THE LOVE THE CHRIST HAS COMPELS US

TDNT Volume 7, Page 877–885

συνέχω fut. συνέξω; 2 aor. συνέσχον. Pass. impf. συνειχόμην; fut. 3 pl. συσχεθήσονται Job 36:8; En 21:10; aor. συνεσχέθην LXX, AcPl Ha (Hom.+).

① to hold together as a unit, hold together, sustain τὶ someth. (Ael. Aristid. 43, 16 K.=1 p. 6 D.: τὰ πάντα σ‌.; PTebt p 971 410, 11. Cp. IG XIV, 1018 to Attis συνέχοντι τὸ πᾶν [s. CWeyman, BZ 14, 1917, 17f]; PGM 13, 843. Other exx. in Cumont3 230, 57; Wsd 1:7; Aristobulus in Eus., PE 13, 12, 12 [=Holladay p. 184, 78; s. p. 229 n. 139 for add. reff. and lit.]; Philo; Jos., C. Ap. 2, 208) συνέχει αὐτὴ (i.e. ἡ ψυχή) τὸ σῶμα Dg 6:7. Pass. 1 Cl 20:5.

② to close by holding together, stop, shut (στόμα Ps 68:16; Is 52:15; PsSol 17:19 πηγαὶ συνεσχέθησαν. The heavens, so that there is no rain Dt 11:17; 3 Km 8:35) συνέσχον τὰ ὦτα αὐτῶν i.e. they refused to listen Ac 7:57.

③ to press in and around so as to leave little room for movement, press hard, crowd τινά someone Lk 8:45. Of a city (2 Macc 9:2) οἱ ἐχθροί σου συνέξουσίν σε πάντοθεν 19:43.

④ to hold in custody, guard (Lucian, Tox. 39; PMagd 42, 7; PLille 7, 15 [III B.C.]) Lk 22:63.

⑤ to cause distress by force of circumstances, seize, attack, distress, torment τινά someone τὰ συνέχοντά με that which distresses me IRo 6:3. Mostly pass. (Aeschyl., Hdt. et al.) be tormented by, afflicted w., distressed by τινί someth., of sickness (Pla. et al.; ApcMos 5; Tat. 2, 1; 3; SIG 1169, 50 ἀγρυπνίαις συνεχόμενος; POxy 896, 34 πυραιτίοις συνεχόμενος) νόσοις καὶ βασάνοις Mt 4:24; πυρετῷ (Hippiatr. I 6, 23; Jos., Ant. 13, 398; s. also πυρετός) Lk 4:38; πυρετοῖς καὶ δυσεντερίῳ Ac 28:8. Of unpleasant emotional states (Diod S 29, 25 λύπῃ; TestAbr A 16, p. 96, 21 [Stone p. 40] δειλίᾳ πολλῇ; Aelian, VH 14, 22 ὀδυρμῷ; Ps.-Plut., De Fluv. 2, 1; 7, 5; 17, 3; 19, 1) φόβῳ μεγάλῳ συνείχοντο they were overcome by great fear Lk 8:37 (cp. Job 3:24). φόβῳ μεγάλῳ συσχεθεῖσα AcPl Ha 3, 34; cp. 11, 16.—Without the dat. (Leontios 16 p. 33, 13 συνεχόμενος=tormented) πῶς συνέχομαι how great is my distress, what vexation I must endure Lk 12:50. The apostle, torn betw. conflicting emotions, says συνέχομαι ἐκ τῶν δύο I am hard pressed (to choose) between the two Phil 1:23.

⑥ to occupy someone’s attention intensely, συνέχομαί τινι I am occupied with or absorbed in someth. (Herodian 1, 17, 9 ἡδοναῖς; Diog. L. 7, 185 γέλωτι; Wsd 17:19) συνείχετο τῷ λόγῳ (Paul) was wholly absorbed in preaching Ac 18:5 (EHenschel, Theologia Viatorum 2, ’50, 213–15; cp. Arrian, Anab. 7, 21, 5 ἐν τῷδε τῷ πόνῳ ξυνείχοντο=they were intensively engaged in this difficult task) in contrast to the activity cited in vs. 3. Closely related is the sense

⑦ to provide impulse for some activity, urge on, impel, τινά someone ἡ ἀγάπη συνέχει ἡμᾶς 2 Cor 5:14 (so Bachmann, Belser, Sickenberger, Lietzmann, Windisch, OHoltzmann, 20th Cent.; NRSV). Pass. συνείχετο τῷ πνεύματι ὁ Παῦλος Ac 18:5 v.l.

⑧ to hold within bounds so as to manage or guide, direct, control. Many, including RSV and REB, offer this interp. for 2 Cor 5:14 (s. 7 above. Heinrici leaves the choice open betw. 7 and 8. GHendry, ET 59, ’47/48, 82 proposes ‘include, embrace.’).—M-M. TW. Spicq.

συνεχῶς adv. of συνεχής (Just., D. 192, 1; Ath., R. 16 p. 68, 1), of time (Hes. et al.; ins, pap; TestJob 2:3; Test12Patr; EpArist 78 al.; Philo; Jos., Vi. 20, Ant. 19, 318) continually, unremittingly ἐκζητεῖν B 21:8.

Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., Bauer, W., & Gingrich, F. W. (2000). A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature (3rd ed., pp. 970–971). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.