ἀσπάζομαι; (imperfect ἠσπαζομην); 1 aorist ἠσπασαμην; (from σπάω with ἆ intensive (which see, but cf. Vanicek, p. 1163; Curtius, Das Verbum, i. 324f); hence, properly, to draw to oneself (Winers Grammar, § 38, 7 at the end); cf. ἀσκαίρω for σκαίρω, ἀσπαίρω for σπαίρω, ἀσπαρίζω for σπαρίζω); (from Homer down); a. with an accusative of the person, to salute one, greet, bid welcome, wish well to (the Israelites, on meeting and at parting, generally used the formula μΐκ ωΘΡμεν); used of those accosting anyone: Mat_10:12; Mar_9:15; Mar_15:18; Luk_1:40; Act_21:19. of those who visit one to see him a little while, departing almost immediately afterward: Act_18:22; Act_21:7; like the Latinsalutare, our 'pay one's respects to,' of those who show regard for a distinguished person by visiting him: Act_25:13 (Josephus, Antiquities 1, 19, 5; 6, 11, 1). of those who greet one whom they meet in the way: Mat_5:47 (in the East even now Christians and Mohammedans do not salute each other); Luk_10:4 (as a salutation was made not merely by a slight gesture and a few words, but generally by embracing and kissing, a journey was retarded by saluting frequently). of those departing and bidding farewell: Act_20:1; Act_21:6 (R G). of the absent, saluting by letter: Rom_16:3; Rom_16:5-23; 1Co_16:19; 2Co_13:12 (13); Php_4:21; Col_4:10-12; Col_4:14; 1Th_5:26, etc. ἐν φιλήματι: Rom_16:16; 1Co_16:20; 2Co_13:12; 1Pe_5:14. b. with an accusative of the thing, to receive joyfully, welcome: τάς ἐπαγγελίας, Heb_11:13 (τήν συμφοράν, Euripides, Ion 587; τήν εὔνοιαν, Josephus, Antiquities 6, 5, 3; τούς λόγους, ibid. 7, 8, 4; sosaluto, Vergil Aen. 3, 524). (Compare: ἀπασπάζομαι.)

ἀσπάζομαι aspazomai 59x to salute, greet, welcome, express good wishes, pay respects, Mat_10:12 ; Mar_9:15 , et al. freq.; to bid farewell, Act_20:1 ; Act_21:6 ; to treat with affection, Mat_5:47 ; met. to embrace mentally, welcome to the heart of understanding, Heb_11:13 greet; welcome.

ἀσπάζομαι , depon ., [in LXX : Eze_18:7 , Jdg_18:15 ( H7965 H7592 ), Ezr_5:2 , 1Ma_7:29 , al. ;] to welcome, greet, salute: c . acc pers ., Mat_5:47 , Mar_9:15 , Act_21:7 , al. ; id . seq . ἐν φιλήματι , Rom_16:16 , 1Co_16:20 , 2Co_13:12 , 1Th_5:26 , 1Pe_5:14 ; τ . ἐκκλησίαν ( Deiss., BS , 257), Act_18:22 ; as term. tech. for conveying greetings at the end of a letter ( MM , s.v. ), used by an amanuensis ( Milligan , NTD , 23), Rom_16:22 (on the aoristic Pres ., here and elsewhere, v. M , Pr., 119; Bl., § 56, 4); κατήντησαν . . . ἀσπασάμενοι (on this constr., v . El., § 58, 4; M , Pr., 132, 238), Act_25:13 ( cf. ἀπ -ἀπ -ασπάζομαι ).† **† ἀπ -ασπάζομαι , depon ., [in LXX : Tob 10:13 ΰ * ;] to take leave of: c . acc : Act_21:6 .†

ἀσπάζομαι [page 85] The papyri have shown conclusively that this common NT word was the regular term. tech. for conveying the greetings at the end of a letter. Examples are BGU IV. 1079 .33f. (A.D. 41) (= Selections , p. 40) ἀσπάζου Διόδωρον μ [ετ᾽ ἄλων ( l. ἄλλων ) . . . ἀσπάζου Ἁρποχράτη [ν ], ib. II. 423 .18ff. (ii/A.D.) (= Selections , p. 91) ἄσπασαι Καπίτων [α πο ]λλὰ καὶ το [ὺς ] ἀδελφούς [μ ]ου καὶ Σε [ρήνι ]λλαν καὶ το [ὺς ] φίλους [μ ]ου , etc. As showing how much the absence of these greetings was felt, we may quote P Giss I. 78 .7 (ii/A.D.) ἡ μικρά μου Ἡραιδ [ο ]ῦς γράφουσα τῶι πατρὶ ἐμὲ ο̣ὐκ ἀσ̣π̣άζεται κ [α ]ι̣̣ διὰ τί οὐκ ο̣ῖ̣̔δα , and P Grenf I. 53 .8 ff. (iv/A.D.) Ἀλ̣λ̣οῦς πολλά σοι ἀπειλ (εῖ ), ἐπὶ γὰρ πολλάκις γράψας καὶ πάντας ἀσπασάμενος αὐτὴν μόνον οὐκ ἠσπάσου . The use of the 1st pers. ἀσπάζομαι by Tertius in Rom_16:21 , the only ex. of this exact formula in the NT, may be paralleled from P Oxy VII. 1067 .25 (iii/A.D.) where to a letter from a certain Helene to her brother, their father Alexander adds the postscript κἀγὼ Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ π [α ]τὴρ ὑμῶν ἀσπάζομαι ὑμᾶς πολλά . (As there is no change of hand, both Helene and her father would seem to have employed an amanuensis : see the editor s note). When several persons are included in a greeting, the phrase κατ᾽ ὄνομα often occurs (as in 3 Jn .15 ) e.g. BGU I. 276 .25 f. (ii/iii A.D.) ἀσπάζομαι ὑμᾶς πάντες κατ᾽ ὄνομ (α ), καὶ Ὠριγ [έ ]νης ὑμᾶς ἀσπάζεται πάντες , P Oxy III. 533 .27f. (ii/iii A.D.) ἀσπάσασθε τὸν μεικρὸν Σερῆνον καὶ Κοπρέα καὶ το [ὺ ]ς ἡμῶν πάντας κατ᾽ ὄνομα . Add P Fay 118 .25 (A.D. 110) ἀσπάζου τοὺς φιλοῦντές σε πάντες πρὸς ἀλήθιαν (cf. 2Jn_1:1 , 3Jn_1:1 ) and the Christian Psenosiris letter P Grenf II. 73 .4 ff. (late iii/A.D.) (= Selections , p. 117) where immediately after the address we find πρὸ τῶν ὅλων πολλά σε ἀσπάζομαι καὶ τοὺς παρὰ σοὶ πάντας ἀδελφοὺς ἐν Θ (ε )ῷ . For ἀ . = pay one s respects to, as in Act_25:13 , see BGU I. 376 i. 3 (A.D. 171) ἠσπάσατ̣ο̣ τὸν λαμπρότατον ἡγ [εμό ]να , and ib. 248 .12 (ii/A.D.) θεῶν δὲ βουλομένων πάν [τ ]ως μετὰ τὰ Σουχεῖα σὲ ἀσπάσομαι (cited by Deissmann, BS p. 257), and from the inscriptions OGIS 219 .43 (iii/B.C.) ἀσπασάμενοι αὐτὸν παρὰ τ [οῦ δήμου ], Syll 318 .41 (B.C. 118) a deputation is sent οἵτινες πορευθέντες πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ ἀσπασάμενοι παρὰ τῆς πόλεως καὶ συνχαρέντες ἐπὶ τῶι ὑγιαίνειν αὐτόν τε καὶ τὸ στρατόπεδον κτλ .

ἀσπάζομαι "to welcome kindly, bid welcome, greet", Lat. salutare, τινα Hom. , etc.; as the common form on meeting, ἀσπάζομαί σε or ἀσπάζομαι alone, Ar. ; πρόσωθεν αὐτὴν ἀσπ. I "salute" her at a respectful distance, i. e. keep away from her, Eur. :— also "to take leave of", id=Eur. , Xen. "to embrace, kiss, caress", Ar. ; of dogs, Lat. blandiri, Xen. of things, "to follow eagerly, cleave to", Lat. amplector, ἀσπ. τὸν οἶνον Plat. ἀσπ. ὅτι "to be glad" that, Ar.

ἀσπάζομαι depon., [in LXX: Eze.18:7, Jdg.18:15 (שָׁלוֹם שָׁאַל), Est.5:2, 1Ma.7:29, al. ;] to welcome, greet, salute: with accusative of person(s), Mat.5:47, Mrk.9:15, Act.21:7, al.; id. before ἐν φιλήματι, Rom.16:16, 1Co.16:20, 2Co.13:12, 1Th.5:26, 1Pe.5:14; τ. ἐκκλησίαν (Deiss., BS, 257), Act.18:22; as term. tech. for conveying greetings at the end of a letter (MM, see word), used by an amanuensis (Milligan, NTD, 23), Rom.16:22 (on the aoristic Pres., here and elsewhere, see M, Pr., 119; Bl., § 56, 4); κατήντησαν . . . ἀσπασάμενοι (on this constr., see El., § 58, 4; M, Pr., 132, 238), Act.25:13 (cf. ἀπ-ἀπ-ασπάζομαι).† (AS)