G726 ἁρπάζω (harpázō)

Shall Be Caught up (726) (harpazo from haireô = take, in NT only in middle voice = haireomai = to take for oneself, to choose; akin to airo = to raise up) means to snatch up or way, to seize or seize upon, to steal (see comparison to klepto below), to catch away or up, to pluck, to pull. Harpazo means to take suddenly and vehemently, often with violence and speed or quickly and without warning. The idea is to take by force with a sudden swoop and usually indicates a force which cannot be resisted. In eschatological terms (future events, prophetically related) as in the present verse, harpazo refers to what is often known as the "rapture" (Latin = raptura = seizing or Latin = rapio = seize, snatch) Harpazo thus can be translated by the verb to rapture which describes the act of conveying or transporting a person from one place to another or from one sphere of existence to another. The English word rapture can also convey the idea of ecstasy as with one who is "carried out of" oneself with joy, but that is not the primary sense conveyed by the NT usage here in 1 Thessalonians. Harpazo is future passive (so called "divine passive" in this context - the action is exerted by outside divine force) indicative (this is the mood of certainty which describes a real event, stating that this is a future fact which we can count on!) first person plural (implying in context not just individuals but many individuals, specifically the true church composed of all the believers of the church age). The picture of individuals being snatched up and away is seen in four NT uses (see the verses below)... (1) Of the act of the Spirit of the Lord snatching Phillip away (Acts 8:39) (2) Of Paul being caught up to the third heaven (Paradise) (2Corinthians 12:2,4) (3) Of believers being caught up to be with the Lord (1Th 4:17-note) (4) Of the "child" (Jesus) being caught up to God (Re 12:5-note) Harpazo conveys the idea of force suddenly exercised, and also well rendered by the English verb to snatch (to seize, take or grasp something {someone} abruptly or hastily with emphasis on the idea of suddenness or quickness) The related word harpage (724) refers to robbery, plunder or seizing of one's possessions (Mt 23:25 = describing scribes and Pharisees who were "full of robbery" {greediness}, Lk 11:39, Heb 10:34). The adjective harpax (727) is used 6 times in the NT (Mt 7:15 = "ravenous {rapacious} wolves"; Lk 18:11 = "swindlers", "extortionists", "embezzlers"; 1Cor 5:10; 5:11; 6:10 = same meaning as in Lk 18:11) The uses of harpazo in the Gospels refer to robbery or the unlawful snatching away of something or someone (see below - Jn 10:12, 28, 29; Mt 11:12; 12:29; 13:19). Harpazo was used of rescuing one from a situation of threatening danger as in "snatching them out of the fire" (see Jude 1:23 below) Harpazo in secular Greek was used to describe the action of a wolf which entered a flock of sheep and suddenly snatched up (harpazo) a lamb. (see John 10:12 below) Moulton and Milligan note that harpazo was often found in secular Greek in petitions complaining of robbery. Harpazo as noted can convey the sense of "to steal" but it differs from another Greek word klepto (English = kleptomania {from kleptes = thief} refers to a strong impulse to steal) referring to stealing secretly or with stealth whereas harpazo denotes robbing with a more violent action. Harpazo is also used to mean forcibly to seize upon, snatch away, or take to oneself (see below Mt 11:12, John 6:15, Acts 23:10) Harpazo is used 13 times in the NT... Matthew 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force (grasping in the sense of either resisting or laying claim to the Kingdom as their own - see comment). Comment: This is a difficult verse to interpret and can mean that evil forces from without sought to violently seize and destroy the kingdom of God or that persons who were ready for the advent of the King responded vigorously to His announcement, "violently" seeking to enter the kingdom of God,. The latter interpretation implies the difficulty with which one enters His kingdom {cp the related passage Luke 16:16 which has the second meaning.} Both interpretations indicate that John the Baptist's initial announcement of the coming King and Kingdom met with a "violent reaction" either by evil opponents or by enthusiastic supporters. Matthew 13:19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away (robs, plunders, swoops in and steals away) what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road. John 6:15 Jesus therefore perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force, to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone. Comment: This use of harpazo illustrates the violent nature of the seizing - here is a forcibly taking of someone. John 10:12 He who is a hireling, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, beholds the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep, and flees, and the wolf snatches them, and scatters them. John 10:28 and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand. 10:29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. Comment: Here harpazo underscores the believer's security in Christ, speaking of the impossibility of anyone snatching a believer out of the hands of Jesus or His Father. Acts 8:39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away (from the presence of the Ethiopian eunuch and drag off to a different place); and the eunuch saw him no more, but went on his way rejoicing. Comment: This "rapture" entails the movement from one place on earth to another, in contrast to the "rapture" in 2Cor 12:2,4, 1 Thes 4:17, Rev 12:5, all of which refer to one being caught up to a supernatural world. Acts 23:10 And as a great dissension was developing, the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them and ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force, and bring him into the barracks. 2 Corinthians 12:2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago-- whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows-- such a man was caught up to the third heaven...4 was caught up into Paradise, and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak. 1 Thessalonians 4:17 (note) Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. Jude 1:23 save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh. Revelation 12:5 (note) And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up (passive voice indicating God did the snatching) to God and to His throne. (Comment: This event is described in Acts 1:9-11 {these verses do not use harpazo} where Jesus was taken up into the cloud). Harpazo is used 34 times in the non-apocryphal Septuagint (LXX) (Ge 37:33; Lev. 6:4; 19:13; Deut. 28:31; Jdg. 21:21, 23; 2 Sam. 23:21; Job 20:19; 24:2, 9, 19; Ps. 7:2; 10:9; 22:13; 50:22; 69:4; 104:21; Isa. 10:2; Ezek 18:7, 12, 16, 18; 19:3, 6; 22:25, 27; Hos. 5:14; 6:1; Amos 1:11; 3:4; Mic. 3:2; 5:8; Nah. 2:12) A number of the uses of harpazo in the LXX translate the Hebrew word meaning to tear (taraph; 2963) (as of beasts of prey, tear to pieces - Ge 37:33, Ps 7:2, 50:22, Hos 5:14, 6:1) which brings out the violent aspect of harpazo. None of the LXX uses of harpazo convey the same sense of rapture as found here in 1 Thessalonians, although there are two OT "raptures", the first of Enoch who "walked with God and he was not for God took him" (Ge 5:24) and the other of Elijah who "went up by a whirlwind to heaven" (2Ki 2:11). Below are some representative uses of harpazo in the LXX... Leviticus 6:4 then it shall be, when he sins and becomes guilty, that he shall restore what he took by robbery (Hebrew = gazal, 1497; Lxx = harpazo), or what he got by extortion, or the deposit which was entrusted to him, or the lost thing which he found, Job 20:19 "For he has oppressed and forsaken the poor; He has seized (Hebrew = gazal, 1497; Lxx = harpazo) a house which he has not built. Job 24:2 "Some remove the landmarks; They seize (Hebrew = gazal, 1497; Lxx = harpazo) and devour flocks... 24:9 Others snatch (Hebrew = gazal, 1497; Lxx = harpazo) the orphan from the breast, And against the poor they take a pledge. Psalm 10:9 He (the wicked man) lurks in a hiding place as a lion in his lair; He lurks to catch (Hebrew = chataph, 2414; Lxx = harpazo) the afflicted; He catches (Hebrew = chataph, 2414; Lxx = harpazo) the afflicted when he draws him into his net. To meet - This phrase indicates that the Lord will be coming from one direction and we shall be coming from another to meet together in the air! What a glorious day that will be! Martin Luther said he only had two days on his calendar—today and “that day.” To meet the Lord - Literally reads "into a meeting with the Lord." See also: Table comparing Rapture vs Second Coming; The Rapture Question