Greek word · G1996

ἐπισυνάγω

episynagō

to gather

To gather together, assemble, collect into one place. A strengthened form of synagō ('gather', the root of 'synagogue').

Appears 8 times in 7 verses of the Greek New Testament. · Updated October 23, 2026

What it means

ἐπι-συν-άγω

[in LXX for אָסַף, קָבַץ, etc. (Cremer, 65) ;]

2. to gather together against (Micah 4:11, Zechariah 12:3, 1Ma.3:58, al.).†

(AS)

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

Range of meaning: To gather together, assemble, collect into one place. A strengthened form of synagō ('gather', the root of 'synagogue').
Against the English: 'Gather together' is accurate. What English misses is the word's association with the hoped-for gathering of God's scattered people.
Used elsewhere in the period: 2 Maccabees 2:18: 'God… will gather us (episynaxei) from everywhere under heaven into the holy place.' Psalm 106:47 and Isaiah 52:12 / Zechariah 12:3 use gathering language for Israel and the nations at Jerusalem. Matthew 24:31: the angels 'will gather (episynaxousin) his elect from the four winds.' The related noun is used in 2 Thessalonians 2:1 for 'our gathering to him.'

Range of meaning: To gather together, bring together to one place. The prefix epi- adds the idea of gathering to a point or person. It is used of collecting crowds, of a bird gathering its young, and above all in Jewish Greek of God gathering scattered Israel back together.
Against the English: English 'gather' is accurate. But on its own it sounds like a neutral rounding-up and loses the specific echo of the ingathering of exiles, which a first-century Jew would have heard at once.
Used elsewhere in the period: Greek Old Testament: Psalm 106:47 (LXX 105:47), 'gather us together from among the nations'. 2 Maccabees 1:27, 'gather together our scattered people (diaspora)', and 2:18, God 'will gather us from everywhere under heaven into the holy place'. Matthew 23:37 uses it for Jesus longing to gather Jerusalem's children. The related noun appears in 2 Thessalonians 2:1, 'our being gathered together to him', which has the same end-time setting.

Range of meaning: To gather together, collect or assemble at one point. It is used of crowds, of harvests, and of troops assembled for war. Used with epi and the accusative, it means gathering against someone.
Against the English: 'Assembled together' (KJV) and 'gathered together' (WEB) are accurate. The perfect tense means 'have gathered and are now massed'. KJV's present tense 'are assembled' keeps this better than a simple past.
Used elsewhere in the period: It is common in the Septuagint and 1 Maccabees for military musters (e.g. 1 Macc 3:58; 5:9-10). In the New Testament it is used for gathering people together (Matthew 23:37; Mark 13:27).

Matthew · 3

Matthew 23:37 ἐπισυναγαγεῖν ἐπισυνάγει to gathered together, gathers together

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!

Here: To gather in or bring together into one place. In Jewish hope the word was tied to God gathering scattered Israel (2 Maccabees 2:18), and Matthew uses it again for the angels gathering the elect (24:31).
Matthew 24:31 ἐπισυνάξουσιν they will gather together

And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

Here: Future tense, 'they will gather together'. This is the Greek Bible's word for God bringing the scattered people home (Psalm 106:47; 2 Maccabees 1:27). It is also the word Jesus used a few verses earlier for wanting to gather Jerusalem's children like a hen gathers her chicks (23:37).

Mark · 2

Mark 1:33 ἐπισυνηγμένη gathered

and the whole town gathered at the door.
Mark 13:27 ἐπισυνάξει will gather together

And He will send out the angels to gather His elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

Here: 'He will gather together.' This is the language Israel used for God bringing scattered exiles home (Deut 30:4; 2 Macc 1:27; 2:18). Here it describes the final reunion of God's scattered people.

Luke · 3

Luke 12:1 ἐπισυναχθεισῶν when were gathering

In the meantime, a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling one another. Jesus began to speak first to His disciples: “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

Here: A passive participle, 'having been gathered together'. The prefix epi- gives a sense of people streaming in and piling up on top of one another. The tense describes the crowd as already assembled when Jesus speaks.
Luke 13:34 ἐπισυνάξαι to gather

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!

Here: To gather scattered ones into one place. In Jewish hope this verb was used for God regathering his scattered people at the end. Here the gathering is pictured as gathering to shelter.
Luke 17:37 ἐπισυναχθήσονται.¶ will be gathered.

“Where, Lord?” they asked. Jesus answered, “Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.”

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