συνείχοντο

synéchō

they were seized

To hold together, bind, or enclose, often with the nuance of restraint or pressure. In physical contexts, it denotes compressing or enclosing within tight limits (e.g., a crowd pressing together); in metaphorical and extended contexts, it can mean to be gripped, constrained, or compelled by internal or external forces—such as severe illness, mental preoccupation, or powerful emotion.

G4912

Luke 8:37 · Word #17

Lexicon G4912

Lemmaσυνέχω
Transliterationsynéchō
Strong'sG4912
DefinitionTo hold together, bind, or enclose, often with the nuance of restraint or pressure. In physical contexts, it denotes compressing or enclosing within tight limits (e.g., a crowd pressing together); in metaphorical and extended contexts, it can mean to be gripped, constrained, or compelled by internal or external forces—such as severe illness, mental preoccupation, or powerful emotion.

Morphology V IMPF PASS IND 3P PL All morphology codes

Part of Speech V — Verb — An action or state of being
Tense IMPF — Imperfect — Continuous or repeated past action
Voice PASS — Passive — The subject receives the action
Mood IND — Indicative — States a fact or reality
Person 3P — 3rd person — The one spoken about ("he/she/it/they")
Number PL — Plural — More than one

Common Translation

Phrasethey were seized
Literalthey-were-held-together

Lexical Info

Lemmaσυνέχω
Strong'sG4912

SIBI-P1 Translation G4912-09

they were being constrained

Morphological NotesVerb; imperfect tense (ongoing past), passive voice, indicative mood, third person plural.
Rendering RationaleThe imperfect passive indicative, third person plural, denotes an ongoing past state in which the subjects were acted upon. "Were being constrained" preserves the passive force and reflects the root idea of being held together or bound under pressure.

View full lexicon entry for G4912 →

SILEX v2

SIBI-P2 (Context-Aware)

they were being constrained

Same as P1Yes
RationaleP1's passive verbal rendering is accurate in context, faithfully reflecting the Greek verb’s meaning and tense.