Greek word · G4898
συνέκδημος
synekdēmos
companion
'Fellow-traveller abroad', from σύν (with) + ἔκδημος (away from home). It was used for the companions or attendants of an official or envoy on a journey, people who formed part of the travelling party.
Appears 2 times in 2 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·
What it means
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 2 Corinthians 8:19
- Range of meaning
'Fellow-traveller abroad', from σύν (with) + ἔκδημος (away from home). It was used for the companions or attendants of an official or envoy on a journey, people who formed part of the travelling party.
- Against the English
KJV/WEB 'to travel with us', BSB 'to accompany us', YLT 'our fellow-traveller'. All are accurate. English loses the slightly official sense of a member of the delegation.
- Used elsewhere in the period
Used in Hellenistic Greek, e.g. Plutarch, for companions on official journeys. Josephus (Life 79) uses it of companions travelling with him on his mission to Galilee. NT: Acts 19:29, where Gaius and Aristarchus are Paul's 'travel companions'. Aristarchus later goes with Paul when the collection is carried to Jerusalem (Acts 20:4).
- Range of meaning
A fellow traveller, a companion on a journey abroad (ekdēmos = 'away from one's own people'). It can mean a member of an official's travelling suite or delegation.
- Against the English
'Companions in travel' (KJV, WEB) and 'traveling companions' (BSB) are accurate. 'Fellow-travellers' (YLT) has picked up an unrelated political meaning in modern English, but that is not an issue in the Greek.
- Used elsewhere in the period
The only other NT use is 2 Corinthians 8:19, where a brother is 'appointed by the churches as our synekdēmos' to travel with Paul carrying the collection for Jerusalem. Josephus and Plutarch use it for members of someone's travelling party.
Where it appears
Acts · 1
-
Acts 19:29 συνεκδήμους fellow travelers
Soon the whole city was in disarray. They rushed together into the theatre, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia.
Here: A member of someone's travelling party, someone 'away from home together' with him. It identifies them as part of Paul's own entourage. That is why the crowd grabbed them when Paul himself could not be found.
2 Corinthians · 1
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2 Corinthians 8:19 συνέκδημος fellow traveler
More than that, this brother was chosen by the churches to accompany us with the gracious offering we administer to honor the Lord Himself and to show our eagerness to help.
Here: Someone who goes abroad together with another, often as an official's companion or delegate. He is to travel with Paul's party for the whole journey to Jerusalem.
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.