προσέρχομαι G4334
To come to, approach, or draw near; used of physical movement toward a person, cultic approach to God, or purposeful visiting.
One of the most common verbs of motion in the Gospels, προσέρχομαι appears overwhelmingly in Matthew as a narrative formula: someone 'came to' Jesus and spoke. Yet the word has deeper resonance in Hebrews, where it becomes the technical term for approaching God in worship—echoing the Old Testament priestly language of drawing near to the altar. The physical and spiritual senses are bridged by the word's inherent directionality: movement toward a significant person or presence. Spanish 'acercándose' and French 's'approcher' cover the range elegantly, while German 'hinzutreten' captures the formal, purposeful quality especially prominent in Hebrews.
Senses
1. approach or come to physically — The vast majority of occurrences (about 77) describe physical approach—coming to, drawing near to, or moving toward someone in narrative space. Matthew uses it as a standard introduction formula: 'and having approached (προσελθών), he/they said...' (Matt 4:11; 8:2, 5, 19). The multilingual glosses are consistent: Spanish 'acercándose,' French 's'approcher,' German 'tritt heran.' It covers everything from disciples approaching Jesus to crowds gathering and individuals seeking healing. 77×
AR["إِذْ-تَقَدَّمَ", "تَقَدَّموا", "تَقَدَّمَ", "تَقَدَّمُوا", "جَاءَ"]·ben["এগিয়ে-এসে", "এসে"]·DE["tritt-heran"]·EN["having-approached", "having-come", "having-come-forward", "having-come-to"]·FR["s'approcher"]·heb["נִגְּשׁ", "נִגְּשׁ-וּ", "נִגְּשׁוּ", "נִגַּשׁ"]·HI["अअकर", "आकर", "जाकर"]·ID["datang", "menghampiri"]·IT["avvicinarsi"]·jav["Sowan,", "sowan", "sowan,"]·KO["나아와서", "다가와서"]·PT["Aproximando-se", "aproximando-se", "tendo-se-aproximado", "tendo-vindo"]·RU["Подойдя", "Подошедшие", "подойдя", "подошедши", "подошедшие"]·ES["acercándose", "habiendo-acercado", "habiéndose-acercado"]·SW["-", "akija", "akijia,", "akimjia", "ali-jia,", "lakini", "wakija", "wakimjia", "wakimjia,", "walikaribia", "yeye"]·TR["gelip", "yaklaşarak", "yaklaşıp"]·urd["آ-کر", "آکر"]
Matt 4:11, Matt 5:1, Matt 8:2, Matt 8:5, Matt 8:19, Matt 8:25, Matt 9:28, Matt 13:10, Matt 13:27, Matt 13:36, Matt 14:12, Matt 14:15 (+38 more)
2. draw near to God in worship — About 7 occurrences shift to a cultic or spiritual register: drawing near to God in worship, prayer, or faith. This sense concentrates in Hebrews, where the author exhorts believers to 'approach the throne of grace with boldness' (Heb 4:16) and 'draw near with a true heart' (Heb 10:22; 11:6). The echo of Old Testament priestly approach (Hebrew קרב) is unmistakable. Spanish 'acerquémonos' and German 'hinzutreten' in these contexts carry the weight of deliberate, reverent approach to the divine presence. 1 Tim 6:3 extends this to 'approaching' sound doctrine. 7×
AR["اقْتَرَبْتُمْ", "لِنَتَقَدَّمْ", "مُقْتَرِباً", "مُقْتَرِبٌ", "يَقْتَرِبُ"]·ben["আমরা-আসি", "এগিয়ে-আসি", "কাছে-আসতে", "তোমরা-আসনি", "তোমরা-এসেছ", "সম্মত-হয়"]·DE["hinzutreten", "tritt-heran"]·EN["approaches", "approaching", "let-us-approach", "you-have-come"]·FR["s'approcher"]·heb["כְּשֶׁנִּגַּשׁ", "נִגְָּשׁ", "נִגְּשׁ", "נִגַּשְׁתֶּם", "נִקְרַב"]·HI["आए-हो", "आते-समय", "चलें", "निकट-आएं", "निकट-आते-हुए", "मअन्त"]·ID["Marilah-kita-menghampiri", "kamu-datang,", "kamu-telah-datang", "marilah-kita-menghampiri", "mendekat", "mendekati"]·IT["avvicinarsi"]·jav["nyedhak", "nyedhaki", "nyelék", "panjenengan-sampun-sowan", "sumangga-kita-marak", "sumangga-kita-sowan"]·KO["가까이-오는-동안", "가까이-하면", "나아가자", "너희가-나아오지", "너희가-나아왔다", "오고-있을-때"]·PT["Cheguemo-nos", "aproximando-se", "aproximemo-nos", "se-aproxima", "vos-aproximastes"]·RU["да-приступаем", "подходящего", "приступаем", "приступает", "приступили"]·ES["acercándose", "acercémonos", "acerquémonos", "os-habéis-acercado", "se-acerca"]·SW["Tukaribie", "akikaribia", "baliane", "mmekuja", "tukaribie"]·TR["görüntüye", "yaklaşalım", "yaklaştınız", "yaklaşırken", "yaklaşıyor"]·urd["آئیں", "آئے-ہو", "آتے-ہوئے", "قریب-آتا"]
3. go to or visit with purpose — Two occurrences (Acts 9:1; 10:28) emphasize going to someone with a specific purpose or errand, where the directional nuance is 'going to' rather than 'coming toward' the narrator. In Acts 9:1, Saul 'went to' the high priest to obtain letters; in Acts 10:28, Peter explains the impropriety of 'visiting' a Gentile. Spanish 'acercarse' and English 'to visit' highlight the purposeful, intentional character of the movement. 2×
AR["أَنْ-يَقْتَرِبَ", "ذَهَبَ"]·ben["কাছে-আসা", "গিয়ে"]·DE["tritt-heran"]·EN["having-approached", "to-visit"]·FR["s'approcher"]·heb["לִגְּשֶׁת", "נִגַּשׁ"]·HI["जाकर", "पास-जाना"]·ID["mengunjungi", "pergi"]·IT["avvicinarsi"]·jav["mlebet", "sowan"]·KO["가까이-가는-것-이", "가서"]·PT["tendo-se-aproximado"]·RU["подошедший", "приходить"]·ES["acercarse", "acercándose"]·SW["alikwenda", "kumkaribia"]·TR["yaklaşan", "yaklaşmak"]·urd["آ-کر", "آنا"]
Related Senses
H8033 1. There (locative adverb) (835×)H7760a 1. put, place, set physically (444×)H8064 1. heavens / sky (329×)H5439 1. around, all around (spatial) (319×)H4057b 1. wilderness, desert region (270×)H3220 1. sea, body of water (269×)H0520a 1. cubit (unit of length) (246×)H0127 1. ground, land (territory) (210×)H3383 1. Jordan River (proper noun) (183×)G1093 1. earth, the world (176×)H5800a 1. forsake, abandon (Qal active) (166×)H8121 1. sun (celestial body) (133×)H7126 1. offer, present sacrificially (122×)H6828 1. north, cardinal direction (120×)H2351 1. outside, exterior space (119×)H5104 1. river, stream (119×)H7341 1. width, breadth (101×)G1563 1. there (95×)H7126 2. draw near, approach (95×)G2281 1. sea, large body of water (91×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
προσέρχομαι, imperfect -ηρχόμηνRefs 5th c.BC+: future -ελεύσομαιRefs 2nd c.BC+aorist -ήλυθον, -ῆλθον: perfect -ελήλυθα:—come or go to, with dative, Refs 5th c.BC+; π. Σωκράτει visit him as teacher, Refs 5th c.BC+; τινὶ ὥσπερ ἀθλητῇ Th. [prev. cited] (see. προσάρχομαι); αἷς ἂν προσέλθω [γυναιξί] Refs 5th c.BC+: with adverbs, π. δεῦρο Refs 5th c.BC+; ἐγγύθεν, ὄπισθεν, Refs 5th c.BC+: absolutely,…