ἀδημονέω

From the study of Philippians 2:26

Range of meaning

To be troubled, distressed, in anguish. It suggests a restless, agitated, disoriented distress, not a quiet sadness. BDAG gives 'be in anxiety, be distressed, troubled.' Where the word comes from is disputed. One old explanation links it to adēmos, 'away from home / away from one's people', which would suggest being unsettled and not at home in oneself. Others derive it from a root meaning 'to be sated, disgusted'. Neither explanation is secure, and the word's meaning comes from how it was used, not from its parts.

Against the English

KJV 'full of heaviness', BSB/NIV/ESV/NASB 'distressed', WEB 'very troubled', NLT 'very distressed'. 'Distressed' is accurate but can sound mild in modern English. The Greek is closer to 'beside himself with worry' or 'in anguish'.

How it drifted

The modern drift is mainly in the KJV's 'heaviness' (see drift notes). The modern 'distressed' is not wrong, only somewhat weaker than the Greek.

Used elsewhere in the period

Used in classical Greek (e.g., Plato, Xenophon) for perplexity and acute distress, and found in later Greek letters. In the New Testament it occurs only three times: twice of Jesus in Gethsemane (Matt 26:37; Mark 14:33, alongside 'sorrowful' and 'greatly alarmed') and here. J. B. Lightfoot's classic commentary describes it as 'the confused, restless, half-distracted state' produced by physical disorder or mental distress.

From the study of Mark 14:33

Range of meaning

To be in anguish, distress or anxiety, with a sense of being unsettled and unable to find rest. Lexicons give "be in anxiety, be distressed, troubled" (BDAG, Thayer). Where the word comes from is uncertain. J. B. Lightfoot suggested it is linked to being "away from home" or out of one's normal state, and described it as the confused, restless, half-distracted condition caused by physical or mental distress. That derivation is debated, but the usage fits it.

Against the English

KJV "to be very heavy" uses an older sense of "heavy" meaning weighed down in spirit, sorrowful, which modern readers may miss. "Troubled" or "distressed" in modern versions is accurate but can sound mild in everyday English, closer to worried than anguished.

How it drifted

Mainly a problem of English register (how strong a word sounds today). "Heavy" in the sense of "sorrowful" has mostly dropped out of use, and "troubled" has worn down to mean mild concern.

Used elsewhere in the period

It appears only three times in the New Testament: here, the parallel in Matthew 26:37, and Philippians 2:26, where Epaphroditus is "distressed" because the Philippians heard he had been ill almost to death. It is used in classical Greek: Plato (Theaetetus 175d) has it of a person who becomes dizzy and at a loss when lifted out of his depth. It also appears in Hellenistic writers for anguish and perplexity.

From the study of Matthew 26:37

Range of meaning

To be in anxiety, be distressed, be in anguish, be troubled, be at a loss (BDAG). It describes agitated, restless distress, the opposite of composure. The word's origin is uncertain. Older lexicons such as Thayer and J.B. Lightfoot connected it with adēmōn, 'not at home, away from one's people', which gives a picture of someone 'beside himself' or unable to settle. Other scholars doubt that derivation. Usage, not etymology, should decide the meaning: in surviving Greek it consistently means intense, unsettled distress.

Against the English

KJV and YLT have "very heavy"; BSB "deeply distressed"; WEB "severely troubled"; NIV and ESV "troubled"; NASB and NLT "distressed". "Troubled" is accurate but on its own it can sound too mild for this word.

How it drifted

No real shift in meaning. The problem is in English: the KJV's 'heavy' meant 'grief-laden, downcast' in 1611, and now readers tend to hear it as physical weight or drowsiness.

Used elsewhere in the period

Classical Greek uses it for being bewildered or troubled. Plato, for example, describes the soul in Phaedrus 251d as distressed and perplexed by a strange new experience. In the NT it appears only in Mark 14:33 (the Gethsemane parallel), here, and Phil 2:26, where Epaphroditus is 'distressed' because the Philippians heard he was ill. It also appears in some later Greek translations of the Psalms. That spread of uses shows a word for real anguish, not a technical or religious term.