StrongerBible

eklegō

ἐκλέγω

GreekG1586“choose”

Appears 22 times · tap a cell to see the verses

Mrk 13:20Luk 6:13Luk 9:35Luk 10:42Luk 14:7Jhn 6:70Jhn 13:18Jhn 15:16 (2×)Jhn 15:19Act 1:2Act 1:24Act 6:5Act 13:17Act 15:7Act 15:22Act 15:251Co 1:27 (2×)1Co 1:28Eph 1:4Jas 2:5
Compound of
ekἐκout from938G1537
legōλέγωto say1358G3004
Root family
Names & words formed with this
Word studyResearch-gradeek-LEG-oh-maiverb

What eklegō means

to pick out for oneself: to single certain people or things out of a larger group and claim them as one's own

TranslatabilityApproximateCertaintySettled

At heart this is an ordinary Greek word for singling something out of a group. In everyday speech it was used for:

  • picking soldiers
  • selecting jurors
  • sorting out the choicest olives

What sets it apart from a bare "pick" is its form: it means to choose for oneself, so the person or thing chosen now belongs to the one who chose.

The Greek Old Testament used this verb to translate the Hebrew word for God's choosing of Israel (בחר), and that gave it a weight it never carried in common speech. When the New Testament writers reach for it, the one doing the choosing is almost always God or Jesus, and the choice is a deliberate act of grace that comes before anything the chosen have done to earn it.

The New Testament stretches this one core idea across several settings:

  • Jesus picking the Twelve for their work
  • God claiming a people as his own
  • God naming Jesus his chosen Servant
  • ordinary people making a plain choice

The arguments that gather around the word, over who exactly is chosen and on what basis, are theological questions built on top of it. What the word itself means is not in doubt.

Nuances

1ato pick someone out for a task, office, or mission, especially God or Jesus appointing people to serve
Luk 6:13Jhn 6:70Jhn 13:18Jhn 15:16 (2×)Jhn 15:19Act 1:2Act 1:24Act 13:17Act 15:7
1bGod's choosing of a community or persons to belong to him, a choice of grace made before they had done anything to earn it
Mrk 13:201Co 1:27 (2×)1Co 1:28Eph 1:4Jas 2:5
1cGod's own choice of Jesus as his chosen Servant and Son
Luk 9:35
1dan everyday human choice: to pick out for oneself what one wants or judges best
Luk 10:42Luk 14:7Act 6:5Act 15:22Act 15:25

What scholars say about eklegō

In classical and Hellenistic Greek eklegō/eklegomai is a mundane verb for singling out soldiers, jurors, or choice produce (LSJ; Spicq, TLNT vol. 1), with the middle voice adding a reflexive "for oneself" (BDAG 305-306; Moulton-Milligan). Its theological weight is imported through the Septuagint, where eklegomai regularly renders Hebrew bachar within the Deuteronomic and Isaianic election traditions (Seebass, TDOT 2:73-87; Wildberger, TLOT). Schrenk and Quell (TDNT 4:144-192) give the standard treatment: the New Testament verb is overwhelmingly middle, expressing that God or Christ chooses for himself, with Christ as the archetypal ho eklektos and the community's election derived from his. Lexicographers (LSJ, BDAG, Louw-Nida 30.86, Silva NIDNTTE, EDNT) agree closely on the semantic core; the live disagreements are theological, concerning the object, ground, and decretal shape of election in the Reformed, corporate-covenantal, and Barthian christological readings.

Where scholars disagree about eklegō

How the New Testament's choosing-language should be understood: whether the primary object of God's choice is the individual, the covenant community, or Christ himself. The disagreement is theological and interpretive, not about what the verb lexically means, on which scholarship is agreed.

  • contestedElection is primarily of individuals and unconditional, grounded in God's sovereign will apart from foreseen works (the classical Reformed reading of Romans 9).; Thomas R. Schreiner, Romans (BECNT); Douglas J. Moo, The Epistle to the Romans (NICNT); John Piper, The Justification of God
  • contestedElection is primarily corporate: God chooses a covenant people, and individuals are chosen through their membership in and union with that community.; William W. Klein, The New Chosen People; Brian J. Abasciano, Paul's Use of the Old Testament in Romans 9 (LNTS); N. T. Wright, Paul and the Faithfulness of God
  • minorityElection is primarily christological: Jesus Christ is himself both the chosen and the rejected one, and all others are chosen only in him.; Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics II/2, §§32-35; Bruce L. McCormack, 'Grace and Being', in The Cambridge Companion to Karl Barth
In-depth research

This is a research paper, so it may be hard to read without scholarly background. It is useful if you want to dig even deeper into this word.

Sources

  • Schrenk & Quell, 'eklegomai ktl.', TDNT 4:144-192theological-dictionary
  • BDAG, s.v. ἐκλέγομαι, 305-306lexicon
  • LSJ, s.v. ἐκλέγωlexicon
  • Louw & Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the NT Based on Semantic Domains, 30.86lexicon
  • Moisés Silva (ed.), NIDNTTE, s.v. λέγω / ἐκλέγομαιtheological-dictionary
  • Horst Seebass, 'bāchar', TDOT 2:73-87theological-dictionary
  • Ceslas Spicq, Theological Lexicon of the New Testament, vol. 1lexicon
  • William W. Klein, The New Chosen People, rev. ed. (Zondervan, 2015)monograph
  • Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics II/2, §§32-35monograph

AI-generated word study · claude-opus-4-8

All attested forms of ἐκλέγω

aorist middle indicative 3s

ἐξελέξατο

Mrk 13:20, Luk 10:42, Act 1:2, Act 13:17, Act 15:7, 1Co 1:27, 1Co 1:27, 1Co 1:28

aorist middle indicative 1s

ἐξελεξάμην

Jhn 6:70, Jhn 13:18, Jhn 15:16, Jhn 15:19

aorist middle indicative 2p

ἐξελέξασθε

Jhn 15:16

aorist middle indicative 2s

ἐξελέξω

Act 1:24

aorist middle indicative 3p

ἐξελέξαντο

Act 6:5

aorist middle participle accusative m p

ἐκλεξαμένους

Act 15:22

aorist middle participle dative m p

ἐκλεξαμένοις

Act 15:25

aorist middle participle nominative m s

ἐκλεξάμενος

Luk 6:13

imperfect middle indicative 3p

ἐξελέγοντο

Luk 14:7

perfect passive participle nominative m s

ἐκλελεγμένος

Luk 9:35