Brief Overview of παροίχομαι (Strong’s G3944: paroichomai)

Strong’s G3944: A compound verb combining παρά (beside/past) with οἴχομαι (to go/depart), meaning “to have gone by, to be past.” Used in Acts 14:16 to describe past generations and God’s dealings with nations. Emphasizes the temporal passage and historical perspective of divine providence.

U- Unveiling the Word

παροίχομαι describes the passing of time, particularly regarding historical periods. In Acts, Paul uses it to discuss God’s sovereignty over historical epochs and nations. The compound structure emphasizes complete passage or departure. Early church fathers used this term to discuss God’s providence through history and the distinction between past and present dispensations. Today, it helps us understand God’s working through different historical periods.

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N – Necessary Information

• Greek Word: παροίχομαι, paroichomai, /par-OY-khom-ai/
• Detailed pronunciation: par (as in ‘par’) + OY (stressed) + khom (as in ‘home’) + ai
• Part of Speech: Verb

Etymology:

• παρα- (para-): beside, past
• οἴχομαι (oichomai): to go, depart
• Combined to express complete passage

D – Defining Meanings

• To have gone by
• To be past
• To have elapsed

For compound words:
παρα- adds completeness to οἴχομαι’s sense of departure, creating the concept of complete passing

Translation Options:

• “Gone by” – emphasizes completion
• “Passed” – captures temporal movement
• “Elapsed” – focuses on time period

E – Exploring Similar Words

• παρέρχομαι (parerchomai) /par-ER-khom-ai/ – to pass by, more general
• διέρχομαι (dierchomai) /dee-ER-khom-ai/ – to pass through
• ἀπέρχομαι (aperchomai) /ap-ER-khom-ai/ – to go away

R – Reviewing the Word’s Morphology

As a verb, παροίχομαι exhibits:

• Tense: Perfect Participle
• Voice: Middle
• Mood: Participle
• Gender: Dative
• Number: Plural
• Aspect: Stative

Examples:
παροίχομαι (I pass by)
παρῳχημένος (having passed)
παρῴχετο (was passing)

S – Studying Lexicon Insights

BDAG emphasizes its temporal aspect. Thayer’s notes its completeness of action. LSJ documents classical usage for elapsed time. Vine’s highlights its historical perspective. Moulton and Milligan note its common usage in dating documents.

T – Tracing the Scriptures

First appearance:
“In [παροίχομαι] past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways” (Acts 14:16)

Additional References:
None in the New Testament

A – Analyzing Classical Usage

N – Noteworthy Summary

παροίχομαι represents complete temporal passage, particularly significant in discussing God’s sovereign oversight of historical periods and nations.

D – Did You Know?

• The term was commonly used in historical writings
• It appears in ancient documents for dating purposes
• The word influenced Christian understanding of dispensations

[Lexicon Summary]
A compound verb combining παρά (beside/past) with οἴχομαι (to go/depart), meaning “to have gone by, to be past.” Used in Acts 14:16 to describe past generations and God’s dealings with nations. Emphasizes the temporal passage and historical perspective of divine providence.

Part of speech: Verb

Tags: #verb #time #history #acts #divine_providence #compound_word #biblical_greek #new_testament #generations #sovereignty​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​