Quick Definition
συμβαίνω v. I happen, occur
Strong's Definition
to walk (figuratively, transpire) together, i.e. concur (take place)
Derivation: from G4862 (σύν) and the base of G939 (βάσις);
KJV Usage: be(-fall), happen (unto)
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
συμ-βαίνω [ξυμ- Rec.be2 in 1 Pet. iv. 12; see 3,0, s fin. ]; impf. συνέβαινον ; 2 aor. συνέβην, ptep. συμβάς ; pf. συμ-
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
συμβαίνω symbainō 8x
to step or come together; to happen, meet, fall out, Mk. 10:32; Lk. 24:14 ; Acts 3:10; 20:19; 21:35; 1 Cor. 10:11; 1 Pet. 4:12; 2 Pet. 2:22*
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
συμ-βαίνω
[in LXX for עשׂה, קרא, קרה, etc. ;]
to stand with the feet together.
to come together, come to terms.
Of events, to come to pass, happen: c. dat. pers., Mk 10:32, Ac 3:10 20:19, I Co 10:11, I Pe 4:12, II Pe 2:22; absol., τὰ συμβεβηκότα, Lk 24:14 (cf. I Mac 4:26); c. acc. et inf., Ac 21:35.†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
συμβαίνω is common of events =‘‘come to pass,”’ “happen’”’: P Petr IT. 19 (2)8 (iii/B.c.) δέομαι οὖν σου βοηθῆσαί μοι ἵνα μὴ συνβῆι μοι καὶ ἐν τῆι φυλακῆι καταφθαρῆναι PSI IV. 3401 (B.c. 257-6) νῦν οὖν συμβαίνει αὐτῶι ἀσχ[η]μονεῖν, Ῥ Hamb I. 273 (8.6. 250) συνέβη οὖμ μοι ἐνοχληθῆναι (‘be engaged’) ἐμ Φιλαδελφείαι, BGU IV. 1060%8 (time of Augustus) ἡμᾶς δὲ συμβαίνει τὰ καθήκοντα αὐτῶν διορθοῦσθαι, P Oxy I. τος (Will—a.p. 117-137) ἐὰν δὲ συμβῇ... ἀδιάθετον τελευτῆσαι, “if I should happen to die with this will unchanged,’’ P Tebt IT. 335)? (mid. ii/A.D.) ἐκεῖ οὐκοῦν συμβέβ[ηκε, ‘there therefore it happened,” and P Oxy VII. 10655 (iii/a.p.) διὰ τὰ συμβάντα μοι. In 20. 1. 5211 (a.p. 325) we have a report regarding a daughter who had been injured ἐκ τοῦ συμβάντος πτώματος τῆς οἰκίας αὐτοῦ, “by the fall of his (her father’s) house which had occurred’”’ (Kdd.).
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
συμβαίνω (sumbainō) — to happen. συμβαίνω, future -βήσομαι[Refs 5th c.BC+]perfect -βέβηκα, 3rd.pers. plural -βεβᾶσι[Refs 5th c.BC+], Ionic dialect infinitive -βεβάναι[Refs 5th c.BC+]: perfect infinitive passive -βεβάσθαι[Refs 5th c.BC+]aorist 2 συνέβην (see. below): aorist 1 subjunctive passive ξυμβᾰθῇ [Refs]:— stand with the feet together, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; συμβᾶσα τὼ πόδε, opposed to περιβάδην, [Refs 3rd c.AD+]; Παλλάδιον τοῖς ποσὶ συμβεβηκός a statue with closed feet, as in early Greek art, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
2. σ. κακοῖς to be joined to them, i.e. increase them, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
3. meet, σὺν δ᾽ ἔβη ἐν Φιλότητι [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ξυμβέβηκε δ᾽ οὐδαμοῦ has never come in my way, has had naught to do with me, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
4. attack jointly, ἐπὶ Ναξίους [Refs 1st c.BC+]
II. most frequently metaphorically, come to an agreement, come to terms, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐπ᾽ ἐλάττονι σ. agree on (i.e. to accept) less, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]: with dative, [Refs 5th c.BC+], etc.: with neuter adjective, ἐὰν ξυμβῶ τί σοι [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ξ. τὰ πλείω, οὐδέν, [Refs]: with infinitive, συνέβησαν ἐς τὠυτὸ.., τὸν δὲ βασιλεύειν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ξ. ἤν τις ἁλίσκηται,.. δοῦλον εἶναι[Refs 5th c.BC+]; σ. εἰς τὸ μέσον agree to a compromise, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; λόγοις σ., of a verbal agreement, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: generally, make friends with, ἐκ πολέμου ξ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]perfect συμβεβάναι and passive, of the agreement, δοκέοντες πάντα συμβεβάναι that everything had been settled, or that they had settled everything, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
II.2. agree with, be on good terms with, οὐ.. Ἀθηναίοισι συνέβαιν᾽ Αἰσχύλος [Refs 5th c.BC+]; σ. ἑκατέρᾳ τῶν στάσεων hold with one and other of them, [Refs 1st c.BC+]
II.3. of things, tally, correspond with, ὁ χρόνος ἐδόκεε τῇ ἡλικίῃ συμβαίνειν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; χρησμοί τε συμβαίνουσι are in harmony therewith, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; αὐτὸ σ. εἰς ταύτην εἶναι πέμπτην five days later exactly tallies, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; τοῦτο σ. οὐ πλέον ἢ εἰς δώδεκα comes to no more than 12, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὸ φαρμακεύεσθαι τῷ καθαίρεσθαι εἰς ταὐτὸν σ. comes to the same thing as.., [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; of ashlar-work, fit or range exactly, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
II.4. fall to one's lot, with dative person, μοι σ. ἆται [Refs 5th c.BC+]
II.5. to be an attribute or characteristic of, ξυνεβεβήκει.. Ἀθηναίοις τοῦτο [Refs 5th c.BC+]
III. of events, come to pass, fall out, happen, συμβαίνει δ᾽ οὐ τὰ μέν, τὰ δ᾽ οὔ [Refs 4th c.BC+]; τῶνδε ναμέρτεια σ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; εἰ καιρὸς σ. [Refs 5th c.BC+] if anything happen (i.e. any evil), [Refs 4th c.BC+]: generally, occur, be found, exist, ἐν τῇ ἀρχαίᾳ ἡμετέρᾳ φωνῇ σ. τὸ ὄνομα [Refs 5th c.BC+]
III. b mostly impersonal, sometimes with dative et infinitive, αὐτῷ Ὀλυμπιάδα ἀνελέσθαι συνέβη [Refs 5th c.BC+]: sometimes with accusative et infinitive, συνέβη Γέλωνα νικᾶν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; followed by ὥστε, [Refs 5th c.BC+]participle, σ. ὄν, γιγνόμενον, λεγόμενον, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
III. c τὸ συμβεβηκός chance event, contingency, [Refs 5th c.BC+] by accident, contingently (see. below iv. [Refs]; τοῦ συμβαίνοντός ἐστι it depends upon accident, easily happens, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
III.2. joined with Adverbs or Adiectives, turn out in a certain way, ὀρθῶς σφι ἡ φήμη συνέβαινε ἐλθοῦσα [Refs 5th c.BC+]; κακῶς, καλῶς συμβῆναι, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ταῦτα.. λαμπρὰ σ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; συμβαίνει καὶ σοὶ (i.e. ἄριστον) [Refs 5th c.BC+]: absolutely, turn out well, ἢν ξυμβῇ ἡ πεῖρα [Refs 5th c.BC+]
III.3. of consequences, come out, result, follow, δαπανῶντες ἐς τοιαῦτα ἀφ᾽ ὦν ἡ ἀσθένεια ξυμβαίνει [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὰ συμβάντα, opposed to ἡ προαίρεσις, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
III.3. b of logical conclusions, result, follow, frequently in [Refs 5th c.BC+]: impersonal, it follows, with infinitive, [Refs 5th c.BC+] turns out to be, i.e. consequently or inevitably is or happens, κάθαρσις εἶναι τοῦτο σ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]
IV. in Philos., τὸ συμβεβηκός has two senses:
IV.1. a contingent attribute or 'accident' (in the modern sense), [Refs 4th c.BC+]; κατὰ συμβεβηκός 'accidentally', opposed to καθ᾽ αὑτό, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; opposed to ἁπλῶς, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; opposed to φύσει, [Refs]; opposed to κυρίως, πρώτως, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; opposed to ἄντικρυς, [Refs]
IV.2. an attribute necessarily resulting from the notion of a thing, but not entering into the definition thereof, οἷον τῷ τριγώνῳ τὸ δύο ὀρθὰς ἔχειν [Refs 4th c.BC+]; distinguished by the addition of καθ᾽ αὑτό, [Refs]; in Epicurus, essential attribute, property, opposed to σύμπτωμα 'accident', τὰ τούτων συμπτώματα ἢ σ. [Refs 1st c.BC+]; in the Stoics, consequence, opposed to αἴτιον, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
