ἔρχομαι G2064
To come, arrive, or approach; used of physical movement, messianic advent, imperative summons, and temporal reference
One of the most frequent verbs in the New Testament, erchomai covers the full spectrum of arrival and approach. At its heart it means to come or arrive at a destination, but its participial form ho erchomenos became a charged messianic title -- 'the Coming One' -- echoing Psalm 118:26 and Malachi's prophetic expectation. In the imperative it serves as a direct summons ('Come!'), and attributively it marks future time ('the coming age'). Context occasionally stretches it to mean 'enter' or even 'go,' showing how flexible Greek motion verbs can be.
1. come / arrive (physical movement toward) — The default sense covering physical movement toward a person or place -- arriving, approaching, journeying to. Arabic uses the root j-ʾ-ʾ (جاء), Spanish viene, German kommt, all mapping cleanly to directional arrival. Dominant across every Gospel narrative (Matt 8:9; 17:11). 588×
AR["تَأْتِي","جاءَ","جَاءَ","يَأتي","يَأتيكِ","يَأتِي","يَأْتِي","يَجيءُ","يُؤْتى بِـ"]·ben["আসছে","আসছেন","আসে","আসেন"]·DE["kommen","kommt"]·EN["comes","he-comes","is-coming"]·FR["venir"]·heb["בָּא"]·HI["अअत-है","अअतअ-है","अअति-है","आता-है"]·ID["Dia-datang","Ia-datang","datang","datanglah","dia-datang"]·IT["venire"]·jav["rawuh","rawuh,","teka"]·KO["오느니라","오는-것이","오는지","오신다","온다"]·PT["vem"]·RU["грядёт","придёт","приносится","приходит"]·ES["viene","viene>"]·SW["anakuja","anakuja;","angeangalia","kinakuja","kwako","linakuja"]·TR["gelir","geliyor"]·urd["آتا-ہے","آتی-ہے","آیا","لایا-جاتا-ہے"]
Matt 8:9, Matt 13:19, Matt 17:11, Matt 18:7, Matt 21:5, Matt 24:42, Matt 24:43, Matt 24:44, Matt 25:13, Matt 25:19, Matt 26:36, Matt 26:40 (+38 more)
▼ 5 more senses below
Senses
2. the Coming One (messianic title) — The substantivized participle ho erchomenos ('the Coming One') functions as a messianic and eschatological title. Arabic renders the definite participle الآتي (al-aatii), Korean uses the honorific 오시는 분, underscoring the title's weight. Central to John the Baptist's question in Matt 11:3 and the Palm Sunday acclamation of Matt 21:9. 27×
AR["آتي","آتٍ","آتِي","آتِيَ","الآتي","الآتِي","الْقَادِمَ","ـآتِي"]·ben["আগমনকারী","আসছে","আসছে-যে","আসছেন","আসছেন-যিনি","আসে-যে","যিনি-আসছেন"]·DE["kommen","kommt"]·EN["coming","coming-one"]·FR["venir"]·heb["בָּא","הַבָּא"]·HI["अअने-वअलअ","आने-वाला","आने-वाला-है","आने-वाले","आने-वाले-को","आनेवाला","आनेवाला।","आनेवाले","जो-आने-वाला;"]·ID["akan-datang","akan-datang;","datang","yang-akan-datang","yang-datang"]·IT["venire"]·jav["badhé-rawuh,","ingkang-badhé-rawuh","ingkang-rawuh","kang-rawuh","rawuh","rawuh."]·KO["다가오는","오는-사람은","오는-이를","오는-자가","오는-자는","오는-자를","오시는-분","오시는-분을","오시는-분이여","오시는-이","오시는-이가","오시는-자","오실","오실-분"]·PT["que-vem","vem"]·RU["Грядущего;","Грядущий","Приходящего","Приходящий","грядущий","идущего","наступающий","приходящего","приходящий"]·ES["que-viene","viniendo"]·SW["Ajaye;","a-jaye,","ajaye,","anayekuja","inayokuja","jina","kwa"]·TR["Gelen","gelen","gelen?","gelene","geleni"]·urd["آنے-والا","آنے-والا-ہے","آنے-والی","آنے-والے","انتظار-کریں","میرے-پاس"]
Matt 11:3, Matt 21:9, Matt 23:39, Mark 11:9, Luke 6:47, Luke 7:19, Luke 7:20, Luke 13:35, Luke 14:31, Luke 19:38, John 1:15, John 1:27 (+15 more)
3. come! (imperative summons) — Imperative uses functioning as a summons or invitation -- 'Come!' Arabic distinctively shifts to a separate root تعال (taʿaal) for this command, unlike the indicative جاء, revealing a pragmatic split that Greek leaves implicit. See Jesus calling Peter onto the water (Matt 14:29) and the parable invitation in Luke 14:17. 15×
AR["تَعالَ","تَعَالَ","تَعَالَوْا","تَعَالَي","تَعَالَيَا"]·ben["এস","এস!","এস;","এসো"]·DE["kommen","kommt"]·EN["Come","come"]·FR["venir"]·heb["בֹּא","בֹּאוּ","בּוֹא","בּוֹאִי","בּוֹאוּ"]·HI["अअ","आ","आ!","आ;","आए","आओ","जो-सुनता-है","प्रभु"]·ID["Datanglah","Datanglah!","Datanglah;","Marilah","datanglah","marilah"]·IT["venire"]·jav["Mriki","Mrénéya","Rawuha","Rawuha.","Sami-rawuh","rawuha","sumangga-rawuh"]·KO["오라","오셔서","오소서"]·PT["Vem","Vinde","vem"]·RU["Иди","Иди!","Иди;","Идите","Приди","Приходи","приди","приходите"]·ES["Ven","Ven!","Ven,","Venid","ven"]·SW["Njoo","Njoo!","Njoo,","Njoo;","Njooni","njoo","uje"]·TR["Gel","Gel,","Gelin","gel"]·urd["آ","آؤ"]
Matt 8:9, Matt 14:29, Luke 7:8, Luke 14:17, John 1:39, John 1:46, John 4:16, John 11:34, Rev 6:1, Rev 6:3, Rev 6:5, Rev 6:7 (+3 more)
4. coming / future (temporal attributive) — Attributive-temporal use meaning 'coming, future, next,' modifying a noun of time or abstraction. Spanish employs venidero ('forthcoming'), distinguishing this from the verbal sense. Appears in phrases like 'the age to come' (Mark 10:30; Luke 18:30) and 'things that are coming' (John 16:13). 6×
AR["آتِيَ","آتِيَةَ","الآتي","الآتِي","الْآتِي"]·ben["আগত-বিষয়গুলি","আসছে","আসন্ন","আসা"]·DE["kommen","kommt"]·EN["coming"]·FR["venir"]·heb["בָּא","בָּאָה","הַבָּא","הַבָּאָה","הַבָּאוֹת"]·HI["अअने-वअले","आने-वाले","आनेवाली-बातें","आनेवाले"]·ID["akan-datang","berikutnya","yang-akan-datang","yang-datang"]·IT["venire"]·jav["bab-ingkang-badhé-rawuh","bab-ingkang-rawuh","badhe-rawuh","badhe-rawuh,","bakal-rawuh.","rawuh"]·KO["다가오는","오는","오는.","올-것들을"]·PT["que-vinham","que-vêm","seguinte","vindoura"]·RU["грядущего","грядущее","грядущем","следующую"]·ES["que-venían","que-viene","que-vienen","siguiente","venidera","venidero"]·SW["ijayo","inayokuja","ujao","yajayo"]·TR["gelecek","gelecekleri","gelen"]·urd["آنے والی","آنے-والے"]
5. enter / go into — A contextual extension where erchomai means 'enter' or 'go into.' Arabic shifts to the root d-kh-l (دخل, 'enter'), Korean to 들어가다 (deureogada), and Swahili to -ingia, all lexically distinct from 'come.' Seen when the magi enter the house (Matt 2:11) and Jesus enters a Pharisee's home (Luke 14:1). 3×
AR["تَدْخُلُوا","دُخُولِهِ","لَمَّا-دَخَلُوا"]·ben["আস","আসতে","এসে"]·DE["kommen","kommt"]·EN["having-come","to-come","you-enter"]·FR["venir"]·heb["בֹּאוֹ","כְּשֶׁבָּאוּ","תָּבֹאוּ"]·HI["आओ","आकर","आने-पर"]·ID["kamu-masuk","masuk"]·IT["venire"]·jav["panjenengan-mlebet","rawuh"]·KO["들어가라","들어가서","들어가심"]·PT["entrar","entreis","tendo-entrado"]·RU["войдя","войти","пришли"]·ES["entrar","entréis","habiendo-entrado"]·SW["ingie","kuingia","wakija"]·TR["girip","girmesinde","girmeyin"]·urd["آ-کر","آؤ","آنے"]
6. go / depart (movement away) — Rare sense where erchomai functions as 'go' or 'depart' -- movement away rather than toward. Korean distinguishes this with 가다 (gada, 'go') versus 오다 (oda, 'come'), and Spanish uses vamos ('let us go'). Attested at Mark 1:39 and John 21:3 where the direction is outward. 2×
AR["كَانَ-يَكْرِزُ","نَأْتِي"]·ben["আসছি","এলেন,"]·DE["kommen"]·EN["he-came","we-are-coming"]·FR["venir"]·heb["בָּא","בָּאִים"]·HI["आते-हैं","गया"]·ID["Ia-pergi,","Kami-datang"]·IT["venire"]·jav["Kawula-tindhak","rawuh,"]·KO["간다","갔다"]·PT["Vamos","foi,"]·RU["Идём","пришёл"]·ES["Vamos","fue"]·SW["Tunakuja","alikuja,"]·TR["Geliyoruz","geldi,"]·urd["آتے-ہیں","آیا"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἔρχομαι Refs 8th c.BC+: imperfect ἠρχόμην Refs 5th c.BC+; frequently in later Prose, LXX+NT+2nd c.AD+; in Attic dialect rare even in compounds, ἐπ-ηρχόμην Refs 5th c.BC+future ἐλεύσομαι, Refs 8th c.BC+, Ionic dialect, Trag. Refs 5th c.BC+, in Attic dialect Prose only in Refs 5th c.BC+: aorist, Epic dialect and Lyric poetry ἤλῠθον Refs 8th c.BC+; but ἦλθον is more frequently even in Refs 8th…