Brief Overview of συναντάω (Strong’s G4876: sunantaō)

Strong’s G4876: A compound verb combining σύν (with) and ἀντάω (to meet), meaning to meet with, encounter, or come face to face. In NT usage, it describes both planned meetings and divine appointments, often carrying theological significance of providential encounters.

U- Unveiling the Word

συναντάω represents significant encounters and divinely orchestrated meetings. As a compound word, it combines togetherness with meeting face to face, creating a term that emphasizes the personal nature of encounters. In the New Testament, it appears in contexts of both ordinary meetings and providential encounters, particularly in Luke-Acts where it often signals moments of divine intervention or significant spiritual impact. The early church understood this term as indicating more than casual meetings, often seeing in it God’s providential arrangement of encounters. Today, it reminds us that our meetings with others may be divinely appointed opportunities for ministry and witness.

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N – Necessary Information

• Greek Word: συναντάω, sunantaō, /soon-an-TAH-oh/
• Detailed Pronunciation: soon (as in ‘soon’) + an (as in ‘on’) + TAH (as in ‘father’) + oh (as in ‘go’)
• Part of Speech: Verb

Etymology:

• σύν (syn): prefix meaning “with, together”
• ἀντάω (antaō): root verb meaning “to meet, encounter”
• From ἀντί (anti): “opposite, facing”

D – Defining Meanings

• To meet with someone
• To encounter face to face
• To come upon unexpectedly
• To have a planned meeting
• To converge with someone

For compound words:
σύν emphasizes mutual involvement in the meeting, while ἀντάω contributes the concept of face-to-face encounter, creating a word that describes personal, direct meetings.

Translation Options:

1. “To meet with” – Best captures both intentional and providential encounters
2. “To encounter” – Emphasizes the unexpected nature of some meetings
3. “To come face to face with” – Highlights the personal nature of the meeting

E – Exploring Similar Words

• ἀπαντάω (apantaō) /ap-an-TAH-oh/ – to meet away from, meet separately. See G528
• ὑπαντάω (hypantaō) /hoop-an-TAH-oh/ – to meet from under, meet submissively. See G5221
• προσέρχομαι (proserchomai) /pros-ER-khom-ahee/ – to come toward, approach. See G4334

R – Reviewing the Word’s Morphology

For this verb:

• Tense: Present, Future, Aorist
• Voice: Active
• Mood: Indicative, Infinitive, Participle
• Person: First, Second, Third
• Number: Singular, Plural
• Aspect: Imperfective (present), Perfective (aorist)

Example morphological changes:

• Present Active: συναντάω (I meet)
• Future Active: συναντήσω (I will meet)
• Aorist Active: συνήντησα (I met)

S – Studying Lexicon Insights

BDAG emphasizes both planned and providential encounters. Thayer’s notes its use in describing significant meetings. LSJ provides evidence of use in both casual and formal encounters. Vine’s connects it to divine appointments. Strong’s emphasizes the compound nature of mutual meeting. LEH notes its use in describing destined meetings. Moulton and Milligan find evidence of its use in describing official meetings.

T – Tracing the Scriptures

First Appearance:

Luke 9:37: “Now it happened on the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, that a great multitude met [συνήντησεν] Him.”

Additional References:
Luke 22:10, Acts 10:25, Acts 20:22, Hebrews 7:1, Hebrews 7:10

A – Analyzing Classical Usage

N – Noteworthy Summary

συναντάω reminds us that encounters in the kingdom of God are rarely coincidental. The good news of King Jesus often spreads through divinely orchestrated meetings, just as Jesus met people at their point of need. This word encourages us to view every encounter as potentially significant, recognizing that God may be arranging divine appointments for His purposes.

D – Did You Know?

1. The word appears significantly in accounts of Jesus’s ministry encounters
2. It’s used in Hebrews to describe the momentous meeting between Abraham and Melchizedek
3. Early Christian writings used this term to describe providential meetings that led to conversions

Strong’s G4876: A compound verb combining σύν (with) and ἀντάω (to meet), meaning to meet with, encounter, or come face to face. In NT usage, it describes both planned meetings and divine appointments, often carrying theological significance of providential encounters.

Part of speech: Verb

Tags: meeting, encounter, divine appointment, providence, face-to-face, ministry encounters, providential meetings, significant encounters, planned meetings, divine encounters, personal meetings, spiritual encounters​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​