suspended from his words. Spanish 'estaba pendiente' (was hanging/pending) and French 'être suspendu' (to be suspended) both preserve the vivid metaphor of hanging upon. Classical usage included literal hanging from something and metaphorical clinging or devotion. Here it's the crowds' rapt attention, so intensely focused on Jesus's teaching they're metaphorically suspended from him, which partly protected him from leaders seeking to destroy him. 1×
AR["كانَ-مُتَعَلِّقًا"]·ben["লটকে-থাকত"]·DE["ἐξεκρέματο"]·EN["were-hanging-on"]·FR["être-suspendu"]·heb["נִתְלָה"]·HI["लटके-रहते-थे"]·ID["bergantung"]·IT["exekremato"]·jav["sami-gathuk-raket"]·KO["매달려-있었다"]·PT["estava-atento"]·RU["висел"]·ES["estaba-pendiente"]·SW["walining’inia"]·TR["asılı-kalıyordu"]·urd["لٹکے-رہتے-تھے"]
Related Senses
G0846 1. third-person pronoun reference (5552×)H???? 1. (4670×)H6213a 1. do, perform, act (2383×)G4160 1. do, act, perform (473×)H5221 1. Hifil: to strike in battle, smite enemies (362×)H0899b 1. garment, article of clothing (216×)H6213a 2. make, construct, fabricate (148×)H3772 1. cut a covenant / make a pact (97×)H5060 1. touch physically (Qal) (96×)H3615 1. complete a task (Piel) (85×)H3772 2. cut off / destroy (Hifil causative) (81×)H3920 1. capture, seize (Qal) (76×)H???? 12. (76×)H3772 3. be cut off / be eliminated (Niphal) (74×)H6213a 3. be done, be made (Niphal) (73×)G4160 2. make, construct, create (62×)H3847 1. Qal: put on, wear (60×)H8210 1. pour out (liquid/libation) (59×)G2440 1. garment or clothing (general) (54×)H4191 4. kill / put to death (Hifil causative) (50×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἐκκρεμ-άννῡμι, future -κρεμάσω, hang from or upon a thing, Refs 5th c.BC+ __II passive, like{ἐκκρέμαμαι}, hang on by, cling to, with genitive, τῶν τε ξυσκήνων ἤδη ἀπιόντων ἐκκρεμαννύμενοι Refs 5th c.BC+ __II.2 metaphorically, to be devoted to, Ἄρεος Refs 5th c.BC+