Lexical Summary ekdiókó: To drive out, to expel, to persecute Original Word: ἐκδιώκω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance persecute. From ek and dioko; to pursue out, i.e. Expel or persecute implacably -- persecute. see GREEK ek see GREEK dioko HELPS Word-studies 1559 ekdiṓkō (from 1537 /ek, "completely out of" and 1377 /diṓkō, "chase") – properly, pursue, chase ("hunt down") with passion and personal vengeance (used only in 1 Thes 2:15). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom ek and diókó Definition to pursue out, i.e. expel or persecute NASB Translation drove (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 1559: ἐκδιώκωἐκδιώκω: future ἐκδιώξω; 1 aorist ἐξεδιωξα; 1. to drive out, banish: τινα, Luke 11:49 (here WH Tr marginal reading διώξουσιν; some refer this to 2); (Thucydides 1, 24; Lucian, Tim. 10; the Sept. 1 Chronicles 8:13; Joel 2:20, etc.). 2. to pursue equivalent to to persecute, oppress with calamities: τινα, 1 Thessalonians 2:15 (some refer this to 1); (Psalm 118:157 Topical Lexicon Scope of the TermStrong’s Greek 1559 appears a single time in the New Testament, in 1 Thessalonians 2:15. The verb conveys an intensified idea of being driven completely out or thoroughly persecuted. Paul employs it to describe the treatment he and his team received at the hands of hostile opponents who had already rejected the Lord Jesus and the prophets. Biblical Occurrence and Context 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16 forms Paul’s longest reflection on the term. Addressing believers who were themselves suffering for the gospel, he writes that the same adversaries “killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets and drove us out; they displease God and are hostile to everyone” (1 Thessalonians 2:15). The statement links the Thessalonian church to a historical chain of persecution that stretches from Old Testament prophets, through the crucifixion of Christ, to the apostolic mission. Paul likely alludes to episodes recorded in Acts. In Pisidian Antioch “the Jews stirred up the devout women of prominence and the leading men of the city. They incited persecution against Paul and Barnabas and drove them out of their district” (Acts 13:50). In Thessalonica itself, jealous accusers formed a mob, forcing Paul’s hurried departure (Acts 17:5-10). By the time he writes 1 Thessalonians, the memory of being expelled still shapes his language. Historical Background The letter dates to the early 50s AD, during Paul’s second missionary journey. Thessalonica, a free city loyal to Rome, tolerated a large Jewish population whose leaders often reacted strongly against messianic preaching that seemed to threaten their influence or disturb civic order. Expulsion was one of the few tools available to local authorities short of capital punishment. Paul’s vocabulary hints that he felt the full weight of that legal and social machinery. Theological Themes 1. Continuity of Hostility toward God’s Word By grouping “the Lord Jesus,” “the prophets,” and “us,” Paul joins three eras of revelation into one storyline of rejection. Opposition to divine messengers is not a side issue but a persistent pattern (Jeremiah 26:20-24; Matthew 23:29-37; Acts 7:52). 2. Divine Displeasure and Impending Judgment Those who “drove us out” are said to “displease God” (1 Thessalonians 2:15) and to have “the wrath of God” coming upon them (1 Thessalonians 2:16). Temporary success in suppressing witnesses does not cancel eventual accountability. 3. Suffering as a Mark of Authentic Discipleship The Thessalonians “became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea” (1 Thessalonians 2:14). Sharing in forced expulsion becomes evidence of genuine faith and solidarity with the broader body of Christ (Philippians 1:29-30; 2 Timothy 3:12). 4. Paradoxical Advance of the Gospel Being driven out scattered the mission team to fresh regions, fulfilling Jesus’ pattern in Acts 1:8 and Acts 8:1-4. What looks like defeat frequently facilitates wider proclamation (Genesis 50:20). Related Scriptural Motifs • Prophetic expulsions: 1 Kings 19:10; Jeremiah 20:1-2 Practical Ministry Implications 1. Expectation of Resistance Christian workers ought not to be surprised when preaching Christ provokes forceful rejection (1 Peter 4:12-14). 2. Perseverance and Joy Paul remembers Thessalonian believers who “received the word with the joy of the Holy Spirit” despite affliction (1 Thessalonians 1:6). 3. Strategic Mobility Forced relocation can be providential, redirecting resources to fields otherwise unreached (Acts 11:19-21). 4. Intercessory Responsibility Understanding the intensity contained within the verb urges the church to pray fervently for today’s expelled or exiled evangelists (Hebrews 13:3). Lessons for Contemporary Believers • Faithfulness may lead to social or legal expulsion, yet Scripture frames such pressure as participation in Christ’s sufferings. In the single New Testament appearance of Strong’s Greek 1559, the Spirit captures the whole account of redemptive opposition and triumph. Being “driven out” is never the end; it is one station on the gospel’s unstoppable journey to the ends of the earth. Forms and Transliterations εκδιώκοντές εκδιώκοντος εκδιώξαι εκδιωξαντων ἐκδιωξάντων εκδιώξουσιν εκδιώξω εκδιωχθήσονται εξεδίωκον εξεδίωξαν εξεδιώχθη ekdioxanton ekdioxánton ekdiōxantōn ekdiōxántōnLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |
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