Greek word · G1205

δεῦτε

deute

come

Strictly an adverb ('hither, here!'), but used as a plural command: 'Come!', 'Come on!' It works as a summons, an invitation or an encouragement ('come, let us…').

Appears 12 times in 12 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

δεῦτε

adv., as pl. of δεῦρο, 1. (b), which see, [in LXX chiefly for לְכוּ ;]

come on! come here! come!: with imperat., Matthew 25:34 28:6, John 4:29 21:12, Revelation 19:17; with subjc., Matthew 21:38, Mark 12:7; before ὀπίσω, Matthew 4:19, Mark 1:17; πρός, Matthew 11:28; εἰς, Matthew 22:4, Mark 6:31.†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Matthew 11:28

Range of meaning

Strictly an adverb ('hither, here!'), but used as a plural command: 'Come!', 'Come on!' It works as a summons, an invitation or an encouragement ('come, let us…').

Against the English

'Come' is accurate. English cannot show that it is plural, addressed to a crowd, or that in Matthew it marks Jesus' great calls.

Used elsewhere in the period

In the Septuagint (the Greek Old Testament used by Jews of Jesus' day) it opens invitations from God or to God: Isaiah 1:18 ('Come, let us reason together'), Isaiah 2:3 ('Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD'). The verb in Isaiah 55:1 is different, but the scene is similar: the thirsty are called to come. In Matthew: 4:19 ('Come after me'), 22:4 (the wedding feast), 25:34 ('Come, you blessed of my Father'), 28:6. Wisdom's invitation in Sirach 51:23 uses a related verb ('Draw near to me').

From the study of Matthew 28:6

Range of meaning

A plural call meaning 'come here! come on!' (the plural of δεῦρο). It invites people to move toward the speaker, often with another command following ('come, see', 'come, let us...').

Against the English

Versions say 'Come, see' or 'Come and see'. The English is accurate. Some of the urgency of the Greek interjection is lost, but not much.

Used elsewhere in the period

In the Greek Old Testament it often translates Hebrew 'come!' (lekhu): 'Come, let us build' (Genesis 11:3), 'Come, let us return to the LORD' (Hosea 6:1). In Matthew Jesus uses it to call people: 'Come after me' (4:19), 'Come to me, all who are weary' (11:28). The king uses it in 'Come to the wedding feast' (22:4) and 'Come, you blessed of my Father' (25:34).

From the study of Matthew 4:19

Range of meaning

Deute is an old adverb that came to work as a plural command: 'come here!', 'come on!' Opisō means 'behind' or 'after', in space or in time. Together, 'come behind me' is an idiom for becoming someone's follower: walking behind a leader, a master or a prophet, and taking his direction.

Against the English

KJV, ESV and NASB shorten it to 'Follow me'. BSB and NIV have 'Come, follow me'. WEB and YLT keep the literal 'come after me'. 'Follow me' gets the sense right but loses two things: the urgent 'come here!' and the physical picture of walking behind someone. Matthew does use the ordinary verb for 'follow' (akoloutheō) in the very next verse, for what the brothers do.

How it drifted

'Follow' has gone soft in modern English (we 'follow' accounts, news or advice). In the Greek the phrase means leaving where you are and walking behind a person, sharing his road.

Used elsewhere in the period

In the Greek Old Testament (the Septuagint), the same phrase appears at 2 Kings (4 Kingdoms) 6:19, where Elisha says to the Aramean soldiers deute opisō mou, 'come after me', and leads them away. 'Going after' someone is common Hebrew idiom (halak aḥarê) for loyalty, whether to the LORD (Deut 13:4) or to other gods (Deut 6:14; Judg 2:12). The closest model for this scene is Elijah calling Elisha away from his plowing. Elisha answers, 'I will follow after you' (1 Kgs 19:20). In later rabbinic custom the student usually chose a teacher ('make for yourself a teacher', m. Avot 1:6). Here the teacher chooses and summons the students.

Where it appears

Matthew · 6

  1. Matthew 4:19 δεῦτε Come

    “Come, follow Me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”

    Here: A word that works like a command, said to more than one person: 'Come here!' or 'Come on!' It is an urgent summons, not a polite invitation. The same word opens other summonses in Matthew: 'Come to me, all who are weary' (11:28) and 'Come, you who are blessed' (25:34).

  2. Matthew 11:28 Δεῦτε Come

    Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

    Here: A plural call meaning 'Come here, all of you!' Matthew uses the same word when Jesus calls fishermen to follow him (4:19) and when the king invites guests to the feast (22:4). It is a summons with an invitation in it.

  3. Matthew 21:38 δεῦτε, come,

    But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and take his inheritance.’

    Here: A word that urges a group to act together, like 'Come on!' The same word is used in Genesis 37:20 (Greek version), where Joseph's brothers say, 'Come, let us kill him.' Elsewhere in Matthew Jesus uses it for invitation: 'Come to me' (11:28), 'Come, you blessed' (25:34).

  4. Matthew 22:4 δεῦτε come

    Again, he sent other servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner. My oxen and fattened cattle have been killed, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’

    Here: A warm, urgent call: 'Come on, come here!' Matthew puts the same word in Jesus' mouth in 'Come to me, all who labour' (11:28) and in 'Come, you blessed of my Father' (25:34).

  5. Matthew 25:34 δεῦτε Come

    Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

    Here: A plural call meaning 'come on, over here!' It is the same word Jesus uses in 'Come to me, all who labour' (11:28) and 'Come, follow me' (4:19). It stands in sharp contrast to 'Depart from me' to the other group (v. 41).

  6. Matthew 28:6 δεῦτε Come

    He is not here; He has risen, just as He said! Come, see the place where He lay.

    Here: A plural call, 'come on, over here!', inviting the women to step closer. It is the same call Jesus uses in 'Come after me' (4:19) and 'Come to me' (11:28).

Mark · 3

  1. Mark 1:17 δεῦτε Come

    “Come, follow Me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”

    Here: Not really a verb. It is the plural form of δεῦρο, "over here!", and works as a command: "Come on, you two!" It is brisk and personal, the word you shout to call someone over.

  2. Mark 6:31 δεῦτε Come

    And He said to them, “Come with Me privately to a solitary place, and let us rest for a while.” For many people were coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.

  3. Mark 12:7 δεῦτε come

    But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’

John · 2

  1. John 4:29 δεῦτε, Come,

    “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?”

    Here: An urgent invitation spoken to a group: 'Come on, all of you!' It takes no verb of its own. It works like 'Here!' in English and pulls the townspeople into action.

  2. John 21:12 δεῦτε Come

    “Come, have breakfast,” Jesus said to them. None of the disciples dared to ask Him, “Who are You?” They knew it was the Lord.

    Here: A plural word of summons, "Come on, all of you!" It is the same word Jesus used when he first called fishermen in the other Gospels ("Come after me", Matt 4:19; Mark 1:17).

Revelation · 1

  1. Revelation 19:17 δεῦτε Come

    Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out in a loud voice to all the birds flying overhead, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God,

    Here: A plural call meaning “Come on! Here!” It is the language of summons and invitation. The same word appears in “Come to me, all who labor” (Matt 11:28) and “Come, you who are blessed” (Matt 25:34). Here it is a dark invitation.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.