ἐπιδέχομαι G1926
to receive, welcome, or admit; to acknowledge or give hospitality to someone
This middle voice verb means to receive or welcome someone, appearing only in 3 John where it describes contrasting responses to traveling Christian teachers. Gaius welcomes them; Diotrephes refuses to receive them and even expels those who do. The German 'aufnehmen' (to receive, take in) and Spanish 'recibe' (receives) confirm the basic sense of welcoming or admitting someone. The domain assignment to Possess, Transfer, Exchange may reflect the transactional aspect of hospitality—receiving guests involves sharing resources.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Spanish 'recibe' (receives) and German 'aufnehmen' (to receive, take in) show this is about welcoming or admitting someone. Both occurrences in 3 John 1:9-10 contrast two men's responses to itinerant Christian workers: Diotrephes 'does not receive us' (refuses hospitality and authority), while he also 'does not receive the brothers' (rejects traveling teachers). The verb emphasizes the social and spiritual dimensions of hospitality—receiving people implies receiving their message and sharing fellowship with them. 2×
AR["يَقبَلُ"]·ben["গ্রহণ-করে"]·DE["aufnehmen"]·EN["receives"]·FR["ἐπιδέχεται"]·heb["מְקַבֵּל"]·HI["स्वीकार-करता", "स्वीकार-करता-है"]·ID["menerima"]·IT["epidechetai"]·jav["nampi"]·KO["받아들이지", "받아들이지-않는다"]·PT["nos-recebe", "recebe"]·RU["принимает"]·ES["nos-recibe", "recibe"]·SW["hawapokei", "tupokei"]·TR["kabul-ediyor"]·urd["قبول-کرتا"]
Related Senses
H5414 1. give, bestow (1855×)H3947 1. take, seize, grasp (Qal) (940×)G2192 1. possess / have (680×)G1325 1. give, bestow (336×)H5159 1. inherited land or property (170×)G2983 1. receive, obtain (134×)H3423 1. Qal: take possession of land (130×)G2983 2. take, take up (113×)G2398 1. one's own, belonging to oneself (91×)G3860 1. hand over, deliver to custody (78×)H7998 1. spoil, plunder, booty (74×)G1325 2. be given, be granted (70×)H5414 2. put, place, set (68×)H7999a 1. pay, repay, recompense (63×)H7069 1. Buy, purchase (59×)H1892 1. vanity, futility, absurdity (58×)H5159 2. heritage as covenant portion (52×)H6299 1. redeem or ransom (Qal active) (49×)H4376 1. Sell (Qal active) (47×)H1350a 1. Redeem, buy back (46×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἐπιδέχομαι, Ionic dialect etc. ἐπιδέκομα Refs 5th c.BC+:— admit besides or in addition, Refs 5th c.BC+ __2. receive besides, Refs 4th c.BC+ __3. receive, welcome, Refs 2nd c.BC+; ἐ. εἰς τὰ Refs 1st c.AD+ __II. take on oneself, undertake, Refs 2nd c.BC+, etc.: with infinitive, Refs 4th c.AD+, agree, admit liability, Refs 2nd c.BC+ __II.2. of things, allow of, admit of, Refs 4th c.BC+; τὸ μᾶλλον…