Greek word · G4902
συνέπομαι
synepomai
to accompany
To follow along with or accompany someone, especially on a journey or in a procession. It was also used of soldiers or attendants who formed someone's escort.
Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·
What it means
συν-έπομαι
[in LXX: 2Ma.15:2, 3Ma.5:48 R 3Ma.6:21 * ;]
to follow with, accompany: with dative of person(s), Acts 20:4.†
(AS)
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
To follow along with or accompany someone, especially on a journey or in a procession. It was also used of soldiers or attendants who formed someone's escort.
- Against the English
'Accompanied' is accurate. The imperfect tense ('was accompanying') suggests an ongoing travelling company, not the start of a trip. KJV/YLT 'there accompanied him' and BSB 'Paul was accompanied by' both catch the sense.
- Used elsewhere in the period
This is the verb's only New Testament use. It is common in classical and Hellenistic Greek for people travelling together or escorting someone. 2 Maccabees 15:2 uses it of Jews who were forced to go along with Nicanor.
Where it appears
Acts · 1
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Acts 20:4 συνείπετο Was accompanied by
Paul was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia.
Here: Imperfect tense: 'was travelling with him'. It describes ongoing company on a journey rather than a single moment. This is the verb's only appearance in the New Testament. It names a travelling party, not discipleship.
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.