ἐξίστημι G1839
To be amazed or astonished; to amaze others; to be out of one's mind, beside oneself
Existemi literally means to displace or put out of position, and its New Testament uses trace a spectrum from wonder to madness. Most often it appears in the intransitive middle or passive: crowds are amazed at Jesus's healings (Mark 5:42), teachers astonished at the boy Jesus's understanding (Luke 2:47). Spanish captures this with 'asombrarse' and 'quedar atonito,' while French reaches for 'etre stupefait.' In its active transitive form, Simon the sorcerer 'amazed' the Samaritans (Acts 8:9-11). The most striking usage is Mark 3:21, where Jesus's own family declares He is 'out of His mind,' and 2 Corinthians 5:13, where Paul defends his own apparent madness. The word thus spans the full range from holy wonder to perceived insanity, all rooted in the idea of being displaced from one's normal state.
Senses
1. be amazed or astonished — Intransitive middle/passive meaning to be filled with amazement or astonishment at something witnessed or heard. This is the dominant New Testament sense, appearing in the Synoptic Gospels and Acts. Mark 2:12 records the crowd's astonishment after a paralytic's healing, and Luke 2:47 describes the teachers amazed at the young Jesus. Spanish 'asombrarse' and 'quedar atonito' convey the involuntary, overwhelming quality of the experience. 12×
AR["انْدَهَشَ", "بُهِتُوا", "دَهِشوا", "دَهِشَ", "دَهِشُوا", "ذُهِلا", "فَدَهِشُوا", "مُنْدَهِشِينَ"]·ben["আশ্চর্য-হইতেছিলেন", "আশ্চর্য-হচ্ছিলেন", "আশ্চর্য-হল", "বিস্মিত-হত", "বিস্মিত-হতে", "বিস্মিত-হল"]·DE["staunt", "ἐξέστησαν", "ἐξίσταντο", "ἐξίστασθαι"]·EN["he-was-amazed", "they-were-amazed", "to-be-amazed", "were-amazed"]·FR["étonner", "être-stupéfait"]·heb["הִשְׁתַּמְּמוּ", "הִשְׁתּוֹמְמוּ", "הִשְׁתּוֹמֵם", "נִדְהֲמוּ", "נִשְׁתַּמְּמוּ"]·HI["आश्चर्यचकित-था", "आश्चर्यचकित-होते-थे", "चकित-थे", "चकित-हुए", "चकित-हो-गए", "चकित-हो-गये", "चकित-होने"]·ID["Mereka-takjub", "mereka-takjub", "takjub", "tercengang"]·IT["essere-stupefatto", "stupire"]·jav["Gumun", "eram", "eram.", "gumun", "gumun.", "padha-gumun", "sami-gumun,", "sami-kaeraman"]·KO["그들-이", "놀람다", "놀람으니", "놀람을-금치-못했다,", "놀랐다", "우리-가"]·PT["admirava-se", "admiravam-se", "estavam-atônitos", "ficaram-atônitos", "maravilharem-se", "pasmaramse"]·RU["изумились", "изумлялись", "изумлялись-", "изумлялся", "изумляться"]·ES["asombrarse", "estaban-asombrados", "quedaron-atónitos", "se-asombraba", "se-asombraban", "se-asombraron"]·SW["alistaajabu", "kushangazwa", "wakashangaa", "wakashangaa.", "wakastaajabu", "walishangazwa", "walistaajabu"]·TR["hayret-ediyordu", "hayret-etmek", "hayret-ettiler", "hayrete-düşüyordu", "şaşkındılar", "şaşırdılar", "şaşıyorlardı"]·urd["حیران-تھے", "حیران-ہو-گئے", "حیران-ہوئے", "حیران-ہوتا-تھا", "حیران-ہوتے-تھے", "حیران-ہونا"]
2. amaze or astound someone — Transitive active/causative meaning to amaze or astound someone, to produce astonishment in others. Acts 8:9-11 uses this of Simon the magician who amazed the Samaritans with his sorcery, and Luke 24:22 reports the women from the tomb who astounded the disciples. Spanish 'asombrar' in active voice and French 'etonner' both preserve the causative direction. 3×
AR["أَدْهَشَتْ", "أَدْهَشَهُمْ", "يُدْهِشُ"]·ben["আমাদের-হতবুদ্ধি-করেছে", "বিস্মিত-করতে", "বিস্মিত-করেছিল"]·DE["staunt"]·EN["amazed", "amazing", "to-have-amazed"]·FR["étonner", "être-stupéfait"]·heb["הִדְהִים", "הִדְהִימוּ", "מַדְהִים"]·HI["आश्चर्य-में-डालता-था", "आश्चर्य-में-डाला-था", "चकित-कर-दिया"]·ID["menakjubkan", "mengejutkan"]·IT["essere-stupefatto", "stupire"]·jav["ndadosaken-kaget", "nggumunaken"]·KO["놀라게-하며", "놀라게-했다"]·PT["assombrando", "os-tinha-assombrado"]·RU["изумили", "изумлял", "изумляющий"]·ES["asombrando", "asombraron", "haber-asombrado"]·SW["akiwashangaza", "alikuwa-amewashangaza", "walitushangaza"]·TR["hayrete-düşürerek", "hayrete-düşürmüştü", "şaşırttılar"]·urd["حیران-کر-دیا", "حیران-کرتا-رہا-تھا", "حیران-کرتا-ہوا"]
3. be out of one's mind — To be out of one's mind, beside oneself, reflecting the root's literal meaning of displacement from one's normal mental state. In Mark 3:21, Jesus's family comes to seize Him, saying 'He is out of His mind,' and in 2 Corinthians 5:13, Paul writes 'if we are beside ourselves, it is for God.' Spanish 'estar fuera de si' is a nearly exact calque of the Greek. This sense reveals the word's etymological core: ek (out of) + histemi (to stand). 2×
AR["جُنَّ هُوَ", "جُنِنّا"]·ben["আমরা-পাগল,", "পাগল-হয়েছেন।"]·DE["ἐξέστη", "ἐξέστημεν"]·EN["he-is-out-of-his-mind", "we-were-out-of-our-mind"]·FR["étonner", "être-stupéfait"]·heb["הִשְׁתַּגַּעְנוּ", "יָצָא-מִדַּעְתּוֹ"]·HI["पागल-हुए-हम"]·ID["Ia-gila.", "kami-di-luar-akal"]·IT["essere-stupefatto", "stupire"]·jav["kawula-gèndèng,", "édan."]·KO["미쳤다", "미쳤다면"]·PT["enlouquecemos", "está-fora-de-si."]·RU["были-вне-себя", "обезумел"]·ES["Está-fuera-de-sí", "estamos-fuera-de-sí"]·SW["amepoteza-akili.", "tulikuwa-wazimu,"]·TR["aklimızı yitirdik", "delirdi."]·urd["بے-سدھ-ہوئے", "پاگل-ہو-گیا-ہے"]
Related Senses
G2309 1. want, desire (166×)G0025 1. to love actively (133×)H0157 1. love (verb, active Qal) (129×)H8055 1. Qal: rejoice, be glad (123×)H7453 1. neighbor, fellow man (120×)G0026 1. of love (115×)H1058 1. Qal: to weep, cry (112×)H0954 1. to be ashamed, feel shame (Qal) (95×)H8057 1. joy, gladness, delight (90×)H2781 1. disgrace, shame, dishonor (68×)G2307 1. will, desire, purpose (63×)G5463 1. rejoice, be glad (63×)G0027 1. beloved (61×)H8130 1. Qal: to hate, detest (60×)G5479 1. (59×)G1680 1. (53×)H8130 2. Qal ptcp: hater, enemy (53×)H0014 1. be willing, want (51×)H0157 2. lover, friend (Qal participle substantive) (51×)H1945 1. woe (50×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἐξίστημι, causal in present, imperfect, future, aorist 1:—displace: hence, change, alter utterly, τὰν φύσιν Refs 5th c.BC+ __2 metaphorically, ἐξιστάναι τινὰ φρενῶν drive one out of his senses, Refs 5th c.BC+; simply ἐ. τινά drive one out of his senses, confound, amaze, Refs 5th c.BC+diverts the attention, Refs 4th c.BC+; excite,NT; τὸν λογισμόν, τὴν διάνοιαν, Refs 1st c.AD+ __3 get rid of,…