Word Study for G4327 (προσδέχομαι)

prosdéchomai /pros-dekh'-om-ahee/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom πρός and δέχομαι

Meaningto admit (to intercourse, hospitality, credence, or (figuratively) endurance); by implication, to await (with confidence or patience)

KJV usageaccept, allow, look (wait) for, take.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of prosdéchomai — 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 prosdéchomai, represented by G4327, means to admit, await with confidence, or accept. It appears 14 times across 14 unique verses in the Bible. The word conveys a sense of active and patient expectation, as well as the deliberate act of receiving or welcoming someone or something.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In scripture, G4327 is used in several key ways. It frequently describes the posture of the faithful who are awaiting God's salvation, as when Simeon was waiting for the consolation of Israel Luke 2:25 and Joseph of Arimathaea waited for the kingdom of God Mark 15:43. The term is also used for the act of receiving people, such as when the Pharisees complained that Jesus receiveth sinners Luke 15:2, or when Paul instructs the church to receive Phoebe in the Lord Romans 16:2. In a context of endurance, some martyrs were tortured, not accepting deliverance in hopes of a better resurrection Hebrews 11:35.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the meaning of G4327:

G1680 elpís (hope): Defined as expectation or confidence, this is often the object of the waiting. Believers are described as looking for G4327 that blessed hope G1680 Titus 2:13.
G1010 bouleutḗs (counsellor): This term describes a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin. Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counsellor G1010, is identified as one who waited G4327 for the kingdom of God Mark 15:43.
G1860 epangelía (promise): This word for a divine assurance or pledge appears in a plot against Paul, where the conspirators are looking for G4327 a promise from the commander to carry out their plan Acts 23:21.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G4327 is significant, highlighting key aspects of the Christian faith.

Patient Expectation: The word defines the hopeful anticipation that characterizes a believer's life. This is not passive waiting but a confident looking for the fulfillment of God's promises, such as the appearing of Jesus Christ Titus 2:13, the mercy of our Lord Jude 1:21, and the redemption in Jerusalem Luke 2:38.
Welcoming Fellowship: G4327 underscores the importance of acceptance within the community of faith. Paul commands believers to receive fellow saints in the Lord Romans 16:2 and to hold such people in reputation Philippians 2:29. This reflects the grace first demonstrated by Jesus, who receiveth sinners Luke 15:2.
Endurance for a Future Hope: The act of accepting or not accepting something is tied to eternal perspective. Believers in Hebrews joyfully took G4327 the loss of their possessions because they were confident of a better and enduring substance in heaven Hebrews 10:34.

Summary

In summary, G4327 describes a foundational posture of faith. It is a word that combines patient waiting with active acceptance. Whether it is looking for the return of Christ, receiving a brother or sister in the Lord, or accepting hardship with an eye toward a greater reward, prosdéchomai captures the confident and welcoming spirit of one who trusts in God's ultimate plan.

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 14 occurrences, inflected in 10 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Present Middle Or Passive Deponent Participle Nominative Plural Masculine 3×
Present Middle Or Passive Deponent Participle Dative Plural Masculine 2×
Present Middle Or Passive Deponent Participle Nominative Singular Masculine 2×
Aorist Middle Deponent Indicative 2nd Plural 1×
Aorist Middle Deponent Participle Nominative Plural Masculine 1×
Aorist Middle Deponent Subjunctive 2nd Plural 1×
Imperfect Middle Or Passive Deponent Indicative 3rd Singular 1×
Present Middle Or Passive Deponent Imperative 2nd Plural 1×
Present Middle Or Passive Deponent Indicative 3rd Plural 1×
Present Middle Or Passive Deponent Indicative 3rd Singular 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Dative: The indirect object — often "to" or "for".
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
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".
Aorist: Action viewed as a single whole — usually a simple past event.
Middle: The subject acts on or for itself.
Passive: The subject is acted upon.
Middle Deponent: Middle in form but active in meaning.
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.
Subjunctive: Possibility or purpose — "might", "should".
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 14 verses across 8 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Luke (5 verses); never once in the other 19.

Mark

Luke

Acts

Romans

Philippians

Titus

Hebrews

Jude

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.