ESTUDIO DE LA PALABRA GRIEGA
Exérchomai (G1831) — Meaning & Usage in the Bible
ἐξέρχομαι is a deponent verb meaning to go or come out of a place, often with the sense of departing, issuing forth, or spreading abroad.
Significado de la palabra
ἐξέρχομαι literally means to go or come out of a place, to issue forth. As a deponent verb (middle/passive form with active meaning), it describes motion away from an inside to an outside point.
The construction is flexible: it takes prepositions such as ἐκ (out of, as in Mark 5:2; John 4:30), ἔξω with a genitive (outside of), ἀπό (away from, as in Luke 9:5; Philippians 4:15), and ἐκεῖθεν (from there). It is also used with infinitives (Matthew 11:8; Luke 7:25-26) and purpose clauses introduced by ἵνα (Revelation 6:2).
Beyond literal motion, the verb carries figurative senses: demons coming out of people (Mark 1:25-26; Luke 4:35), reports or fame going abroad (Matthew 9:26; Mark 1:28; Luke 4:14), and the public appearance of teachers or prophets (1 John 4:1). It can also denote escape from danger, as in John 10:39.
Uso en las Escrituras
In Matthew, ἐξέρχομαι appears in a wide range of settings: the Magi leave Bethlehem after consulting Herod (Matthew 2:5), a debtor cannot leave prison until the last farthing is paid (Matthew 5:26), demon-possessed men come out of the tombs to meet Jesus (Matthew 8:28), and the whole city comes out to encounter Him (Matthew 8:34). The Gospel also uses the verb for spreading reports of Jesus (Matthew 9:26, 31) and for the disciples going forth on mission (Matthew 10:14; 11:7-9).
Other example verses reinforce patterns: Herodians and Pharisees go out to plot against Jesus (Matthew 12:14). The verb functions both as ordinary narrative movement and as a signal of public witness, since going out is repeatedly linked to what becomes visible or known.
La palabra en detalle
- G1831 ἐξέρχομαι is a deponent verb (active meaning, middle/passive form). Core sense: to go or come out, depart, issue forth. In narrative it covers ordinary physical departure; in figurative contexts it covers public appearance, the spreading of reports and fame, the exit of demons, and escape from danger.
Versículos de ejemplo
- Matthew 5:26 ἐξέλθῃς used with a negative oath (οὐ μή): a debtor cannot come out of prison until every last amount is paid. The verb underscores being locked in until full settlement.
- Matthew 8:28 ἐξερχόμενοι modifies demon-possessed men who come forth out of the tombs. Here ἐξέρχομαι marks the disturbing public emergence of the demonic from a hidden, unclean place.
- Matthew 9:26 ἐξῆλθεν with φήμη: the fame went forth into all that land. The verb describes how a report spreads outward from its source.
- Matthew 10:14 ἐξερχόμενοι describes the disciples going forth out of a house or city that refuses them. The same departing verb carries the nuance of a public, accountable act before the unresponsive town.
Preguntas frecuentes
Is ἐξέρχομαι transitive or intransitive?
It is intransitive. It expresses motion out of a place and regularly takes a preposition (ἐκ, ἀπό, ἔξω + genitive, ἐκεῖθεν) to mark the point or area departed from.
Does ἐξέρχομαι ever mean more than physical departure?
Yes. Beyond literal going out, it is used for demons leaving a person, for reports or fame spreading abroad, for public appearance, and for escape from danger, as in John 10:39.
What is the difference between ἐξέρχομαι and ἔρχομαι?
ἔρχομαι simply means to come or go. ἐξέρχομαι adds the prefix ἐξ- (out of), giving the specific sense of issuing forth or departing from inside to outside.