λαμβάνω G2983
To take, receive, obtain, or seize; encompasses physical grasping, receiving gifts or authority, and forceful seizure.
Few Greek verbs carry as wide a range as lambano. At its most concrete, it describes the simple act of taking bread or a cup in one's hands — the gesture Jesus performs at the Last Supper (Matt 26:26). But it extends seamlessly into receiving gifts, wages, the Holy Spirit, and divine promises. The multilingual evidence reveals how languages carve this range differently: Korean uses 받다 ('receive') for passive reception but 잡다 ('grab/seize') when force is involved, while Swahili toggles between -pokea ('receive') and -shika ('seize'). The word's breadth is itself theologically significant — the same verb describes both God's giving and humanity's grasping.
1. receive, obtain — To receive or obtain something given, offered, or due — the largest sense cluster at 134 occurrences. This covers receiving gifts (Matt 10:8), wages (John 4:36), the Spirit (John 20:22), authority (Rev 2:27), promises, and inheritance. The emphasis is on the recipient as beneficiary rather than active agent. Korean 받다 and Swahili -pokea consistently mark this passive-reception frame, while Spanish recibir and German empfangen confirm the semantic boundary against active 'taking.' 134×
AR["أن-يَأخُذَ","أَخَذوا","أَن-تَأخُذوا","أَنْ-تَأْخُذَ","أَنْ-يَأْخُذَهُ","أَنْ-يَأْخُذُوا","لِيَأخُذَ","نَيْل","يَأخُذُ","يَأْخُذُ","يَأْخُذُونَ","يَقْبَلُ"]·ben["গ্রহণ-করতে","গ্রহণ-করার","গ্রহণ-করে","নিতে","নেয়","পায়","পেতে","পেল"]·DE["nehmen","nimmt"]·EN["received","receives","to-receive"]·FR["prendre","recevoir"]·heb["לְ-קַבֵּל","לְקַבֵּל","לָקְחוּ","לָקַחַת","מְקַבֵּל","קַבָּלַת"]·HI["ग्रहण-करता-है","ग्रहण-करना","पअये","पाता-है","पाना","पाने","लेता-है","लेता-है।","लेना","लेने","लेने-को"]·ID["menerima","menerima."]·IT["prendere","ricevere"]·jav["nampeni","nampi","nampi.","nampèni","nampèni,","nampèni;","supados-nampeni","tampi"]·KO["받기를","받는다","받는다면","받니","받았다","받으니","받으려고","받으시도록","받은","받지-않는다","영접하는-것이요","영접한다","태우려고"]·PT["a-receber","de-receber","recebe","recebe.","receber","receberam"]·RU["взять","получает","получения","получили","получить","принимает","принять"]·ES["a-recibir","de-recibir","recibe","recibieron","recibir"]·SW["a-pokea;","ananipokea","anapokea","dinari","hupokea","kumpokea","kupokea"]·TR["-o","aldılar","almak","almak,","almaya","alır","alıyor","alıyorsa","kabul-etmiyor","kesilmiş"]·urd["حاصل-کرنے","قبول-کرتا","قبول-کرتا-ہے","لیا","لیتا-ہے","لینے","لینے-کو","لے","واپس-پانے-کی","پاتا-ہے","پانا"]
Matt 7:8, Matt 10:8, Matt 10:41, Matt 10:41, Matt 13:20, Matt 19:29, Matt 20:9, Matt 20:10, Matt 25:16, Mark 11:24, Mark 14:65, Luke 6:34 (+38 more)
▼ 5 more senses below
Senses
2. take, take up — To actively take or take up something with one's hands — 113 occurrences, especially prominent in narrative action sequences. The participial form 'having taken' (labon) is almost formulaic before blessing and breaking bread (Matt 14:19; 15:36; 26:26). Here the agent exercises initiative: taking a cup, picking up a scroll, gathering provisions. Hindi lena and Arabic akhadha both align with this volitional-grasping sense, distinct from mere reception. 113×
AR["آخِذًا","أَخَذوا","أَخَذَ","أَخَذَتهَا","أَخَذَهَا","أَخَذُوا","أَخَذْنَ","خُذْهُ"]·ben["নিয়ে"]·DE["nehmen","nimmt"]·EN["having-taken","taking"]·FR["prendre"]·heb["לָקְח-וּ","לָקְחָה","לָקְחוּ","לָקַח","קַח"]·HI["करके","लेकर"]·ID["mengambil"]·IT["ricevere"]·jav["dipunwontenaken,","mendhet","mendhet,","pundhut,","sasampunipun-mendhet","sasampunipun-nampi","sasampunipun-ngawontenaken,"]·KO["가지고","받고","잡고","취하시고","취하시어","취하여"]·PT["tendo-tomado","tomando"]·RU["взяв","взявши","составив"]·ES["habiendo-tomado","tomando"]·SW["akichukua","akimchukua","akiuchukua","aliichukua","ichukue","wakichukua","wakifanya","wakiisha-kuchukua"]·TR["alarak","alıp"]·urd["لیکر","لے-کر","کر-کے"]
Matt 8:17, Matt 13:31, Matt 13:33, Matt 14:19, Matt 15:36, Matt 17:27, Matt 25:1, Matt 25:3, Matt 26:26, Matt 26:27, Matt 27:6, Matt 27:7 (+38 more)
3. seize, catch, arrest — To seize, catch, or arrest by force — a sharply distinct sense appearing 6 times. In Luke 5:5 Peter 'caught' nothing all night; in Luke 5:26 amazement 'seized' the crowd; in 1 Cor 10:13 temptation 'overtakes' believers. Korean 잡다 and Swahili -shika both select forceful-grasp vocabulary here, confirming that the violent or involuntary element is cross-linguistically salient, not just an English translation choice. 6×
AR["أَخَذَ","أَخَذَت","أَخَذْتُ","تَأخُذ","لَم-نَأخُذ","يَأْخُذُهُ"]·ben["আক্রমণ-করল","গ্রহণ-করেছে,","ধরল","ধরে","ধরেছি।","নিলাম"]·DE["nehmen","nimmt"]·EN["I-caught","has-seized","seized","seizes","we-caught"]·FR["prendre","recevoir"]·heb["אָחַז","אוֹחַז","לָקַחְנוּ","לָקַחְתִּי","תָּפַס","תָּפַשׂ"]·HI["पकड़ती-है","पकड़ा","पकड़ी","पाया","मैंने-पकड़ा"]·ID["aku-tangkap","kami-tangkap","menguasai","menimpa","merasuki"]·IT["prendere","ricevere"]·jav["angsal","kula-cepeng","nampi,","nyekel","nyengkuyung","nyepeng"]·KO["사로잡았다","잡았다","잡으면","잡지","잡지-못했습니다"]·PT["apanhou,","o-toma","tomei","tomou"]·RU["взял","взяло","не-взяли,","охватил","постигло,","схватывает"]·ES["ha-tomado","lo-toma","os-tomé","tomamos","tomó"]·SW["halikuwapata,","hatukupata","humshika","niliwachukua.","ukawapata","uliwashika"]·TR["aldı","aldım","almadık","tuttu","yakaladı","yakalar"]·urd["پکڑا","پکڑتی-ہے","پکڑی","چھا-گیا","کچھ-نہیں","گھیر-لیا"]
4. accept, welcome a person — To accept or welcome a person, especially in contexts of hospitality or acknowledging someone's authority. In John 5:43 Jesus says 'you do not receive me'; in 2 John 1:10 believers are warned not to 'receive' false teachers into their homes. Korean 영접하다 ('to welcome/receive a guest') and Arabic qabila ('to accept a person') both use interpersonal-reception vocabulary distinct from object-reception, marking this as a real sense boundary rather than a contextual shade. 5×
AR["اِقْبَلُوا","تَأخُذُ","تَقبَلوهُ","تَقْبَلُونَ"]·ben["গ্রহণ-কর","গ্রহণ-করো"]·DE["nehmen","nimmt"]·EN["receive","you-receive"]·FR["prendre"]·heb["אַתֶּם מְקַבְּלִים","מְקַבְּלִים","נוֹשֵׂא","קְחוּ","תְקַבְּלוּ"]·HI["ग्रहण-करते","ग्रहण-करो","लेता-है","लेते-हो।","लो"]·ID["Engkau-memandang","Terimalah","kamu-menerima","kamu-terima.","terimalah"]·IT["ricevere"]·jav["Panjenengan-nampi","Tampenana","panjenengan-nampi","panjenengan-nampi.","panjenengan-tampi"]·KO["맞이하지","받는다","받아라","영접한다","취하지-않으시고"]·PT["Recebei","aceitas","recebais","recebeis."]·RU["Примите","принимаете","принимаешь","принимайте"]·ES["Recibid","recibes","recibáis","recibís"]·SW["Pokeeni","mpokee","nipokei","pokei","unakubali"]·TR["Alın","alıyorsun","kabul-edin","kabul-ediyorsunuz","kabul-etmiyorsunuz"]·urd["دیکھتا","قبول-کرتے","قبول-کرتے-ہو","قبول-کرو","لو"]
5. be taken, be received (passive) — Passive voice forms where the subject is being taken or received — only 2 clear occurrences (1 Tim 4:4; Heb 5:1). The Greek passive morphology (PPM/P) is matched by Swahili passive suffixes (-wa), confirming genuine voice-driven sense distinction. In 1 Tim 4:4, food is 'received' with thanksgiving; in Heb 5:1, the high priest is 'taken from among men.' 2×
AR["مَأْخوذٌ","يُؤْخَذُ"]·ben["গ্রহণ-করা-হলে;","নেওয়া-হয়ে"]·DE["nehmen"]·EN["being-received","being-taken"]·FR["prendre"]·heb["נִלְקָח"]·HI["लिया-जाता","लिये-जअन"]·ID["diterima","yang-diambil"]·IT["ricevere"]·jav["dipun-tampa;","kapilih"]·KO["받은면;","취해진-이가"]·PT["sendo-recebido","sendo-tomado"]·RU["берущийся","принимаемое"]·ES["siendo-recibido","siendo-tomado"]·SW["anayechukuliwa","kinapokewa"]·TR["alınan"]·urd["لیا-جائے۔","لیا-جاتا-ہے"]
6. sense 6 — A single occurrence at Matt 17:24 where the sense is 'collecting' — the temple-tax collectors 'collecting' the didrachma. Spanish cobrando ('charging/collecting') and the English 'collecting' both point to a transactional, revenue-gathering nuance not quite covered by generic 'receive' or 'take.' This may represent a specialized fiscal sub-sense. 1×
AR["الجُبَاةُ"]·ben["গ্রহণকারীরা"]·DE["nimmt"]·EN["collecting"]·FR["prendre"]·heb["לוֹקְחִים"]·HI["लेने-वले"]·ID["mengambil"]·IT["ricevere"]·jav["mundhut"]·KO["받는-자들이"]·PT["recebem"]·RU["берущие"]·ES["cobrando"]·SW["wakusanyaji"]·TR["alanlar"]·urd["وصول-کرنے-والے"]
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×)H3423 1. Qal: take possession of land (130×)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×)H6743b 1. prosper, succeed (intransitive) (40×)H5414 3. make, render, appoint (38×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
λαμβάνω, future λήψομαι (λήψω only late, variant in LXX; Ionic dialect λάψομαι Refs 5th c.BC+; Doric dialectfuture 2nd pers. singular λαψῇ Refs 5th c.BC+, infinitive λαμψεῖσθαι Refs 2nd c.BC+aorist 2 ἔλᾰβον, Epic dialect ἔλλᾰβον Refs 8th c.BC+; Ionic dialect Iterat. λάβεσκον Refs 8th c.BC+; written λάβε in middle Ms. of Refs 4th c.BC+ Attic dialectaccusative to Refs 2nd c.AD+: perfect εἴληφα Refs…