Divine Encounter: συντυγχάνω (Strong’s G4940: syntynchanō) Reveals Sacred Meetings

Strong’s G4940: A compound verb combining σύν (with) and τυγχάνω (to happen upon), meaning “to meet with, come upon.” In Luke’s Gospel, it describes attempts to meet Jesus, highlighting the human desire for divine encounter amid crowds and circumstances.

U- Unveiling the Word

συντυγχάνω beautifully captures the moment of divine appointment. As a compound word, it joins σύν (with, together) and τυγχάνω (to happen upon, meet), creating a term that describes purposeful encounters. In Luke’s Gospel, it appears when Jesus’ family seeks to meet Him, illustrating both physical and spiritual aspects of seeking divine presence. The early church saw this word as symbolizing humanity’s quest to encounter God. Today, it reminds us of our own journey to meet the Messiah amid life’s crowds and obstacles.

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N – Necessary Information

• Greek Word: συντυγχάνω, syntynchanō, soon-toon-KHAN-oh
• Pronunciation Guide: ‘soon’ as in ‘soon’, ‘toon’ as in ‘tune’, ‘khan’ as in ‘khan’, ‘oh’ as in ‘go’
• Part of Speech: Verb

Etymology:

• σύν (syn) – prefix meaning “with” or “together”
• τυγχάνω (tynchanō) – root verb meaning “to happen upon, meet”
• The prefix σύν adds intentionality to the meeting
• The root τυγχάνω indicates the actual encounter

D – Defining Meanings

• To meet with
• To come together with
• To encounter
• To arrive at together
• To reach simultaneously

For compound words:
σύν intensifies τυγχάνω’s basic meaning of happening upon something, creating a word that emphasizes intentional meeting or planned encounter.

Translation Options:

1. “To meet with” – Best captures the intentional nature of the encounter
2. “To come upon” – Emphasizes the element of discovery
3. “To encounter together” – Highlights the mutual aspect of the meeting

E – Exploring Similar Words

• ἀπαντάω (apantaō, ap-an-TAH-oh) – to meet, encounter – See G528
• συναντάω (synantaō, soon-an-TAH-oh) – to meet with – See G4876
• προσέρχομαι (proserchomai, pros-ER-kho-mai) – to come to – See G4334

R – Reviewing the Word’s Morphology

As a verb, συντυγχάνω exhibits these features:

• Tense: Present, Aorist
• Voice: Active
• Mood: Indicative, Subjunctive, Optative
• Person: First, Second, Third
• Number: Singular, Plural
• Aspect: Imperfective (Present), Perfective (Aorist)

The word would morph in English as follows:

• Present: I meet with, you meet with, he/she/it meets with
• Past: I met with, you met with, he/she/it met with
• Perfect: I have met with, you have met with, he/she/it has met with

S – Studying Lexicon Insights

BDAG emphasizes συντυγχάνω’s use in describing purposeful encounters. Thayer’s notes its development from chance meetings to arranged encounters. LSJ documents extensive usage in formal meetings. Vine’s connects it to significant encounters. Strong’s highlights the compound nature suggesting mutual purpose. LEH traces its usage in diplomatic contexts. Moulton and Milligan find it common in describing important meetings.

T – Tracing the Scriptures

First appearance:
Then came to him his mother and his brethren, and could not [συντυγχάνω] come at him for the press. Luke 8:19

Additional References:
None – This is the only occurrence in the New Testament.

A – Analyzing Classical Usage

N – Noteworthy Summary

συντυγχάνω powerfully illustrates our quest to encounter the Messiah. Just as Jesus’ family sought to meet Him through the crowd, we too seek divine encounters amid life’s pressing circumstances. This word reminds us that meeting Jesus requires both divine appointment and human initiative.

D – Did You Know?

1. The word was commonly used in ancient diplomatic correspondence for arranged meetings
2. Early Christian writers used it to describe encounters with holy persons
3. It appears in ancient papyri describing scheduled meetings between officials

Strong’s G4940: A compound verb combining σύν (with) and τυγχάνω (to happen upon), meaning “to meet with, come upon.” In Luke’s Gospel, it describes attempts to meet Jesus, highlighting the human desire for divine encounter amid crowds and circumstances.

Part of speech: Verb

Tags: encounter, meeting, divine appointment, seeking, Jesus, crowds, family, presence, purpose, intentionality​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​