Greek word · G2240

ἥκω

hēkō

to come/be present

To have come, to be present, to have arrived. It is present in form but its meaning is completed arrival.

Appears 26 times in 25 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

ἥκω

[in LXX chiefly for בּוֹא ;]

pf. with present meaning (hence imperfect = plpf.), to have come, be present: Matthew 24:50, Mark 8:3 (late pf., ἧκα, see Swete, in l; WH, App., 169), Luke 12:46 15:27, John 8:42, Hebrews 10:7, 9 10:37, I John 5:20, Revelation 2:25 3:3, 9 15:4; before ἀπό, with genitive loc., Matthew 8:11, Luke 13:29; ἐκ, Romans 11:26; id. before εἰς, John 4:47; μακρόθεν, Mark 8:3; ἐπί, with accusative, Revelation 3:3. Metaphorical, of discipleship: John 6:37; of time and events: absol., Matthew 24:14, John 2:4, 2 Peter 3:10, Revelation 18:8; before ἐπί with accusative of person(s), Matthew 23:36, Luke 19:43 (cf. ἀν-, καθ-ήκω).†

(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 John 8:42

Range of meaning

To have come, to be present, to have arrived. It is present in form but its meaning is completed arrival.

Against the English

KJV/YLT 'and came / am come' and BSB's 'have come here' are both fine. The KJV phrase 'proceeded forth and came' blurs the shift from a past departure to a present arrival.

Used elsewhere in the period

In the Septuagint it is used for a person or a divine visitation arriving (e.g. Ps 40:7 / LXX 39:8 'Behold, I have come'; Mal 3:1 'the Lord… will come'). In classical Greek it is the normal verb for 'I am here'.

From the study of John 6:37

Range of meaning

"To have come, to be here, to arrive." The present tense already carries the sense of "I have arrived". The future ἥξω means "will arrive, will be there." The verb looks at the arrival, not the travelling.

Against the English

Every English version says "will come," which is fine. But English then uses "come" for both clauses, while the Greek uses two different verbs. ἥκω (arrive) in the first clause and ἔρχομαι (come) in the second.

Used elsewhere in the period

In John 8:42 Jesus says "I came forth from God and am here (ἥκω)." The Greek Old Testament (Septuagint) often uses ἥξω for arrivals that God brings about, for example the nations streaming to Zion (Isaiah 2:2, ἥξουσιν).

From the study of 1 John 5:20

Range of meaning

To have come, to be present, to have arrived. The present tense carries a perfect meaning: 'I have come and am here.' Often used of solemn arrivals, including divine appearances in the LXX.

Against the English

'Has come' (BSB, WEB) and 'is come' (KJV, YLT) both work. The KJV/YLT 'is come' actually keeps the sense of a present state better than the simple past 'came'.

Used elsewhere in the period

John 8:42, 'I came forth from God and am here (hēkō)'. In LXX Psalms (e.g. Ps 49[50]:3, 'God will come openly') and the prophets it is used of God's coming. Hebrews 10:7, 9 quotes Ps 40, 'I have come to do your will.'

Where it appears

Matthew · 4

  1. Matthew 8:11 ἥξουσιν will come

    I say to you that many will come from the east and the west to share the banquet with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.

    Here: This verb stresses arriving and being there, not only setting out. The Greek Old Testament uses it in prophecies of nations and exiles streaming to Zion (e.g. Isa 60:4 LXX).

  2. Matthew 23:36 ἥξει will come

    Truly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation.

    Here: Future of a verb that stresses arriving and being present, not just being on the way. The judgment will actually reach its destination. Matthew uses the same form in 24:14: 'then the end will come (hēxei)'.

  3. Matthew 24:14 ἥξει will come

    And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

    Here: The verb ἥκω means 'to have arrived and be here', so the future means 'will be here'. It speaks of the end actually arriving, not just coming closer. The same verb appears in the Greek of Habakkuk 2:3: 'it will surely come, it will not delay.'

  4. Matthew 24:50 ἥξει will come

    The master of that servant will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not anticipate.

Mark · 1

  1. Mark 8:3 ἥκασιν.¶ have come.

    If I send them home hungry, they will faint along the way. For some of them have come a great distance.”

    Here: 'Have come and are now here.' The verb already means 'to have arrived', and this perfect form stresses their present situation: far from home, with nothing to eat.

Luke · 5

  1. Luke 12:46 ἥξει will come

    The master of that servant will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not anticipate. Then he will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.

    Here: Future tense: 'he will arrive / will be here.' The verb stresses actually showing up, not just setting out. Coming first in the sentence puts the weight on the arrival itself.

  2. Luke 13:29 ἥξουσιν they will come

    People will come from east and west and north and south, and will recline at the table in the kingdom of God.

    Here: 'They will arrive.' The verb stresses actually getting there, not just setting out. The subject is not named. Greek simply says 'they', so English 'people' is a reasonable addition, but it is an addition.

  3. Luke 13:35 ἥξει [the time] will come

    Look, your house is left to you desolate. And I tell you that you will not see Me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

    Here: Future, '[the time] will come'. The subject is implied, and the KJV supplies '[the time]'. The phrasing looks forward to a set moment.

  4. Luke 15:27 ἥκει, is come,

    ‘Your brother has returned,’ he said, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has him back safe and sound.’

  5. Luke 19:43 ἥξουσιν will come

    For the days will come upon you when your enemies will barricade you and surround you and hem you in on every side.

    Here: Future: 'they will come'. ἥκω stresses arriving and being there. The days do not just approach; they land on the city.

John · 4

  1. John 2:4 ἥκει is come

    “Woman, what is that to you and to Me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”

    Here: The verb is present in form but means 'has arrived and is now here.' The point is that the hour is not yet present.

  2. John 4:47 ἥκει had come

    When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged Him to come down and heal his son, who was about to die.

    Here: Present tense with a perfect sense: "has arrived and is here." Greek keeps the original tense of the report ("Jesus is back"); English moves it into the past ("had come"). The point is that Jesus is now within reach.

  3. John 6:37 ἥξει, will come,

    Everyone the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will never drive away.

    Here: Future: "will arrive." This verb focuses on reaching the destination and being there, not on the journey. It is stated as a certainty: the Father's gift will get there.

  4. John 8:42 ἥκω. am here.

    Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on My own, but He sent Me.

    Here: Present in form but with the sense 'I have arrived and am here now'. The envoy is standing in front of them.

Romans · 1

  1. Romans 11:26 ἥξει Will come

    And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come from Zion; He will remove godlessness from Jacob.

    Here: 'Will arrive.' The verb stresses arriving and being present. Taken from Isaiah 59:20, where God comes to act for his people.

Hebrews · 3

  1. Hebrews 10:7 ἥκω, I have come —

    Then I said, ‘Here I am, it is written about Me in the scroll: I have come to do Your will, O God.’”

    Here: The form is present, but the meaning is completed: 'I have arrived and am now present.' It is not 'I am coming at some point'. The servant is already standing in front of his master.

  2. Hebrews 10:9 ἥκω I have come

    Then He adds, “Here I am, I have come to do Your will.” He takes away the first to establish the second.

  3. Hebrews 10:37 ἥξει will come

    For, “In just a little while, He who is coming will come and will not delay.

    Here: Future, 'will arrive / will be here.' This verb stresses arriving and being present, not the journey. The coming one will not stay forever 'on the way'; he will actually get here.

2 Peter · 1

  1. 2 Peter 3:10 ἥξει Will come

    But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and its works will be laid bare.

    Here: This is a future tense: 'will come, will be here.' It stands first in the sentence for emphasis. The verse answers the scoffers of 3:4 who asked, 'Where is the promise of his coming?' Peter's reply is that it will come.

1 John · 1

  1. 1 John 5:20 ἥκει is come

    And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true—in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

    Here: Present in form but perfect in meaning: 'has arrived and is now present'. Not only that the Son once came, but that his coming is a standing reality (compare John 8:42, 'I came from God and am here').

Revelation · 6

  1. Revelation 2:25 ἥξω. I may come.

    than to hold fast to what you have until I come.

    Here: "I arrive / I am here." The verb stresses arrival and presence, not the journey. The speaker is the Son of God of 2:18, whose eyes are like fire.

  2. Revelation 3:3 ἥξω ἥξω I will come

    Remember, then, what you have received and heard. Keep it and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know the hour when I will come upon you.

    Here: 'I will come'. The verb stresses arrival: being there, on the spot. The speaker is the risen Christ.

  3. Revelation 3:9 ἥξουσιν they will come

    As for those who belong to the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews but are liars instead, I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and they will know that I love you.

    Here: "They will come", echoing Isaiah 60:14, where the oppressors' children "will come" bowing to Zion.

  4. Revelation 15:4 ἥξουσιν will come

    Who will not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before You, for Your righteous acts have been revealed.”

    Here: 'Will come', meaning arrive and be present. This is the language of the prophets' picture of the nations travelling to Zion as pilgrims.

  5. Revelation 18:8 ἥξουσιν will come

    Therefore her plagues will come in one day—death and grief and famine—and she will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.”

    Here: ἥκω means arrival with the sense of 'and now it is here'. The blows will not be slowly approaching. They will be present on her doorstep.

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