Greek word · G492

ἀντιπαρέρχομαι

antiparerchomai

to pass

To pass by on the opposite side; to go past while keeping across from someone. Built from anti ("opposite, facing"), para ("alongside, past") and erchomai ("go, come").

Appears 2 times in 2 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

ἀντι-παρ-έρχομαι

[in LXX: Wisdom of Solomon 16:10 * ;]

to pass by opposite to: Luke 10:31-32 (MM, VGT, see word).†

(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 Luke 10:31

Range of meaning

To pass by on the opposite side; to go past while keeping across from someone. Built from anti ("opposite, facing"), para ("alongside, past") and erchomai ("go, come").

Against the English

Almost all English versions agree on "passed by on the other side", and they are right. NLT spells the movement out as two actions (crossing over, then passing by). The Latin Vulgate's praeterivit ("went past") loses the "opposite" element.

Used elsewhere in the period

In the New Testament it occurs only here and in v. 32, where it is used of the Levite in exactly the same form. It is commonly cited from Wisdom of Solomon 16:10, where it is used of God's mercy "coming by" to heal the Israelites bitten by serpents, a different sense of the same compound. Otherwise it is rare.

From the study of Luke 10:32

Range of meaning

'To pass by on the opposite side, go past while facing or across from someone.' The word is rare. In the New Testament it appears only in Luke 10:31 and 10:32.

Against the English

'Passed by on the other side' (KJV, BSB, WEB and most modern versions) is accurate and captures both prefixes. YLT's 'passed over on the opposite side' is more literal and stiffer.

Used elsewhere in the period

BDAG lists Luke 10:31–32 and one notable earlier use, Wisdom of Solomon 16:10 (Greek Old Testament). There the compound is used of God's mercy 'coming alongside' Israel to help and heal those bitten by serpents. In that passage the verb describes mercy coming up to the sufferer, not avoiding him.

Similar words

Where it appears

Luke · 2

  1. Luke 10:31 ἀντιπαρῆλθεν. he passed by opposite.

    Now by chance a priest was going down the same road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

    Here: A compound verb: anti ("opposite") + para ("alongside") + erchomai ("go"). He went past while keeping to the far side of the road, deliberately keeping his distance. One word in Greek carries the whole English phrase "passed by on the other side".

  2. Luke 10:32 ἀντιπαρῆλθεν. passed by opposite.

    So too, when a Levite came to that spot and saw him, he passed by on the other side.

    Here: A rare double compound: anti 'opposite' + para 'alongside' + erchomai 'go'. He went past while keeping to the far side of the road, deliberately keeping his distance. The verb is identical to the last word of v.31, so the two scenes end in matching words.

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