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ἐκκρέμαμαι

ekkrémamai

G1582 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To hang out from, to depend (lit. and fig.); in the middle voice, to hang upon (something or someone), especially to listen intently or be wholly absorbed (by what is being said). In the context of speech, denotes being deeply attentive, as if 'hanging on every word.'

Semantic Range

to hang out from, to be suspended from, to hang upon (metaphorically: to listen with intense attention), to be absorbed, to depend (upon)

Root / Etymology

From ἐκ (out of, from) + κρεμάννυμι (to hang); thus, 'to hang from.' Reflects a compound construction common in Greek verbal formation.

Historical & Contextual Notes

First attested in Koine Greek. In the New Testament, occurs in Luke 19:48 (ἐξεκρέματο αὐτοῦ τοῦ ἀκούειν) where it describes crowds listening to Jesus with rapt attention, metaphorically 'hanging' on his words. This figurative sense is paralleled in other Greek writers, where being 'hung upon' a speaker or their words signifies intense focus or emotional engagement. The phrase does not merely imply passive hearing but an active, absorbing attention. English translations often render as 'listened intently' or 'were very attentive,' but the underlying metaphor of being physically suspended from the speaker's words is more vivid in Greek. Distinct from classical uses where κρεμάννυμι is more literally 'to hang.' Related idioms occur in Hellenistic literature (e.g., hanging on a teacher's lips), but the metaphor is especially prominent in Koine and later Greek, including Christian texts.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

middle voice from ἐκ and κρεμάννυμι; to hang upon the lips of a speaker, i.e. listen closely:--be very attentive.

Root Family

ἐκκρέμαμαι (ekkrémamai) — to hang, to be suspended, to depend

Root κρεμ- to hang, to be suspended

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G1582-01 ἐξεκρέμετο exekremeto V IMPF MID IND 3P SG hung was hanging upon was hanging upon 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G1582-01 Luke 19:48 ἐξεκρέμετο exekremeto V IMPF MID IND 3P SG hung was hanging upon was hanging upon
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