ἀκολουθέω, (ῶ; future ἀκολουθήσω; imperfect ἠκολούθουν; 1 aorist ἠκολούθησα; perfect ἠκολούθηκα (Mar_10:28 L T Tr WH); (from ἀκόλουθος, and this from a copulative and κέλευθος road, properly, walking the same road); 1. to follow one who precedes, join him as his attendant, accompany him: Mat_4:25; Mat_8:19; Mat_9:19; Mat_27:55; Mar_3:7; Mar_5:24 ( Lachmann); (R G); Luk_22:39; Luk_22:54; Luk_23:27; John 1:37 f, 43 (); , etc.; Act_12:8; Act_13:43; Act_21:36; 1Co_10:4; distinguished from προάγειν in Mat_21:9; Mar_11:9; tropically, τά ἔργα αὐτῶν ἀκολούθει μετ' αὐτῶν, their good deeds will accompany them to the presence of God the judge to be rewarded by him, Rev_14:13; on the other hand, ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῆς αἱ ἁμαρτίαι ἄχρι τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, Rev_18:5, but here for ἠκολούθησαν G L T Tr WH have restored ἐκολλήθησαν; (σημεῖα τοῖς πιστεύσασιν ἀκολουθήσει ταῦτα, Mar_16:17 Tr WH text (where others παρακολουθέω, which see)). to follow one in time, succeed one: Rev_14:8 f. (Herodian, 1, 14, 12 (6) τά γοῦν ἀκολουθήσαντα, others). Since among the ancients disciples were accustomed to accompany their masters on their walks and journeys (others derive the usage that follows from the figurative sense of the word directly; cf. e. g. 2Ma_8:36 τό ἀκολουθεῖν τοῖς νόμοις; M. Antoninus 1. vii. § 31 ἀκολούθησον θεῷ, and Gataker at the passage), ἀκολουθέω denotes 2. to join one as a disciple, become or be his disciple; side with his party, (A. V. follow him): Mat_4:20; Mat_4:22; Mat_9:9; Mat_19:27; Mar_1:18; Mar_8:34; Luk_5:11; Luk_5:27, etc.; Joh_8:12 (where Jesus likens himself to a torch which the disciple follows); οὐκ ἀκολούθει ἡμῖν he is not of our band of thy disciples, Mar_9:38 to cleave steadfastly to one, conform wholly to his example, in living and if need be in dying also: Mat_10:38; Mat_16:24; Joh_12:26; Joh_21:22. This verb is not found in the Epistles except in 1Co_10:4. As in the classics, it is joined mostly with a dative of the object; sometimes with μετά τίνος, Luk_9:49; Rev_6:8 (Treg. marginal reading dative); ; (so also in Greek writings; cf. Lob. ad Phryn., p. 353f; (Rutherford, New Phryn., p. 458f)); ὀπίσω τίνος, Mat_10:38; Mar_8:34 (where R L WH Tr marginal reading ἐλθεῖν), Hebrew τΐΜμΙπΔι ΰΗηΒψΕι δΘμΗκ, cf. 1Ki_19:21; see Winers Grammar, 234 (219); (Buttmann, 172 (150), cf. ἀκολουθέω κατόπιν τίνος, Aristophanes Plutarch, 13. Compare: ἐξακολουθέω, ἐπακολουθέω, κατακολουθέω, παρακολουθέω, συνακολουθέω).

ἀκολουθέω akoloutheō 90x to follow; follow as a disciple; imitate accompany; follow.

ἀκολουθέω , -ῶ ( <ἀκόλονθος , following; < ἀ - Cop., κέλόνθος , poλt., away ), [in LXX chiefly for H1980 ;] to accompany, follow: Mat_4:25 , al. Metaph ., of discipleship: Mat_9:9 , Mar_9:38 , Joh_12:26 , al. Absol. : Mat_8:10 ; more freq ., c . dat . ( cl .), Mat_8:1 , al. ; seq . μετά , c . gen . ( cl .; Rutherford , N .Phr., 458 f .), Luk_9:49 ; ὀπίσω , C. gen . ( Heb . H317 H1980 ), Mat_10:38 ( cf. ἐξ -, ἐπ -, κατ -, παρ -, συν -ἀκολουθέω ). SYN.: ( cl .) ἔπομαι , not in NT ( v. Cremer , 80; MM , VGT , s.v. ).

ἀκολουθέω [page 18] ἀκολουθέω is still the word for following, in MGr (ἀκλουθῶ ) : it is noteworthy that in a large batch of petitions in P Ryl II. 124 152, from Euhemeria (A.D. 28 42) we find the MGr form anticipated four times (ἐπηκλούθησε or -ηκότος ). In the papyri the verb takes the place of ἕπομαι , which is also wanting in the NT, and in the LXX is confined to 3 Maccabees. In the most literal sense we have such passages as P Lond 131 recto .29 (A.D. 78 9) ( = I. p. 171) παιδ (ῶν ) `b ἀκολουθούντων τοῖς ὄνοις . P Lille I. 1 verso .18 (B.C. 259) has an inanimate object : ἀκολουθήσουσι δὲ τοῖς προϋπάρχουσι χώμασι , they will follow up, continue, the existing banks. For the thought of following to get a favour see BGU IV. 1079 .10 (A.D. 41) ( = Selections , p. 39), ἀκολούθει δὲ Πτολλαρίωνι πᾶσαν ὥραν , stick to Ptollarion constantly : cf. l. 26 μᾶλλον ἀκολουθῶν αὐτῷ δύνῃ ϕιλιάσαι αὐτῷ , rather stick to him, and so you may become his friend. In P Petr III. 128 .10 the verb is used of journey-money assigned to an official, ἐφόδοις τοῖς ἀκολουθοῦσι τῶι [ἐπιστά ]τηι . A striking parallel to the language of Mat_19:27 , and parallels, is to be found in an early papyrus Latin letter of recommendation discovered at Oxyrhynchus, P Oxy I. 32 .10 ff. (ii/A.D.), reliquit enim su[o]s [e]t rem suam et actum et me secutus est. If the letter can be regarded as a Christian letter, its value, in view of its age, would be unique : see Deissmann LAE , p. 182. For the adjective, see P Tebt II. 296 .14 (A.D. 123) ἀκόλουθ (όν ) ἐστι , it is consequently right (Edd.), and for the adverb, see P Tebt I. 33 .2 (B.C. 112) ( = Selections , p. 30) φρόν ]τισον οὖν ἵνα γενή (ται ) ἀκολούθως , take care therefore that action is taken in accordance with it, P Oxy I. 38 .13 (A.D. 49 50) ἀκολούθως τοῖς ὑπὸ σοῦ , in accordance with what had been enacted by you : the word is very common. The verb normally takes the dative. P Amh II. 62 .2 (ii/B.C.) shows it absolute : εἰσὶν οἱ ἀκολουθοῦντες μαχαιρο (φόροι ) Δίδνμος Λυσίμαχος κτλ . In P Lille I. 26 .4 (iii/B.C.) we have an adverbial accus., εἰ μὴ ἀκολουθεῖς ἅπαντα . Note P Par p. 411 (Ptol.) Ἀμ ]μώνιον ἀκολουθοῦντά σοι ὀφθαλ [μοῖς . For ἀκ . μετά cf. Rutherford NP , p. 458 f., where the construction is shown to be Attic.

ἀκολουθέω [Etym: ἀκόλουθος] "to follow" one, "go after or with" him, c. dat. pers., Ar. , etc.; also, ἀκ. μετά τινος Plat. ; σύν τινι Xen. ; κατόπιν τινός Ar. :— absol., Plat. , etc. metaph. "to follow, obey", τινι Thuc. , etc.; ἀκ. τοῖς πράγμασιν "to follow" circumstances, Dem. "to follow the thread" of a discourse, Plat. of things, "to follow upon, be consequent upon", τοῖς εἰρημένοις id=Plat.

ἀκολουθέω, -ῶ (ἀκόλουθος, following; ἀ- cop., κέλευθος, poët., away), [in LXX chiefly for הָלַךְ ;] to accompany, follow: Mat.4:25, al. Metaphorical, of discipleship: Mat.9:9, Mrk.9:38, Jhn.12:26, al. Absol.: Mat.18:10; more freq., with dative (cl.), Mat.8:1, al.; before μετά, with genitive, (cl.; Eutherford, N.Phr., 458 f.), Luk.9:49; ὀπίσω, with genitive (Heb. הָלַךְ אָהֲרֵי), Mat.10:38 (cf. ἐξ-, ἐπ-, κατ-, παρ-, συν-ἀκολουθέω). SYN.: (cl.) ἕπομαι, not in NT (see Cremer, 80; MM, VGT, see word). (AS)