Greek word · G1758
ἐνέχω
enechō
to oppose
Active: 'to have it in for someone, hold a grudge, press hard against' (Mark 6:19; Luke 11:53). Passive/middle: 'to be held in, caught in, subject to', used of being caught in a trap, held by a law or penalty, or bound by an oath.
Appears 3 times in 3 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·
What it means
ἐν-έχω
[in LXX: Genesis 49:23 (סָתַם), Ezekiel 14:4, 7, 3Ma.6:10 * ;]
1. to hold in; pass., to be held, entangled: with dative of thing(s); jig., ζυγῷ δουλείας, Galatians 5:1 (cf. MM, Exp., xii); θλίψρεσιν, 2 Thessalonians 1:4 (cf. ἀσεβείσιν, 3Mac, l.with).
2. to set oneself against, be urgent against (as Ge, l.with; for construction, see Swete, Mk., l.with): Mark 6:19, Luke 11:53.†
(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 Galatians 5:1
- Range of meaning
Active: 'to have it in for someone, hold a grudge, press hard against' (Mark 6:19; Luke 11:53). Passive/middle: 'to be held in, caught in, subject to', used of being caught in a trap, held by a law or penalty, or bound by an oath.
- Against the English
KJV/WEB 'entangled' suggests getting caught by accident, as in a net or briar. BSB 'encumbered' suggests weighed down. The Greek is closer to 'held fast in' or 'subjected to'. If it is read as middle ('let yourselves be held'), it carries a note of choosing to submit, as the ESV's 'submit' brings out.
- How it drifted
In older English 'entangle' meant to involve or ensnare. Today it mostly suggests a messy, accidental tangle.
- Used elsewhere in the period
Classical and Hellenistic Greek uses the passive of being 'held in' a net, a charge or a contract. In the Septuagint, Gen 49:23 uses the active of archers who 'pressed hard' against Joseph. In 3 Macc 6:10 the passive is used of being caught up in vanities or guilt.
- Range of meaning
Literally 'to hold in'. (1) Active, with or without a word like 'anger': to harbour a grudge against someone, to be set against them. (2) Passive: to be held in, entangled or caught (Gal 5:1, 'do not be entangled again in a yoke of slavery'). (3) A disputed sense, 'to press upon, beset', which comes from the picture of hemming someone in.
- Against the English
KJV 'urge [him] vehemently', YLT 'urge' and ESV 'press him hard' take the 'press upon' sense. BSB 'oppose him bitterly', NASB 'be very hostile' and WEB 'be terribly angry' take the grudge sense. NIV 'oppose him fiercely' is close to the grudge sense.
- How it drifted
No drift in the English word as such. The translations divide because the verb is rare and has no object here. KJV's 'urge' in older English meant 'press hard, ply', which modern readers may hear as 'encourage'.
- Used elsewhere in the period
Mark 6:19: Herodias 'held it against' John (eneichen autō) and wanted to kill him. Gen 49:23 in the Greek Old Testament: the archers 'bore a grudge against' Joseph. Herodotus uses the verb with 'anger' to mean nursing wrath against someone. BDAG gives 'have a grudge against, be hostile toward' and places Luke 11:53 there.
Where it appears
Mark · 1
-
Mark 6:19 ἐνεῖχεν was holding it
So Herodias held a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she had been unable,
Luke · 1
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Luke 11:53 ἐνέχειν to press upon [Him]
As Jesus went on from there, the scribes and Pharisees began to oppose Him bitterly and to ply Him with questions about many things,
Here: Most likely 'to be hostile, to hold it in against him', a grudge kept and acted on, as with Herodias against John (Mark 6:19). Older versions took it as 'press hard upon him'.
Galatians · 1
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Galatians 5:1 ἐνέχεσθε.¶ do be entangled.
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be encumbered once more by a yoke of slavery.
Here: Literally 'be held in', that is, held fast under the yoke. The form can also mean 'let yourselves be held'. The present-tense command warns against submitting, or going on submitting, to that hold.
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.