εἰστρέχω

eistréchō

G1532 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To run or hasten inside; to enter quickly or with urgency by running. In Koine contexts, used to describe rapid movement into a space, typically emphasizing both direction (inward) and speed (running). May imply eagerness or anxiety depending on the narrative context.

Semantic Range

to run inward, to hasten inside, to enter quickly by running, to move quickly into or within a space

Root / Etymology

From the preposition εἰς (into) and the verb τρέχω (to run); a compound verb formed by attaching the prepositional prefix to the verbal stem, signifying the action of running in a particular direction (inward).

Historical & Contextual Notes

Attested in later Greek, especially in Koine and post-classical works, εἰστρέχω is used infrequently and is primarily preserved in narrative passages, such as in the New Testament (e.g., Mark 16:8; John 20:4, 6), where it denotes individuals quickly entering a place, usually in response to a significant or urgent discovery (such as the empty tomb). This compound more specifically describes the act of entering by running, in contrast to more general compounds like εἰσέρχομαι (to go/come in), which do not specify the mode of movement. In the Septuagint and other Hellenistic literature, similar compounds are common, though εἰστρέχω appears to be rare outside the New Testament. Standard English translations render it with 'run in' or 'enter quickly', but may not fully convey the vividness of urgency or the physicality of running implied in Greek usage.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from εἰς and τρέχω; to hasten inward:--run in.

Root Family

εἰστρέχω (eistrechō) — to run, to hasten, to run inward, to enter quickly

Root τρέχω to run, hasten

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G1532-01 εἰσδραμοῦσα eisdramousa V AOR ACT PTCP NOM F SG ran in having run inside having run inside 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G1532-01 Acts 12:14 εἰσδραμοῦσα eisdramousa V AOR ACT PTCP NOM F SG ran in having run inside having run inside