Word Study for G1551 (ἐκδέχομαι)

ekdéchomai /ek-dekh'-om-ahee/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom ἐκ and δέχομαι

Meaningto accept from some source, i.e. (by implication) to await

KJV usageexpect, look (tarry) for, wait (for).

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of ekdéchomai — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Greek word ekdéchomai, represented by G1551, is derived from ἐκ and δέχομαι and means to accept from a source, which implies to await, expect, or wait for. It appears 8 times across 8 unique verses in the Bible. The word conveys a sense of active and patient expectation for a future event or fulfillment.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical usage, G1551 describes various forms of waiting. The impotent folk at the pool of Bethesda were waiting for the moving of the water John 5:3. It is used to illustrate the patience of a husbandman who waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth James 5:7. The term also carries a divine weight, as in the days of Noah when the longsuffering of God waited while the ark was being prepared 1 Peter 3:20. In Athens, Paul's spirit was stirred while he waited for his companions Acts 17:16.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help to frame the concept of waiting and expectation:

G3114 makrothyméō (to be long-spirited... patient): This verb describes the manner of waiting. A husbandman not only waits but also hath long patience for the harvest James 5:7.
G3952 parousía (coming, presence): This noun often defines the object of the waiting. Believers are called to be patient unto the coming of the Lord James 5:7.
G2190 echthrós (enemy): This term can define the conditions that will be resolved by the fulfillment of what is expected. Christ is described as expecting until His enemies are made His footstool Hebrews 10:13.

Theological Significance

The theological significance of G1551 is centered on the faithful anticipation of God's promises.

Faithful Expectation: The word describes the posture of faith. Abraham looked for a city with foundations, whose builder and maker is God, demonstrating his trust in a promise yet to be seen Hebrews 11:10.
Divine Patience: It is used to characterize God Himself, who waited with longsuffering during the time of Noah, showing His forbearance before executing judgment 1 Peter 3:20.
Christ's Victorious Wait: The word is applied to the ascended Christ, who is expecting from henceforth until His enemies are defeated, pointing to His assured and final triumph Hebrews 10:13.

Summary

In summary, G1551 describes a powerful spiritual posture of active waiting and confident expectation. It is not a passive idleness but a hopeful looking-forward, whether it is a farmer awaiting a harvest, a believer anticipating the Lord's return, or Christ Himself expecting His ultimate victory. The term captures a core element of the life of faith: trusting in a future fulfillment that is divinely promised and certain.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Greek New Testament, this word appears as a verb across 8 occurrences, inflected in 7 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Imperfect Middle Or Passive Deponent Indicative 3rd Singular 2×
Present Middle Or Passive Deponent Imperative 2nd Plural 1×
Present Middle Or Passive Deponent Indicative 1st Singular 1×
Present Middle Or Passive Deponent Indicative 3rd Singular 1×
Present Middle Or Passive Deponent Participle Genitive Plural Masculine 1×
Present Middle Or Passive Deponent Participle Genitive Singular Masculine 1×
Present Middle Or Passive Deponent Participle Nominative Singular Masculine 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Genitive: Possession or source — often "of".
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
1st: First person — the speaker ("I"/"we").
2nd: Second person — the one addressed ("you").
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Present: Action in progress or repeated — happening now or continually.
Imperfect: Ongoing or repeated action in the past — "was doing".
Middle: The subject acts on or for itself.
Passive: The subject is acted upon.
Passive Deponent: Passive in form but active in meaning.
Middle Or Passive: Can be read as middle or passive; context decides.
Indicative: A plain statement of fact.
Imperative: A command or entreaty.
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 8 verses across 6 of the 27 books. Most frequent in 1 Corinthians and Hebrews (2 verses each); never once in the other 21.

John

Acts

1 Corinthians

Hebrews

James

1 Peter

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.