ἐνδημ-έω G1736
to be at home, dwell in; residing in one's proper place, especially the body as temporary dwelling
The verb ἐνδημέω (ἐν + δῆμος 'at home among one's people') means to be at home, dwell in, or reside in a place. Paul uses it as counterpoint to ἐκδημέω ('be away from home'), creating a spatial metaphor for the believer's dual location: at home in the body but away from the Lord, or away from the body and at home with the Lord. The verb establishes embodied life as temporary residence, with true home elsewhere.
Senses
1. sense 1 — All three occurrences cluster in 2 Corinthians 5:6-9 alongside ἐκδημέω. Verse 6: 'while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord.' Verse 8: 'we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.' Verse 9: 'whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.' The Spanish (estando-en-casa, estar-en-casa) and French (être-chez-soi) literalize the at-home language, while German (daheim-sein) uses 'being-at-home.' Paul's point is paradoxical: present embodiment is both real dwelling (we are at home in the body) and exile (we are away from the Lord). Death inverts the geography—away from body means at home with the Lord. The verb pair creates existential cartography for Christian hope. 3×
AR["مُقيمينَ", "نُقيمَ"]·ben["থাকতে", "বাস-করতে"]·DE["daheim-sein"]·EN["being-at-home", "to-be-at-home"]·FR["être-chez-soi"]·heb["יוֹשְׁבִים", "לִשְׁכֹּן"]·HI["घर-में-जाना", "घर-में-रहते-हुए"]·ID["tinggal"]·IT["essere-a-casa"]·jav["manggon"]·KO["머물기를", "머물든", "머물며"]·PT["estando-presentes", "estar-presentes", "presentes"]·RU["быть-дома", "обитающие"]·ES["estando-en-casa", "estar-en-casa"]·SW["kukaa", "tukikaa"]·TR["evde", "evde olmayı"]·urd["رہتے-ہوئے", "رہنا"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἐνδημ-έω, Doric dialect ἐνδᾱμέω, live at or in a place, Refs 5th c.BC+; simply, stay, remain in a place, μέχρις ἂν ἐνδημῶσιν οἱ πρέσβεις Refs 4th c.BC+; ἐνδημῶν καὶ ἀποδημῶν Mitteis Refs 2nd c.BC+, etc.: metaphorically, ὁ θεὸς ἐνδεδήμηκεν εἰς τὴν ἐμὴν ψυχήν Refs 2nd c.AD+; ἐ. ἐν τῷ σώματι, πρὸς τὸν Κύριον, NT