Original Word: συμπεριλαμβάνω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: sumperilambanó
Pronunciation: soom-per-ee-lam-BAH-no
Phonetic Spelling: (soom-per-ee-lam-ban'-o)
KJV: embrace
NASB: embracing
Word Origin: [from G4862 (σύν - along) and a compound of G4012 (περί - about) and G2983 (λαμβάνω - receive)]

1. to take by enclosing altogether, i.e. earnestly throw the arms about one

embrace.

From sun and a compound of peri and lambano; to take by enclosing altogether, i.e. Earnestly throw the arms about one -- embrace.

see GREEK sun

see GREEK peri

see GREEK lambano

Word Origin
from sun and a comp. of peri and lambanó
Definition
to enclose, embrace
NASB Translation
embracing (1).

STRONGS NT 4843: συμπεριλαμβάνω

συμπεριλαμβάνω (T WH συνπεριλαμβάνω (cf. σύν, II. at the end)): 2 aorist participle συμπεριλαβών; from Plato and Demosthenes down;

1. to comprehend at once.

2. to embrace completely: τινα, Acts 20:10.

Lexical Overview

The verb συμπεριλαμβάνω (Strong’s Greek 4843) literally pictures “encircling or enfolding together.” In the New Testament it appears once, in Acts 20:10, describing Paul’s physical embrace of the lifeless Eutychus.

Context in Acts 20:10

Troas, late on the first day of the week, believers are gathered for teaching and the breaking of bread. Eutychus, overcome by sleep, falls three accounts to his death. “But Paul went down, threw himself on the young man, and, after embracing him, said, ‘Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him’” (Acts 20:10). The narrative immediately links Paul’s embrace with the restoration of life, underscoring God’s power working through apostolic ministry.

Continuity with Old Testament Resurrection Narratives

Paul’s action deliberately echoes Elijah and Elisha:
• Elijah “stretched himself upon the child three times” and prayed (1 Kings 17:21).
• Elisha “lay on the child… and the boy’s body grew warm” (2 Kings 4:34-35).

Luke’s wording suggests Paul follows these prophetic patterns, signaling that the same covenant God who worked in Israel now works in the church. The embrace, therefore, is not mere sentiment but a prophetic sign of continuity and fulfillment.

Apostolic Authority and the Spread of the Gospel

Acts consistently presents miraculous restorations at strategic moments—Peter in Acts 9, Paul in Acts 14 and here—to validate the gospel’s advance. In Troas the miracle authenticates Paul’s extended teaching (Acts 20:7,11) and reassures the gathered believers who will soon be shepherded by others (Acts 20:17-32). The single use of συμπεριλαμβάνω thus highlights a unique, Spirit-directed act that buttresses apostolic authority without fostering a cult of personality around Paul himself.

Embodied Compassion in Christian Ministry

The verb’s core idea of encircling communicates warmth, immediacy, and identification with another’s plight. Paul does not stand aloof; he descends, falls upon, and enfolds the young man. The church’s ministry is likewise incarnational: “For the love of Christ compels us” (2 Corinthians 5:14). Compassion is never disembodied doctrine but takes tangible form, often through touch, presence, and shared sorrow (Romans 12:15).

Ecclesiological Implications: Gathering and Communion

The event occurs during a Christian assembly marked by teaching, fellowship, the Lord’s Supper, and prayer—elements later summarized in Acts 2:42. The miracle and the embrace reinforce communal life: believers are “joined and held together” (Ephesians 4:16). The restoration of Eutychus prevents grief from fracturing the fellowship and instead deepens their shared joy (Acts 20:12).

Pastoral Applications: Comforting the Afflicted

1 Thessalonians 5:14 urges, “Encourage the fainthearted, help the weak.” Paul models pastoral instinct: immediate movement toward need, physical expression of care, confident declaration of hope. Modern shepherds, though not apostolic miracle-workers, obey the same pattern when they draw near to the suffering, embrace the broken, and speak life-giving truth from Scripture.

Doctrinal Reflection: Christ’s Victory Over Death

Every New Testament raising points beyond itself to the resurrection of Jesus Christ, “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20). Paul’s embrace prefigures the eschatological promise that believers, too, will be “caught up… to meet the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17), an eternal embrace secured by the gospel.

Practical Takeaways for Present-Day Believers

• Move toward need, not away. Sympathy becomes sympathy only when it is “with.”
• Let Scripture govern responses to crisis; Paul’s confidence arose from divine assurance, not presumption.
• Recognize corporate worship as a setting where God often manifests His power.
• Remember that all ministry, public or private, derives authority from the risen Christ whose life conquers death.

Thus the single appearance of συμπεριλαμβάνω in Acts 20:10 is both historically particular and theologically rich, calling every generation of Christians to embodied compassion, steadfast hope, and confidence in the life-giving power of God.

συμπεριλαβών συμπεριλαβὼν συμπεριλήψη συμπεριφερόμενος συνπεριλαβων συνπεριλαβὼν sumperilabon sumperilabōn symperilabon symperilabōn symperilabṑnInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts