Original Word: ὀπίσω
Part of Speech: Adverb
Transliteration: opisó
Pronunciation: o-PEE-so
Phonetic Spelling: (op-is'-o)
KJV: after, back(-ward), (+ get) behind, + follow
NASB: after, behind, back, follow, around
Word Origin: [from opis (regard]

1. to the back, i.e. aback
{as adverb or preposition of time or place; or as noun}

after, backward, behind

From the same as opisthen with enclitic of direction; to the back, i.e. Aback (as adverb or preposition of time or place; or as noun) -- after, back(-ward), (+ get) behind, + follow.

see GREEK opisthen

Word Origin
from the same as opisthen
Definition
back, behind, after
NASB Translation
after (18), around (1), back (2), back* (3), behind (5), follow (2), follow* (2), withdrew* (1).

STRONGS NT 3694: ὀπίσω

ὀπίσω ((perhaps) from ἡ ὄπις; and this from ἐπω, ἕπομαι, to follow (but cf. Vanicek, p. 530)), adverb of place and time, from Homer down; the Sept. for אַחַר, אָחור and especially for אַחֲרֵי; (at the) back, behind, after;

1. adverbially of place: ἑστάναι, Luke 7:38; ἐπιστρέψαι ὀπίσω, back, Matthew 24:18 (ὑποστρέφειν ὀπίσω, Josephus, Antiquities 6, 1, 3); τά ὀπίσω, the things that are behind, Philippians 3:13 (14); εἰς τά ὀπίσω ἀπέρχεσθαι, to go backward, Vulg.abire retrorsum, John 18:6; to return home, of those who grow recreant to Christ's teaching and cease to follow him, John 6:66; στρέφεσθαι, to turn oneself back, John 20:14; ἐπιστρέφειν, to return back to places left, Mark 13:16; Luke 17:31; ὑποστρέψαι εἰς τά ὀπίσω, tropically, of those who return to the manner of thinking and living already abandoned, 2 Peter 2:21 Lachmann; βλέπειν (Vulg. (aspicere or)respicere retro (A. V. to look back)), Luke 9:62.

2. By a usage unknown to Greek authors, as a preposition with the genitive (Winers Grammar, § 54, 6; Buttmann, § 146, 1);

a. of place: Revelation 1:10 (WH marginal reading ὄπισθεν); (Numbers 25:8; Song of Solomon 2:9); in phrases resembling the Hebrew (cf. Winers Grammar, 30; Buttmann, as above and 172 (150)): ὀπίσω τίνος ἔρχεσθαι to follow anyone as a guide, to be his disciple or follower, Matthew 16:24; Luke 9:23; Mark 8:34 R L Tr marginal reading WH; (cf. Luke 14:27); also ἀκολουθεῖν, Mark 8:34 G T Tr text; Matthew 10:38 (see ἀκολουθέω, 2 at the end); πορεύεσθαι, to join oneself to one as an attendant and follower, Luke 21:8 (Sir. 46:10); to seek something one lusts after, 2 Peter 2:10 (cf. Winers Grammar, 594 (553); Buttmann, 184 (160)); ἀπέρχομαι ὀπίσω τίνος, to go off in order to follow one, to join one's party, Mark 1:20; John 12:19; to run after a thing which one lusts for (cf. Buttmann, as above), ἑτέρας σαρκός, Jude 1:7; δεῦτε ἐπίσω μου (see δεῦτε, 1), Matthew 4:19; Mark 1:17; ἀποστέλλειν τινα ὀπίσω τίνος, Luke 19:14; ἀφισταναι, ἀποσπᾶν, τινα ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ, to draw one away to (join) his party, Acts 5:37; Acts 20:30; ἐκτρέπεσθαι, to turn out of the right path, turn aside from rectitude, 1 Timothy 5:15; by a pregnant construction, after θαυμάζειν, to wonder after i. e. to be drawn away by admiration to follow one (Buttmann, 185 (160f)), Revelation 13:3 (πᾶς ὁ λαός ἐξέστη ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ, 1 Samuel 13:7); ὕπαγε ὀπίσω μου (A. V. get thee behind me), out of my sight: Luke 4:8 R L brackets; Matthew 4:10 (G L brackets); ; Mark 8:33.

b. of time, after: ἐρήξεσθαι ὀπίσω τίνος, to make his public appearance after (subsequently to) one, Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:7; John 1:15, 27, 30 (ὀπίσω τοῦ σαββάτου, Nehemiah 13:19).

Spatial Orientation and Everyday Scenes

The primary sense of ὀπίσω is literal: “behind” or “after.” In Luke 7:38 the repentant woman stands “behind Him at His feet, weeping,” a posture of humility that frames the narrative. In John 20:14 Mary Magdalene turns and sees Jesus “standing behind her,” highlighting recognition after resurrection. Such passages ground the word in ordinary perspective—what is physically at one’s back—while preparing readers for its deeper metaphorical uses.

Discipleship: Walking Behind the Master

The call to become a disciple is repeatedly cast as getting ὀπίσω of Jesus. “Come, follow Me” (Matthew 4:19; Mark 1:17) literally invites the fishermen to place themselves at His back and proceed where He leads. The demand intensifies when Jesus says, “Whoever does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me” (Matthew 10:38; Luke 14:27). Here ὀπίσω signals wholehearted allegiance—leaving personal autonomy, accepting suffering, and acknowledging Christ’s lordship.

In Matthew 16:24 and Mark 8:34 Jesus unites self-denial, cross-bearing, and following ὀπίσω Him. The preposition portrays a lifelong pilgrimage: Jesus walks ahead, the disciple traces His steps. This perspective defines authentic Christian existence.

Turning Back versus Pressing On

The term can also describe retreat. Jesus warns, “Let no one in the field turn back to get his cloak” (Matthew 24:18; Mark 13:16; Luke 17:31). In times of judgment, lingering over past possessions invites destruction.

John records a sobering failure: “From that time on, many of His disciples turned back and no longer walked with Him” (John 6:66). The same word that marks genuine following exposes apostasy when movement reverses. Paul adopts the imagery positively in Philippians 3:13: “Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead.” Spiritual maturity requires releasing both sins and achievements that hinder pursuit of Christ.

Christological Testimony: ‘After Me’ Yet Before Me

John the Baptist’s witness hinges on a paradox: “He who comes after me has surpassed me because He was before me” (John 1:15; cf. 1:27, 1:30). The Messiah steps ὀπίσω John chronologically yet precedes him ontologically. The word thus underlines both the historical sequence of revelation and the eternal pre-existence of the Son.

Warnings against False Leadership

Acts 20:30 alerts the Ephesian elders: “Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth to draw away disciples after them.” Here ὀπίσω describes illicit following—people seduced into stepping behind teachers who diverge from apostolic doctrine. Similar concern appears in 2 Peter 2:10 and Jude 7, where those who go “after” fleshly desire face judgment. The vocabulary of following becomes an ethical litmus test: whom one walks behind reveals ultimate devotion.

National and Historical Reversals

Acts 5:37 notes Judas the Galilean who “drew away many people after him,” illustrating revolts that failed because they were not God-ordained. Revelation 13:3 portrays the world marvelling ὀπίσω the beast, a global capitulation prefigured by lesser insurrections. These texts remind believers that history teems with counterfeit leaders inviting allegiance away from Christ.

Prophetic and Apocalyptic Perspective

In Revelation 1:10 John “heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet.” The voice from ὀπίσω signals divine initiative: God surprises His servant and commands written testimony. In Revelation 12:15 the serpent spews water “after the woman,” depicting persecuting rage. The rearward direction accentuates relentless pursuit yet also God’s ultimate protection.

Pastoral Counsel and Church Order

1 Timothy 5:15 laments widows who “have already turned away to follow Satan.” Paul uses ὀπίσω to diagnose betrayal of gospel priorities. The word thereby guides church discipline, urging vigilance over hearts that may drift behind the wrong master.

Practical Ministry Implications

1. Evangelism: Invitations to salvation must clarify the cost of stepping ὀπίσω Jesus—total surrender, not mere admiration.
2. Discipleship Pathways: Programs should mirror the biblical pattern—learning by walking behind a living example, pressing on toward the upward call.
3. Counseling: Philippians 3:13 offers a framework for helping believers release the paralyzing grip of the past.
4. Leadership Training: Acts 20:30 warns potential elders to shepherd authentically so that no one is enticed ὀπίσω human personalities instead of Christ.
5. Eschatological Readiness: The synoptic warnings about not turning back urge congregations to cultivate detachment from earthly goods in anticipation of the Lord’s return.

Theological Synthesis

Across narrative, didactic, and apocalyptic literature, ὀπίσω establishes a dual trajectory: faithful followers move behind Jesus toward consummation; the faithless turn back or trail after counterfeit powers toward ruin. The New Testament’s consistent use of the term creates a moral and eschatological axis that invites every reader to ask, “Whom am I following, and in what direction am I moving?”

οπισω οπίσω ὀπίσω οπλαίς οπλάς οπλήν οπλής όπλων opiso opisō opíso opísōInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts