1594. eknéphó
Lexical Summary
eknéphó: To become sober, to be sober-minded, to regain one's senses.

Original Word: ἐκνήφω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: eknéphó
Pronunciation: ek-nay'-fo
Phonetic Spelling: (ek-nay'-fo)
KJV: awake
NASB: become sober-minded
Word Origin: [from G1537 (ἐκ - among) and G3525 (νήφω - sober)]

1. (figuratively) to rouse (oneself) out of stupor

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
to come to one's senses

From ek and nepho; (figuratively) to rouse (oneself) out of stupor -- awake.

see GREEK ek

see GREEK nepho

HELPS Word-studies

1594 eknḗphō (from 1537 /ek, "wholly out of" and 3525 /nḗphō, "be sober") – properly, delivered out of drunkenness and to sobriety (seriousness), i.e. with the awareness outcome of being responsibly aware; (figuratively) aroused (awakened) out of the stupor of spiritual delusion (apathy); "to come to one's senses" (L & N, 1, 30.26); sober-minded because "snapped out of" the intoxicating influence of sin (darkness) and brought into keen alertness of spiritual truth (conviction, faith, etc.). 1594 (eknḗphō) is only used in 1 Cor 15:34.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from ek and néphó
Definition
to become sober (after drunkenness)
NASB Translation
become sober-minded (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 1594: ἐκνήφω

ἐκνήφω: 1 aorist ἐξενηψα;

a. properly, to return to oneself from drunkenness, become sober (Genesis 9:24; (1 Samuel 25:37); Joel 1:5; (Sir. 34:2 (Sir. 31:2)); Lynceus quoted in Ath. 4, 5, p. 130 b.).

b. metaphorically, to return to soberness of mind (cf. ἀνανήφω): 1 Corinthians 15:34 (Plutarch, Demosthenes 20).

Topical Lexicon
Overview

Strong’s Greek 1594 captures Paul’s summons to a startled awakening—an urgent call for believers to rouse themselves from the stupor of sin and error. Unlike mere physical sobriety, the apostle speaks of moral and doctrinal clear-mindedness that leads to righteous living and faithful witness.

Context in 1 Corinthians

The verb occurs uniquely in 1 Corinthians 15:34, positioned at the heart of Paul’s defense of the resurrection. False teachers had muddled the Corinthian church with the notion that “there is no resurrection of the dead” (1 Corinthians 15:12). Paul’s imperative—“Sober up as you ought, and stop sinning”—functions as a pastoral alarm. The denial of bodily resurrection, far from an abstract theological error, had practical consequences: it fostered moral laxity, sapped evangelistic zeal, and obscured the majesty of Christ’s redemptive work.

Spiritual Sobriety Versus Carnal Intoxication

Scripture often pairs drunkenness with moral darkness (Isaiah 5:11; Romans 13:13). Paul’s choice of imagery reminds readers that error and vice deaden spiritual perception just as wine clouds physical senses. The Corinthians were to break free from this haze, embrace resurrection truth, and thereby recover ethical clarity. Similar calls appear in 1 Thessalonians 5:6-8, where believers are urged to be “sober” while waiting for the Lord’s return.

Relationship to the Resurrection Doctrine

Resurrection is not an optional appendix to the gospel; it is its very hinge. By asserting, “If the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised” (1 Corinthians 15:16), Paul exposes the gravity of the Corinthians’ slumber. To awaken is therefore to recognize the historical, bodily rising of Jesus Christ and to reorder life under its power: steadfast labor (1 Corinthians 15:58), fearless witness, and holiness.

Old Testament Echoes

Prophets frequently cried, “Wake up!” to a people lulled by idolatry (Isaiah 52:1-2; Joel 1:5). The apostle inherits this prophetic cadence, addressing the church as the covenant people now fulfilled in Christ. The theme underlines Scripture’s seamless unity: God’s people, past and present, must shake off lethargy whenever truth is eclipsed.

Comparative New Testament Vocabulary

While eknēphō appears only once, related terms reinforce its force. Paul tells Titus that grace trains us “to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives” (Titus 2:12). Peter exhorts, “Be sober-minded; be watchful” (1 Peter 5:8). These parallels show that alertness is the normal Christian posture, sustained by the Holy Spirit and grounded in sound doctrine.

Patristic and Historical Witness

Early expositors like Clement of Alexandria and Chrysostom viewed 1 Corinthians 15:34 as a cornerstone for catechesis. They linked doctrinal precision with ethical purity, warning that heresy and immorality grow together. During the Reformation, commentators emphasized the verse when confronting skepticism about miracles, insisting that the same authority that guarantees Christ’s resurrection also governs Christian conduct.

Ministry Implications

1. Preaching: Pastors must contend for bodily resurrection, recognizing that doctrinal indifference breeds sin.
2. Discipleship: Catechism should unite theology and practice, fostering communities that “sober up” together through mutual exhortation (Hebrews 3:13).
3. Apologetics: Contemporary denials of supernatural events mirror Corinthian error; the church answers with the historic, empty tomb.
4. Counseling: Patterns of habitual sin often trace back to distorted beliefs; restoring truth is integral to sanctification.

Personal Application and Prayer

Every believer is vulnerable to spiritual numbness—whether through false teaching, complacency, or hidden sin. The Spirit’s antidote is the same today: awaken to Christ’s victory, renounce ungodliness, and live in resurrection hope. “Lord, shake me from slumber; enlighten my mind with Your truth, that I may walk in holiness and proclaim with clarity, ‘He is risen indeed.’”

Forms and Transliterations
εκνηψατε εκνήψατε ἐκνήψατε έκνηψιν έκνηψον εκνήψουσιν εκουσιαζόμενος εκουσιαζομένους εκουσιαζομένω εκουσιαζομένων εκουσιάσαντο εκουσιάσασθαί εκουσιασθέντα εκουσιάσθην εκουσιάσθησαν εκουσιασμού εκουσιασμώ εξένηψε εξένηψεν ηκουσιάσαντο eknepsate eknēpsate eknḗpsate
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Englishman's Concordance
1 Corinthians 15:34 V-AMA-2P
GRK: ἐκνήψατε δικαίως καὶ
NAS: Become sober-minded as you ought,
KJV: Awake to righteousness, and
INT: Awake up righteously and

Strong's Greek 1594
1 Occurrence


ἐκνήψατε — 1 Occ.

1593
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