ἐπανέρχομαι
epanérchomai
G1880 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To return, to come back again, especially to a previous place, state, or condition. In its primary sense, ἐπανέρχομαι denotes the physical or metaphorical act of returning to a former location or situation. In narrative contexts, commonly used to describe a person returning to a place they had previously departed, or figuratively, to a prior subject or activity.
Semantic Range
to return (to a place), to come back (to a previous state or action); to resume a topic or activity
Root / Etymology
From the prepositional prefix ἐπί (upon, on, back) and the verb ἀνέρχομαι (to go up, to ascend, or to come up again); thus, ἐπανέρχομαι literally means 'to go back up to' or 'to return.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
Classical usage is rare, but the verb appears in later Greek (Hellenistic and Koine) to express the idea of returning, either physically—as in returning to a specific place—or less commonly in an abstract or narrative sense (e.g., returning to a topic). In the Septuagint and in the New Testament (e.g., Luke 4:1, Luke 8:39), the word generally refers to an individual returning to their previous location or context. The sense parallels other Greek verbs like ὑποστρέφω (to return), though ἐπανέρχομαι is more specific in combining the nuance of 'going up' or 'back to a starting point.' English translations often render it as 'return' or 'come again,' which mostly captures its semantic range, though the physical/metaphorical nuance may sometimes be contextually important.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from ἐπί and ἀνέρχομαι; to come up on, i.e. return:--come again, return.
Root Family
ἐπανέρχομαι (epanerchomai) — to return, to come back, to go back
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1880-01 |
ἐπανελθεῖν | epanelthein | V AOR ACT INF |
he returned | to return | to return | 1 |
G1880-02 |
ἐπανέρχεσθαί | epanerchesthai | V PRS MID INF |
return | to return | to return | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1880-02 |
Luke 10:35 | ἐπανέρχεσθαί | epanerchesthai | V PRS MID INF |
return | to return | to return |
G1880-01 |
Luke 19:15 | ἐπανελθεῖν | epanelthein | V AOR ACT INF |
he returned | to return | to return |