BIBLE GREEK WORD STUDY
Erchomai — Meaning & Usage in the Bible
The Greek verb ἔρχομαι covers both 'to come' and 'to go,' appearing across a wide range of literal and figurative uses in the New Testament.
Meaning of the word
Ἔρχομαι is a common verb in NT Greek rendered 'to come' or 'to go' in English translations. Its wide range covers literal physical movement as well as figurative applications, which is why the supplied definition notes 'a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively.'
The verb appears in several tenses in the New Testament. In the supplied verses it is found in forms such as ἦλθον (aorist), ἦλθεν (aorist, third singular), ἐλθών (aorist participle, 'having come'), ἐρχόμενον/ἐρχόμενος (present or middle participle, 'coming'), and ἔρχονται (present middle/passive, 'they come'). The same lexeme thus moves freely between aorist and present stems.
Because the word covers both 'coming' and 'going,' the meaning depends entirely on the speaker's location and the direction of the motion it describes in context. Readers must look at the surrounding clause to tell which sense is intended.
Usage in Scripture
The supplied 52 verses span Matthew and John. In Matthew 5:17 the aorist ἦλθον carries the sense of purposeful arrival: 'Think not that I came to destroy the law…' — Jesus referring to his own mission. Matthew 7:15 uses the present ἔρχονται for false prophets who 'come to you in sheep's clothing,' describing repeated approach. Matthew 7:25 and 7:27 both use ἦλθον for floods that 'came' against the house, a literal event used figuratively as judgment imagery.
In John 1 the participle ἐρχόμενον/ἐρχόμενος is especially prominent. John 1:9 calls the true light 'coming into the world.' John 1:11 says 'He came unto his own,' pairing the aorist ἦλθεν with the idea of arrival at one's own place. John 1:15 uses ἐρχόμενος of one who 'cometh after me.' John 1:26 has ἐρχόμενος again, while John 1:29 depicts 'Jesus coming unto him,' where the participle describes motion toward John, parallel to the aorist ἦλθεν in 1:7, 'The same came for witness.'
The word in detail
- G2064 Greek verb ἔρχομαι, defined in the supplied lexicon entry as 'to come or go (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively).' It surfaces as aorist forms such as ἦλθον/ἦλθεν and ἐλθών, and as present/middle forms such as ἔρχονται and the participle ἐρχόμενος/ἐρχόμενον. The same root supplies the future and compound forms used throughout the NT; readers should watch for tense and voice in context.
Example verses
- Matthew 5:17 Uses the aorist ἦλθον in a self-referential statement of mission: 'Think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets: I came not to destroy, but to fulfil.' Here ἐλθών type meaning is Jesus' purposeful arrival to fulfil, not to abolish.
- Matthew 7:15 Uses the present ἔρχονται: 'Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing.' The present tense depicts repeated or characteristic approach rather than a single arrival.
- Matthew 7:25 Uses the aorist ἦλθον of floods that 'came' against the house that did not fall. Physical motion is repurposed as judgment imagery in the closing parable of the sermon.
- John 1:11 Uses the aorist ἦλθεν: 'He came unto his own.' Pairs literal arrival at one's own place with the theological statement of rejection, a key Johannine ἐλθών-type motif.
Common questions
Does ἔρχομαι mean 'come' or 'go'?
Both. The supplied definition covers 'to come or go.' The direction depends on the speaker's perspective and the motion described in context.
What is the difference between the aorist forms (ἦλθον, ἦλθεν, ἐλθών) and the present forms (ἔρχονται, ἐρχόμενος)?
The supplied verses show aorist forms used for completed arrivals (e.g., Matthew 5:17 'I came'; John 1:11 'He came') and present forms used for ongoing or characteristic 'coming' (e.g., Matthew 7:15 'who come to you'; John 1:9 'coming into the world').
Is ἔρχομai used only of literal motion?
No. The supplied definition notes 'a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively.' Matthew 7:25, for instance, applies it to floods in a judgment parable, and John 1:9 applies it to the true light entering the world.