ἐκδιώκω
ekdiṓkō
G1559 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To pursue or chase out, drive out (forcefully remove), or to persecute relentlessly. Core sense is to actively pursue someone or something out from a place or group, with connotations ranging from expelling (in a spatial or social sense) to intense, even hostile, ongoing pursuit. Semantic range includes to chase out, to expel, to drive away, to pursue with intent to remove, to persecute without relenting.
Semantic Range
to pursue out, to drive out, to expel, to banish, to persecute implacably, to chase away
Root / Etymology
From the preposition ἐκ (out of, from) and the verb διώκω (to pursue, to chase, to prosecute); formed as a compound to express the intensification or completion of the action: 'to pursue out,' i.e., to cause removal through pursuit.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical and Hellenistic Greek, compounds with ἐκ- commonly intensify the action of the root verb or focus it on achieving a result 'out' or 'outside.' ἐκδιώκω appears primarily in Hellenistic and later Greek, with scant attestation before the Koine period. In the Septuagint and New Testament contexts, it is applied both to overt acts of physical expulsion and to the metaphorical idea of being driven out or excluded by persistent hostility or persecution. The term occurs especially in narratives describing persecution or being driven away from a community. Standard English translations often render it simply as 'persecute' or 'expel,' but these may not fully express the sense of persistent, outcome-driven pursuit and removal implied by the Greek. In forensic or legal contexts, the term could also shade toward 'to prosecute with the intent to banish.' The word contrasts with διώκω, which means simply 'to pursue' or 'persecute,' whereas ἐκδιώκω emphasizes the result—'to drive out' or 'to exclude by relentless pursuit.' No evidence suggests usage with a positive or neutral connotation; the action is usually hostile or forceful.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from ἐκ and διώκω; to pursue out, i.e. expel or persecute implacably:--persecute.
Root Family
ἐκδιώκω (ekdiōkō) — to pursue, to chase, to drive out
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1559-01 |
ἐκδιωξάντων | ekdioxanton | V AOR ACT PTCP GEN M PL |
drove out | of those having driven out | of those having driven out | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1559-01 |
1 Thessalonians 2:15 | ἐκδιωξάντων | ekdioxanton | V AOR ACT PTCP GEN M PL |
drove out | of those having driven out | of those having driven out |