Original Word: ἐνισχύω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: enischuó
Pronunciation: en-is-khoo'-o
Phonetic Spelling: (en-is-khoo'-o)
KJV: strengthen
NASB: strengthened, strengthening
Word Origin: [from G1722 (ἔν - among) and G2480 (ἰσχύω - could)]

1. to invigorate (transitively or reflexively)

strengthen.

From en and ischuo; to invigorate (transitively or reflexively) -- strengthen.

see GREEK en

see GREEK ischuo

1765 enisxýō (from 1722 /en "in," which intensifies 2480 /isxýō, "engaging, assaulting strength") – properly, being strong enough to face necessary confrontation (engage resistance).

[In Lk 22:43, 1765 (enisxýō) refers to God's "interfacing strength," like when providing an angel to share His "overcoming resources."]

Word Origin
from en and ischuó
Definition
to strengthen
NASB Translation
strengthened (1), strengthening (1).

STRONGS NT 1765: ἐνισχύω

ἐνισχύω; 1 aorist ἐνισχυσα; (cf. Buttmann, 145 (127));

1. intransitive, to grow strong, to receive strength: Acts 9:19 (here WH Tr marginal reading ἐνισχυθη); (Aristotle, Theophrastus, Diodorus, the Sept.).

2. transitive, to make strong, to strengthen (2 Samuel 22:40; Sir. 50:4; Hippocrates leg., p. 2, 26 ὁ χρόνος ταῦτα πάντα ἐνισχυει); to strengthen one in soul, to inspirit: Luke 22:43 (L brackets WH reject the passage).

Overview

Strong’s Greek 1765 (ἐνισχύω, enischyō) portrays the act of imparting fresh strength or reinvigoration. In the New Testament it appears in moments when human frailty meets a divinely-provided or providentially-supplied renewal of vigor. The term therefore embodies God’s care for both body and spirit, touching Christ in the Garden and Saul in the aftermath of conversion.

Scriptural Occurrences

1. Luke 22:43 – “Then an angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him.”
2. Acts 9:19 – “After taking some food, he regained his strength. Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus.”

Contextual Insights

Luke 22:43 situates the verb within the most solemn hour of Jesus’ earthly ministry. The angelic strengthening does not negate His impending suffering but equips Him to endure it. This scene underscores the mystery of the Incarnation: the Son shares genuine human weakness and is ministered to accordingly, yet remains resolutely obedient to the Father’s will (Luke 22:42).

Acts 9:19 records physical renewal after Saul’s three-day fast and blindness. The same root that describes angelic assistance to the Messiah now describes the ordinary recovery of the church’s newest convert. This literary pairing links Christ’s passion to Paul’s mission, implying that the servant of the risen Lord is sustained by the same divine provision that upheld the Lord Himself.

Theological Implications

1. Confirmation of Christ’s true humanity: the need for strengthening testifies that He “was made like His brothers in every way” (Hebrews 2:17).
2. Continuity of divine enablement: the Lord who strengthened His Son also fortifies His servants (Philippians 4:13).
3. Union of physical and spiritual renewal: Scripture refuses to fragment human nature; bodily replenishment and spiritual empowerment are shown to be interrelated gifts from God.

Historical Background

First-century Mediterranean culture prized physical vigor as a mark of honor. Yet Luke and Acts reveal that genuine power springs from dependence on God rather than self-reliance. Luke’s medical interests may explain his choice of a verb that can denote both bodily invigoration and inner empowerment, aligning medical precision with theological purpose.

Pastoral and Devotional Applications

• Prayer for strength is biblically warranted. Believers imitate Christ by seeking the Father’s aid in moments of trial.
• Physical self-care is a legitimate spiritual concern; food and rest (Acts 9:19) are ordinary means God uses to restore His servants.
• Ministry flows from received strength, not innate ability. Paul’s later testimony—“I worked harder… yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10)—echoes the pattern set by ἐνισχύω.

Relationship to Other Biblical Themes

• Connected verb ἰσχύω highlights intrinsic strength, whereas ἐνισχύω emphasizes strength imparted from outside oneself.
• The motif of angelic assistance (1 Kings 19:5–7; Matthew 4:11) frames Luke 22:43 within a broader biblical narrative of heavenly support for God’s servants.
• Paul’s petitions for believers to be “strengthened with power through His Spirit” (Ephesians 3:16) extend the concept of ἐνισχύω to the corporate life of the church.

Summary

ἐνισχύω marks critical junctures where God supplies the vigor necessary to fulfill His redemptive purposes—first in the agony of Jesus, then in the awakening of Paul. Its sparse usage renders each occurrence a theological jewel: the One who was strengthened now strengthens His people, assuring the church that every assignment given by God is matched by sufficient grace and power to accomplish it.

ενακόσιοι ενισχυθη ἐνισχύθη ενίσχυον ενισχυόντες ενισχύουσα ενίσχυσά ενισχύσαι ενίσχυσαν ενισχύσας ενίσχυσας ενίσχυσάς ενισχύσατε ενισχυσάτωσαν ενίσχυσε ενίσχυσέ ενισχύσει ενίσχυσεν ἐνίσχυσεν ενισχύσητε ενίσχυσον ενίσχυσόν ενισχύσουσιν ενισχύσω ενισχύσωμεν ενισχυων ενισχύων ἐνισχύων εννακόσια εννακόσιοι enischuon enischuōn enischusen enischyon enischyōn enischýon enischýōn enischysen eníschysenInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts