συνέχω G4912
To hold together, constrain, press upon, seize; of inner compulsion, physical affliction, crowds pressing, or forcible restraint.
A versatile Greek verb meaning to hold together or press from all sides, producing four distinct experiential senses in the New Testament. Paul uses it for the inward pressure of Christ's love that 'constrains' him (2 Cor 5:14) and the agonizing squeeze of being 'pressed between' two desires (Phil 1:23). In the healing narratives, it describes being gripped by fever or disease (Luke 4:38; Matt 4:24). Luke employs it for crowds physically pressing upon Jesus (Luke 8:45) and for the prophesied siege of Jerusalem (Luke 19:43). Finally, it covers forcible physical restraint, as when Jesus' captors 'held' him (Luke 22:63) or the crowd 'stopped' their ears against Stephen (Acts 7:57). Spanish translations distinguish these well: 'constriñe' for inner compulsion, 'afligidos' for affliction, 'aprietan' for crowding, and 'taparon' for stopping the ears.
Senses
1. constrain, compel inwardly — Inner constraint or compulsion: to be pressed or hemmed in by an urgent internal force. Paul confesses that the love of Christ 'constrains' him (2 Cor 5:14, συνέχει), and he is 'hard pressed' between living and departing (Phil 1:23). Jesus himself says 'how distressed I am' until his baptism of suffering is accomplished (Luke 12:50). Spanish 'constriñe' and 'constreñido' precisely capture this psychological squeezing. 4×
AR["أَنَا-مُنْحَصِرٌ","تَحصُرُنا","كَانَ-مُنْحَصِرًا","مُنْحَصِرٌ"]·ben["ক্লেশ-পাই","চাপে-আছি","তিনি-আচ্ছন্ন-ছিলেন","প্রেরিত-করে"]·DE["bedraengen","hält-fest"]·EN["I-am-distressed","I-am-pressed","compels","was-occupied"]·FR["presser","retenir"]·heb["מְכִילָה","מֵצִיק","נִלְחַץ","נִלְחָץ"]·HI["दबाया-हुआ-हूँ","मैन-दबव-मेइन-हुन","लगा-रहा","विवश-करता-है"]·ID["Aku-tertekan","aku terjepit","didorong","menguasai"]·IT["opprimere","sunechomai","trattenere"]·jav["Kula-kasusahaken","dipun-kuasai","kula-dipunjepit","ngereksa"]·KO["눌리노라","불안하다","사로잡혔다","움켜잡는다"]·PT["constrange","estou-constrangido"]·RU["объемлет","понуждался","сжат","томлюсь"]·ES["constríñe","estaba-constreñido","estoy-angustiado","soy-constreñido"]·SW["alikuwa-akishinikizwa","ninasongwa","unatubana"]·TR["bizi","sikistirilmisim","sıkıntı-içindeyim","yoğunlaştı"]·urd["تنگ-ہوں","مجبور-کرتی-ہے","مجبور-ہوا","گھرا-ہوا-ہوں"]
2. afflict, grip by illness or distress — Affliction by illness, fear, or distress: to be seized or gripped by disease or overwhelming emotion in a passive, suffering sense. Simon's mother-in-law was 'gripped' by a great fever (Luke 4:38); the Gerasenes were 'seized' with great fear (Luke 8:37). Spanish 'afligidos' and 'siendo afligida' reflect the passive, suffering dimension clearly. 4×
AR["أُمسِكوا","مَقْبُوضِينَ-عَلَيْهِمْ","مُصابًا","مُصابَةً"]·ben["আক্রান্ত","আবৃত-ছিল","ধরিত","পীড়িত,"]·DE["hält-fest"]·EN["being-afflicted","being-held","they-were-gripped"]·FR["presser","retenir"]·heb["אֲחוּזִים-הָיוּ","אָחוּז","מֻכִים","נֶאֱחֶזֶת"]·HI["ग्रस्तों-को","घिरे-थे","जकड़ी-हुई","पीड़ित,"]·ID["demam","dikuasai,","menderita,","mereka-dikuasai"]·IT["opprimere","trattenere"]·jav["dipundera,","kacekel,","kenging","nyengkuyung"]·KO["사로잡혀-있었다","사로잡힌","잡혀서","잡힌-자들"]·PT["afligido,","afligidos","estavam-tomados"]·RU["одержима","одержимый,","охвачены-были"]·ES["afligidos","eran-apresados","siendo-afligida","siendo-afligido"]·SW["akishikwa","ameshikwa","walioshikwa-na","walishikwa"]·TR["tutulanları","tutulmuş","tutulmuşlardı.","yatıyordu"]·urd["میں-گرفتار","گرفتار","گھرے-ہوئے-تھے"]
3. press upon physically, crowd — Physical pressing or crowding: a throng pressing against someone from all sides. The crowd 'presses upon' Jesus so tightly that he asks who touched him (Luke 8:45). In Luke 19:43, enemies will 'hem you in' and press upon Jerusalem on every side. Spanish 'te aprietan' vividly conveys the physical compression of a surrounding crowd. 2×
AR["يَضغَطونَ-عَلَي-كِ","يُحيطونَ"]·ben["ঘেরে-ধরছে","সঙ্কুচিত-করবে"]·DE["hält-fest"]·EN["press-upon","will-press-upon"]·FR["presser"]·heb["יֵצְרוּ","לוֹחֲצִים"]·HI["घेरती-है","दबाएंगे"]·ID["menekan","mengerumuni"]·IT["opprimere"]·jav["badhé-nyepit","ngrèmèt"]·KO["누르고-있다","조일-것이다"]·PT["apertarão","te-apertam"]·RU["сжимают","стеснят"]·ES["te-apretarán","te-aprietan"]·SW["wanakusonga","watakusonga"]·TR["sıkıştıracaklar","sıkıştırıyor"]·urd["تنگ-کریں-گے","دباتی-ہے"]
4. hold, seize, stop up — Forcible holding, seizing, or stopping up: to physically restrain a person or close shut something. Those who arrested Jesus 'held' him and mocked him (Luke 22:63); the crowd 'stopped' their ears against Stephen's testimony (Acts 7:57). Spanish 'sosteniendo' and 'taparon' distinguish holding from stopping, showing the two sub-applications of this physical restraint sense. 2×
AR["سَدُّوا","مُمْسِكونَ"]·ben["ধরল","ধরে-রেখেছিল"]·DE["hält-fest"]·EN["holding","they-held"]·FR["presser","retenir"]·heb["אָטְמוּ","אוֹחֲזִים"]·HI["पकड़े-हुए-थे","बंद-किए"]·ID["menutup","yang-menahan"]·IT["opprimere","trattenere"]·jav["ingkang-njagi","nutup"]·KO["막았다","잡고-있는"]·PT["taparam"]·RU["держащие","заткнули"]·ES["sosteniendo","taparon"]·SW["walifunika","waliomshika"]·TR["kapattılar","tutanlar"]·urd["بند-کیے","پکڑے-ہوئے-تھے"]
Related Senses
G2962 1. Lord (divine title) (661×)H0136 1. Lord (divine title) (440×)H0113 1. lord, human superior (249×)G1849 1. authority, power (91×)H6485a 2. Qal: punish, bring judgment (63×)H8198 1. maidservant, female slave (63×)G2962 2. master, lord (human authority) (61×)H0034 1. needy, poor, destitute (61×)H0519 1. female servant, maidservant (56×)H6041 1. poor, needy person (55×)H0113 2. master, owner of servants (49×)H4910 1. Qal: to have dominion, exercise power over (44×)H1800 1. poor, needy (socioeconomic) (38×)H3515 1. heavy, severe, grievous (36×)G4434 1. (34×)G5092 1. honor, esteem, respect (33×)H6485a 4. Qal: visit, attend to, care for (32×)H3513 1. honor / show respect (Piel) (30×)H4910 2. Qal: to rule, govern (administrative authority) (27×)H4513 1. withhold, restrain, hold back (25×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
συνέχω, aorist συνέσχον:—middle, future συνέξομαι in passive sense, Refs 5th c.BC+:—passive, aorist συνεσχέθην Refs 4th c.BC+: future infinitive συσχεθήσεσθαι Refs 1st c.BC+ W.:—hold or keep together, confine, secure, ὅθι ζωστῆρος ὀχῆες χρύσειοι σύνεχον [θώρηκα] Refs 8th c.BC+; ἵνα τε ξυνέχουσι τένοντες ἀγκῶνος where the sinews of the elbow hold [it] together, Refsmeet, see below Refs; Ὠκεανός..…