Brief Overview of ἅπτομαι (G680: háptomai)

1. Brief Overview:

Transliteration: háptomai

Root Words:

• ἅπτω (háptō): The root word meaning “to touch” or “to fasten.”

Primary Meanings:

• The term ἅπτομαι primarily means “to touch” or “to lay hold of.”
• It can also signify “to grasp” or “to adhere to,” indicating a physical or metaphorical grasp or contact with something.

2. Detailed Description:

BDAG (Bauer-Danker-Arndt-Gingrich): BDAG describes ἅπτομαι as “to touch,” “to grasp,” or “to make contact with.” It includes both physical touching and metaphorical applications such as being involved with or having a share in something.

Thayer’s: Thayer’s Greek Lexicon defines ἅπτομαι as “to touch,” “to handle,” or “to lay hold of.” It also indicates that the term can imply an emotional or spiritual engagement with something.

Vines: Vines’ Expository Dictionary notes that ἅπτομαι is used in the sense of “touching” in both a literal and figurative way. It includes the notion of grasping or being involved with something.

LSJ (Liddell-Scott-Jones): The LSJ lexicon provides definitions for ἅπτομαι as “to touch,” “to handle,” and “to be attached to,” highlighting its use in various contexts including physical and metaphorical touches.

Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance: Strong’s Concordance lists ἅπτομαι as “to touch” or “to handle,” referring to both tangible and intangible forms of contact or involvement.

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Bible Verses:

• Luke 8:44 (KJV): “Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched.”
• Acts 17:27 (KJV): “That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us.”
• These verses illustrate the use of ἅπτομαι in contexts of physical contact and spiritual or metaphorical engagement.

3. Usage in Classic Greek Literature:

In classic Greek literature up to 100 AD, ἅπτομαι was used to convey ideas of physical touch or metaphorical involvement:

• Homer’s “Iliad”: Includes instances where the term is used to describe physical contact or handling of objects.
• Herodotus’ “Histories”: Uses ἅπτομαι to refer to grasping or holding onto concepts or objects.
• Euripides’ “Medea”: Features the term in contexts involving both literal and figurative touch or influence.

4. Summary:

The Greek word ἅπτομαι (G680: háptomai) means “to touch” or “to lay hold of.” It encompasses both physical contact and metaphorical or figurative senses of grasping or involvement. Lexicons such as BDAG and Thayer’s highlight its application in various contexts, including tangible and intangible interactions. In classic Greek literature, the term reflects its diverse usage from physical touch to conceptual grasp.