Quick Definition
συνέχω v. I press together, confine, compel, am afflicted with
Strong's Definition
from 4862 and 2192; to hold together, i.e. to compress (the ears, with a crowd or siege) or arrest (a prisoner); figuratively, to compel, perplex, afflict, preoccupy
KJV Usage: constrain, hold, keep in, press, lie sick of, stop, be in a strait, straiten, be taken with, throng
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
verb | aor. συνέσχον | ἔχω
37.17 · Control, Rule · Control, Restrain
to control, to restrain to exercise continuous control over someone or something There is usually no difficulty in speaking of ‘control’ if it is performed by a person as in 1PE 2:13. However, it may not be possible to speak of ‘death’ having control, unless the language in question can personify death. In some instances ACT 2:24 (see 37.16) must be rendered as ‘it was impossible for him to continue to be dead,’ and in 2CO 5:14 ‘Christ’s love controls us’ may be rendered as ‘the fact that Christ loves us causes us to act as we do.’
37.122 · Control, Rule · Guard, Watch Over
to guard, to keep watch, custody to continue to hold in custody The act of holding someone in custody or guarding an individual may be expressed as ‘standing guard to see that someone will not escape’ or ‘watching carefully so that one cannot run off’ or ‘tying someone up so that he cannot leave.’
19.45 · Physical Impact · Press
to press in, to crowd around to press in hard from all sides
24.70 · Sensory Events and States · Hear
Collocation: συνέχω τὰ ὦτα
to refuse to listen, to refuse to pay attention (an idiom, literally: to hold the ears closed) to refuse to listen to what is being said In some languages the refusal to hear may be expressed idiomatically as ‘they put their hands over their ears’ or ‘they closed their ears’ or ‘the words never entered their heads.’
90.65 · Case · Experiencer
to experience, to have to experience a state or condition, generally involving duration
25.241 · Attitudes and Emotions · Worry, Anxiety, Distress, Peace
to be distressed, to be troubled to experience great psychological pressure and anxiety
68.19 · Aspect · Continue
to continue to give oneself to, to continue to apply oneself to to continue with close attention and devotion
30.18 · Think · To Think, Thought
Collocation: συνέχομαι ἐκ
to be pulled in two directions, to be betwixt and between, to have conflicting thoughts (an idiom, literally: to be held together from) to be in a mental state between two alternatives In a number of languages the rendering of this statement in PHP 1:23 must be expressed idiomatically, for example, ‘my mind is pulling me in two directions’ or ‘my thoughts are going in two different directions’ or ‘my heart is speaking two different words to me.’
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
συνέχω synechō 12x
pr. to hold together; to confine, shut up, close; τὰ ὦτα, to stop the ears, Acts 7:57; to confine, as a besieged city, Lk. 19:43; to hold, hold fast, have the custody of any one, Lk. 22:63; to hem in, urge, press upon, Lk. 8:45; to exercise a constraining influence on, 2 Cor. 5:14; pass. to be seized with, be affected with, as fear, disease, etc., Mt. 4:24; Lk. 4:38; 8:37; Acts 28:8; to be in a state of mental constriction, to be hard pressed by urgency of circumstances, Lk. 12:50; Acts 18:5; Phil. 1:23*
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
συν-έχω
[in LXX for עצר, חבר, etc. ;]
to hold together (τ. συνέχον τ. πάντα, Wi 1:7): of closing the ears, Ac 7:57 (τ. στόμα, Is 52:15); to hem in, press on every side: Lk 8:45 19:43.
to hold fast;
of a prisoner, to hold in charge (Luc.; cf. exx. in Deiss., BS, 160; MM, xxiv): Lk 22:63;
to constrain: II Co 5:14; pass., Lk 12:50, Ac 18:5 (τ. λόγῳ; cf. Field, Notes, 128), Phl 1:23; in pass., of ills, to be seized or afflicted by, suffering from: Mt 4:24, Lk 4:38 8:37, Ac 28:8.†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
συνέχω. (1) For the literal meaning of this word ‘‘hold together,” “keep together,” cf. P Cairo Zen II. 591555 (B.c. 256) μὴ πλείους δὲ πέντε ἡμερῶν σύσχηις TO ὕδωρ, with reference to not keeping a piece of land flooded for more than five days; P Tebt 11. 4ro™ (a.p. 16) ἐρωτῶ σε ταχύτερον συσχεῖν τί] πρᾶγμα, “1 beg you to close the matter with all speed” (Edd.); and 74. 3907 (a.p. 167) ᾿Οννῶφρις συν[έχ]ω τὰς δραχμὰς ἐγατὸν εἴκοσι τέσσαρ[ας, “IT Onnophris have received the 124 drachmae,” in connexion with a loan on mortgage. (2) With the usage of the verb in Lk 228 of the officers who held Jesus zz charge Deissmann (8S p. 160) compares P Petr II. 201-10 (B.c. 252) where in an official minute we read of certain sailors who went to Herakleopolis, καὶ συν[έϊσχεν αὐτοὺς Ἡρακλείδης ὃ ἀρχιφυλακίτης, “and Herakleides, the chief of the police, arrested them.” Add for the same sense P Magd 427 (B.C. 221) προσαπήγαγέν pe els τὴν φυλακὴν καὶ συνέσχεν ἐφ᾽ ἡμέρας δ, P Lille I. 7} (11,8...) εἶπεν τῶι δεσμοφύ(λακι) δι’ ἣν αἰτίαν συνέσχημαι, and cf. BGU IV. τος 3 Ὁ Ὁ and 1054°® (both B.c. 13) where συνέχεσθαι is used of debtors who are ‘‘ held” until a loan is repaid, and P Lond 191438 (letter regarding the Meletian schism—a.D, 335(?)) τοῦτ᾽ οὖν ἤκουσεν ᾿Αθανάσιος ὅτι ᾿Αρχέλαος συνεσχέθη, πάνυ ἀθυμεῖ ᾿Αθανάσιος, “φρο, Athanasius heard this news, that Archelaus arrested, and Athanasius is very despondent”’ (Ed.). (3) An interesting parallel to Lk 438 is afforded by P Oxy VI. 896%4 (A.D. 316) where a man is described as πυραιτίοις. . . cvvex[dpevov, ‘seized with a slight fever” (Edd.): cf. P Flor III. 296% (vi/a.p.) τῇ συνεχούσῃ pe ἀρρωστίᾳ. (4) The more tropical sense of the word in Phil 123 may be illustrated by P Oxy II. 28175 (a.p. 20-50) where a wife petitions the ‘‘ Chief Justice” that her husband who had deserted her should be compelled ‘‘ perforce” to pay back her dowry, ὅπως ἐπαναγκασθῇ συνεχόμενος ἀποδοῦναι κτὰ. Field (Λολες, p. 128) reading συνείχετο τῷ πνεύματι in Ac 18® finds that the verb expresses ‘‘some strong internal feeling.” (5) With the description of the spirit of the Lord as τὸ συνέχον τὰ πάντα in Sap 17 may be compared the was
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
συνέχω (sunechō) — to hold/oppress. συνέχω, aorist συνέσχον:—middle, future συνέξομαι in passive sense, [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—passive, aorist συνεσχέθην [Refs 4th c.BC+]: future infinitive συσχεθήσεσθαι [Refs 1st c.BC+] W.:—hold or keep together, confine, secure, ὅθι ζωστῆρος ὀχῆες χρύσειοι σύνεχον [θώρηκα] [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἵνα τε ξυνέχουσι τένοντες ἀγκῶνος where the sinews of the elbow hold [it] together, [Refs]meet, see below [Refs]; Ὠκεανός.. συνεῖχε σάκος enclosed, compassed it, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; Αἴτνα σ. [Τυφῶνα] [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὼ μηρὼ σ. hold them together, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; συνέσχον τὰ ὦτα αὐτῶν closed or stopped their ears, [NT]; μηδὲ συσχέτω ἐπ᾽ ἐμὲ φρέαρ τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ let not the pit close its mouth upon me, [LXX]; τὸ δέρμα σ. [τὰ ὀστᾶ] [Refs 5th c.BC+]; Ἄτλας ἅπαντα σ[LXX]passive, τὸ λεγόμενον ἐν φρέατι συσχόμενος” trapped in a well, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ὁ καρπὸς.. ἂν μὴ πλυθῇ.. συνέχεται sticks together, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; τὸ στόμα οὐ συνεσχέθη ἔτι my mouth was no longer closed, [LXX]
2. keep together, keep from dispersing, στράτευμα, δύναμιν, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; continue, keep on, μὴ πλείους πέντε ἡμερῶν σύσχῃς τὸ ὕδωρ (the flooding) [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; keep, τοὺς πολίτας σ. ἐν τοῖς ὅπλοις [Refs 1st c.AD+]; preserve, οἱ ἅλες ἐπὶ πλεῖστον [τὰ σώματα] συνέχοντες [Refs 1st c.AD+]; maintain, σ. τοὺς στρατιώτας ἐκ τῶν ἱεροσυληθέντων λειψάνων [Refs 1st c.BC+]:—passive, to be continuous, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; to be maintained, πᾶσα ἕξις.. ὑπὸ τῶν καταλλήλων ἔργων συνέχεται καὶ αὔξεται [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
2. b of social and political order, σ. πόλεις keep states together, keep them from falling to pieces, maintain them, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; καὶ θεοὺς καὶ ἀνθρώπους ἡ κοινωνία σ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐν οἴνῳ τὰς ἀρχὰς συνεῖχε conducted the government over wine, [LXX+5th c.BC+]; ξ. τὴν εἰρεσίαν keep the rowers together, make them pull in time, [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—passive, μετ᾽ ἀλλήλων συνέχεσθαι [Refs 5th c.BC+]
2. c keep together in friendship, ἁμέ [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—passive, τὸ ὂν συνέχεται.. φιλίᾳ [Refs 5th c.BC+]
2. d passive also, engage in close combat, ἐγχειριδίοισι [Refs 5th c.BC+]; of sexual intercourse, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
2. e occupy or engage, ἑαυτὸν ἐν γυναιξὶ καὶ θιάσοις [Refs 1st c.AD+]
3. contain, comprise, embrace, εἷς λόγος πάσας τὰς αἰσθήσεις σ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὸ συνέχον the chief matter, [Refs 2nd c.BC+] the chief reason for.. , [Refs 2nd c.BC+]; τῆς σωτηρίας the chief means of.. , [Refs]; τὰ σ. τῶν ἐγγράπτων the chief clauses, [Refs] —passive, τὸν πρὸς τῇ ὑπεκλύσει πυρετὸν ὑπ᾽ ἄλλης αἰτίας συνέχεσθαι is chiefly caused (compare συνεκτικός) by.., [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
4. detain, τὰς καμήλους ἐν τῇ Νεχθενίβιος (i.e. κώμῃ) [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; sequestrate, [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; keep under arrest, [NT+3rd c.BC+]:—passive, συνέχομαι ἐμ φυλακῇ [Refs 3rd c.BC+], etc.; of things held as security, [Refs 3rd c.BC+]
5. constrain or force one to a thing, ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ Χριστοῦ σ. ἡμᾶς [NT]; oppress, [NT+2nd c.AD+]passive, συνέχεσθαί τινι to be constrained, distressed, afflicted, and, generally, to be affected by anything whether in mind or body, πατρὶ συνείχετο.. χαλεπῷ [Refs 5th c.BC+]; σ. πολέμῳ, δουληΐῃ, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; δίψῃ, πόνῳ, [NT+5th c.BC+]; τῷ λόγῳ (variant{πνεύματι}) [NT+1st c.BC+]; συνεχομένη τῇ συνειδήσει[LXX]
6. constrain, hinder, hold back, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; σύσχῃ τὸν οὐρανόν shut up the heaven, [LXX]; συνεσχέθη ὁ ὑετὸς ἀπὸ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ[LXX]; συνεσχέθη ἡ θραῦσις ἐπάνωθεν Ἰσραήλ the plague was stayed from Israel,[LXX+2nd c.AD+]
7. hold at the same time, δύο σχολάς [Refs 1st c.BC+]
8. buy up and withhold, make a corner in, σῖτον [LXX]
9. Grammars, σ. τὸ ἄρθρον to be accompanied by the article, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
10. συνέσχον I also received.. , [Refs 3rd c.AD+]
II. intransitive, meet, see[Refs 4th c.BC+]; πρός τι to be connected with, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]