Greek word · G1617
ἐκτενέστερον
ektenesteron
earnestly
Comparative adverb from ektenēs, 'stretched out, extended', and so 'strained, intense, fervent, unremitting'. Can be truly comparative ('more intensely') or simply strong ('very intensely').
Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·
What it means
deeply, earnestly
intensely, fervently, earnestly, deeply Luke 22:44; Acts 12:5; 1 Peter 1:22*
From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).
In depth
- Range of meaning
Comparative adverb from ektenēs, 'stretched out, extended', and so 'strained, intense, fervent, unremitting'. Can be truly comparative ('more intensely') or simply strong ('very intensely').
- Against the English
KJV, BSB, ESV, NIV and WEB say 'more earnestly'. NASB 1995 says 'very fervently', which takes it as simply strong. 'Earnestly' in modern English can sound merely sincere. The Greek pictures strain and exertion.
- Used elsewhere in the period
Luke–Acts uses the related adverb ektenōs for the church's prayer for the imprisoned Peter (Acts 12:5), and ekteneia for Israel's constant worship 'night and day' (Acts 26:7). In the Septuagint (the ancient Greek Old Testament) it is used of fervent crying out to God (e.g. Joel 1:14; Jonah 3:8).
Similar words
Where it appears
Luke · 1
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Luke 22:44 ἐκτενέστερον more earnestly
And in His anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground.
Here: Comparative of ektenēs, 'stretched out, strained'. It means he prayed with greater strain than before, perhaps compared with the prayer of v. 42. It may also simply mean 'very intensely'. The picture is effort stretched to its limit.
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.