Long for (1971) epipotheo by Greek Word Studies

Longing (1971) (epipotheo from epi = intensifies + potheo = to yearn) means to have a strong desire for something, with implication of need. It mean to long for, have great affection for, yearn for someone or something. Epipotheo - 9x in NAS - Ro 1:11; 2Co 5:2; 9:14; Php 1:8; 2:26; 1Th 3:6; 2Ti 1:4; Jas 4:5; 1Pe 2:2. NAS - desires(1), long for(2), long to(1), longing for(1), longing to(3), yearn for(1). Vincent comments that the prefixed preposition epi does not mark the intensity of the desire, but its direction. Epipotheo was a favorite word with Paul describes a strong desire, an intense craving of possession, a great affection for, a deep desire, an earnest yearning for something with implication of need. Here it describes the natural yearning of personal affection. Paul loved Timothy as a man loves his own son and he longed for the joy of renewed fellowship with him face to face. The force of the original Greek sentence emphasizes that the direction of Paul's desire is for Timothy. This yearning is further nourished by his constant remembrance of Timothy's tears. Paul was continuously (present tense) longing to see Timothy. Why? For one reason he had no one else of kindred spirit (Philippians 2:20 see note, cf 1Ti 1:15] Timothy was his beloved spiritual son. (cf 3Jn 1:4). How it must have touched Timothy’s heart to read that not only was Paul praying for him but was also earnestly longing to see him! This is a mark of Paul's special love and esteem for Timothy (kindred spirit) and speaks eloquently of the graciousness, tenderness, and humility of Paul. Paul expressed a similar feeling for the Roman church writing I long (epipotheo - present tense = continually have a heartfelt longing) to see you in order that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established (resulting in your being stabilized)." (see note Romans 1:11). Writing to the church at Philippi Paul had the following encouraging words (similar to the encouragement he had for Timothy)... "God is my witness (calling on God to be his witness expresses his deep sincerity of the truth of his following declaration), how I long for (epipotheo = present tense = continually, habitually have a heartfelt longing) you all with the affection (tender mercies, tenderheartednesses - the strongest Greek word for compassionate love - involves one's entire being) of Christ Jesus." (Php 1:8-note) Paul used epipotheo to express his desire to be with Jesus writing For indeed in this house we groan, longing (epipotheo) to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven. (2Cor 5:2) Peter exhorts his readers to lay aside list of several sins (1Peter 2:1- note - If you lose your appetite for the Word, the loss of which will "stunt" your spiritual growth, then you need to do a little personal inventory check to see if any of the sins listed in verse 1 are dulling your "appetite" for "pure milk")... like newborn babes, long for (epipotheo - intensely yearn, thirst for; aorist imperative = This in NOT optional! Do this, do it now and do it effectively! It's urgent because the vitality of your daily walk and growth in Christ-likeness depends on the intake of "quality" nutrients, sound [healthy] doctrine! The idea is believers should now crave for and delight in) the pure (unadulterated, no additive) milk of the word, that by it you may grow (be nourished and nurtured so that you make progress in holiness) in respect to salvation (the ultimate goal toward which all spiritual growth in this life is moving is conformity to the image of our Lord Jesus Christ)." (1Pe 2:2-note) Here are the other 4 uses of epipotheo in the NT (see the other 5 above)... 2 Corinthians 9:14 while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you. Philippians 2:26 (note) because he was longing for you all and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick. 1 Thessalonians 3:6 (note) But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always think kindly of us, longing to see us just as we also long to see you, James 4:5 Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: "He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us"? Epipotheo is used in the not-apocryphal Septuagint (LXX) in the 9 verses (Deut 13:8; 32:11; Ps 42:1; 62:10; 84:2; Ps 119:20, 131, 174; Jer 13:14) The use of epipotheo in several psalms helps paint a beautiful picture... Psalm 42:1 As the deer pants (epipotheo = present tense = continually) for the water brooks, so my soul pants (epipotheo = present tense = continually) for Thee, O God. Spurgeon comments: As the hart pants after the water brooks, so pants my soul after the, O God. As after a long drought the poor fainting hind longs for the streams, or rather as the hunted hart instinctively seeks after the river to lave its smoking flanks and to escape the dogs, even so my weary, persecuted soul pants after the Lord my God. Debarred from public worship, David was heartsick. Ease he did not seek, honour he did not covet, but the enjoyment of communion with God was an urgent need of his soul; he viewed it not merely as the sweetest of all luxuries, but as an absolute necessity, like water to a stag. Like the parched traveller in the wilderness, whose skin bottle is empty, and who finds the wells dry, he must drink or die -- he must have his God or faint. His soul, his very self, his deepest life, was insatiable for a sense of the divine presence. As the hart brays so his soul prays. Give him his God and he is as content as the poor deer which at length slakes its thirst and is perfectly happy; but deny him his Lord, and his heart heaves, his bosom palpitates, his whole frame is convulsed, like one who gasps for breath, or pants with long running. Dear reader, dost thou know what this is, by personally having felt the same? It is a sweet bitterness. The next best thing to living in the light of the Lord's love is to be unhappy till we have it, and to pant hourly after it -- hourly, did I say? thirst is a perpetual appetite, and not to be forgotten, and even thus continual is the heart's longing after God. When it is as natural for us to long for God as for an animal to thirst, it is well with our souls, however painful our feelings. We may learn from this verse that the eagerness of our desires may be pleaded with God, and the more so, because there are special promises for the importunate and fervent. Psalm 84:2 My soul longed (Lxx = epipotheo = present tense = continually) and even yearned for the courts of the LORD; My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God. Spurgeon: My soul longs, it pines, and faints to meet with the saints in the Lord's house. The desire was deep and insatiable -- the very soul of the man was yearning for his God. The word faints signifies to be consumed with longing, as the Latins say, deperire aliquem amore (he is dying of love), that is, he so vehemently loves, and is enflamed with so great a desire to obtain the loved object, that he wastes and pines away unless his wish is gratified. Therefore, an ardent longing is meant, which so torments and burns the mind, that flesh and marrow waste away, so long as it is not permitted to enjoy the thing desired. Mollerus. Psalm 119:131 I opened my mouth wide and panted, for I longed (epipotheo = imperfect tense = over and over again) for Thy commandments. Spurgeon comments: I opened my mouth, and panted. So animated was his desire that he looked into the animal world to find a picture of it. He was filled with an intense longing, and was not ashamed to describe it by a most expressive, natural, and yet singular symbol. Like a stag that has been hunted in the chase, and is hard pressed, and therefore pants for breath, so did the Psalmist pant for the entrance of God's word into his soul. Nothing else could content him. All that the world could yield him left him still panting with open mouth. For I longed for thy commandments. Longed to know them, longed to obey them, longed to be conformed to their spirit, longed to teach them to others. He was a servant of God, and his industrious mind longed to receive orders; he was a learner in the school of grace, and his eager spirit longed to be taught of the Lord. This is a desire which God will satisfy. "Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it": Psalms 81:10. --Thomas Manton Edwards observes that There is a direct correlation here between the amount of time Paul spent praying for Timothy (2Ti 1:3b) and the amount of affection he felt for him (2Ti 1:4). One of the best ways to increase our heartfelt love for other believers is to pray for them frequently and intensely. (2 Timothy: Call to Completion) Similarly a great way to motivate someone you are discipling is to let them know your true feelings of affection and love for them. AS I RECALL YOUR TEARS: se idein (AAN) memnemenos (RPPMSN) sou ton dakruon: Recall (3403) (mimnesko) means to to recall information from memory, remember, recollect, remind oneself. The perfect tense indicates that this is Paul's abiding attitude. Paul still remembers Timothy's tears (and the effect it must have had on Paul). Hiebert writes that Paul... does not specify the occasion for those tears, but the context implies that it was the bitterness of parting from his revered leader, apparently at Paul's last arrest, that caused the tears. They were genuine tears of love and concern as his spiritual father was being torn from him. Stimulated by this memory, Paul longs for reunion, "that I may be filled with joy." To see Timothy again would be joy indeed. "Paul's memories afford him great joy as he sits in his dismal dungeon, but once more to get to see Timothy, his beloved Timothy, will fill Paul's cup of joy to the very brim. Gratitude is coupled with anticipated joy" (Lenski). Tears (1144) (dakruon) literally refers to liquid flowing from the eyes (the lacrimal glands) and representing a manifestation of strong emotion, usually of grief. In Scripture tears are shed as marks of humility (cf Acts 20:19). On the other hand it is noteworthy that Paul does not rebuke Timothy for his tears, as though they were unmanly or as though there was no place for strong emotions in Christianity. In Scripture tears are more frequently associated with mental distress than with physical pain. ISBE notes that Eastern (occidental) peoples show none of the restraint of emotion in lamentation which is characteristic of modern Occidentals, and there are many records of this manifestation of woe, even among men accustomed to hardships and warfare, such as David and his soldiers. (Orr, J: The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: 1915 edition) Several Bible paraphrases versions (e.g., see NLT, Phillips in table above) add their "interpretation" explaining that Timothy's tears were related to the fact that he had been forced to part company with Paul in the past. While this is certainly a reasonable possibility, the Scripture does not state this in the original Greek text. One needs to be aware that the Bible versions that are paraphrases do function in a sense as "mini-commentaries" but as such they are such to the vagaries of the author's interpretation. Therefore it is important to always check a more literal translation such as the NAS, ESV, KJV, NKJV, etc. If you do not know the degree of "literalness" of your current version, then click chart comparing a number of popular translations for degree of literalness. Remember this simple rule of thumb - the more literal the translation, the closer it is to the original Greek or Hebrew manuscripts and the less interpretative. As alluded to above, Paul had a similar bond with the elders of the Ephesian church as demonstrated at his farewell address to them at Miletus where "they began to weep aloud and embraced Paul, and repeatedly kissed him" (Acts 20:37) I agree with J. H. Jowett who said: Tearless hearts can never be heralds of the passion. When our sympathy loses its pang, we can no longer be the servants of the passion. Tears flow freely from the fountain of a love-filled heart. Tearless hearts can never be the heralds of the passion. - James S. Stewart SO THAT I MAY BE FILLED WITH JOY: hina charas plerotho (1SAPS): (Torrey's Topic "joy") So that (2443) (hina) introduces the purpose for which Paul wanted to see Timothy. Imagine now how such a letter must have stirred Timothy's heart when he opened it and saw how Paul "longed to see" him. Timothy had no doubt about Paul's love for him. Are you a "Timothy" in someone else's life? Does your godly life cause them to long to be in your presence because of your effect on their affect?

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Long for (1971) epipotheo

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