ἐνέχω (G1758) — Greek Lexicon

ἐνέχω

enéchō

G1758 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To hold fast, keep within, or maintain a grip on someone or something; in context, to harbor feelings against someone (such as resentment, anger, or enmity), or to be entangled, especially in an emotional or relational sense. The primary meaning is to hold in or upon, which extends to the figurative sense of maintaining a grudge or being hostile.

Semantic Range

to hold in, to entangle (oneself or another), to maintain inwardly, to harbor resentment or hostility, to bear a grudge, to be in opposition toward, to have a quarrel against

Root / Etymology

Formed from the preposition ἐν ('in, within') and the verb ἔχω ('to have, to hold').

Historical & Contextual Notes

The verb ἐνέχω is attested in classical Greek with the meaning 'to hold in, to be entangled (in something),' especially in physical or figurative senses (LSJ: cf. Herodotus, Euripides). In Hellenistic and Koine Greek, including Philo, the Septuagint, and the New Testament, its primary attested use is in the sense of 'to have something against someone' or 'bear a grudge' (Mark 6:19; Mark 11:25; LXX Lev 19:18), often indicating resentment, hostility, or an unresolved dispute. In the LXX, the phrase ἐνεχέτω ἐν corresponds to Hebrew verb forms of נשׁא (to bear) or שׂטר (to keep hostility), so the Greek conveys active holding of resentment. English translations such as 'hold a grudge,' 'be hostile toward,' or 'have something against' generally capture the Koine and NT usage, but more archaic senses of physical entanglement or holding are less prevalent in these contexts. The cognate noun ἔνεχυρον means 'pledge' or 'security,' also conveying a sense of something tightly held. In some NT occurrences (e.g., Mark 11:25), the idiom ἔχειν τι κατά τινος ('have something against someone') is close in sense, but ἐνέχω puts more stress on the persistence and inward focus of the hostility. Use outside religious texts is rare by the 1st century CE.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from ἐν and ἔχω; to hold in or upon, i.e. ensnare; by implication, to keep a grudge:--entangle with, have a quarrel against, urge.

Root Family

ἐνέχω (enechō) — to have, to hold, to keep

Root ἔχ- to have, to hold, to keep

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`G1758-03`	ἐνεῖχεν	eneichen	`V IMPF ACT IND 3P SG`	held a grudge	was holding against	was holding against	1
`G1758-02`	ἐνέχεσθε	enechesthe	`V PRS PASS IMP 2P PL`	be subject	be entangling yourselves	be subject	1
`G1758-01`	ἐνέχειν	enechein	`V PRS ACT INF`	to press closely	to hold in against	to press closely	1

Occurrences in Scripture

3 occurrences

Filter by SIDANCE:

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`G1758-03`	Mark 6:19	ἐνεῖχεν	eneichen	`V IMPF ACT IND 3P SG`	held a grudge	was holding against	was holding against
`G1758-01`	Luke 11:53	ἐνέχειν	enechein	`V PRS ACT INF`	to press closely	to hold in against	to press closely
`G1758-02`	Galatians 5:1	ἐνέχεσθε	enechesthe	`V PRS PASS IMP 2P PL`	be subject	be entangling yourselves	be subject

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