Lexical Summary enechó: To hold a grudge, to be hostile, to have a quarrel Original Word: ἐνέχω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance have a quarrel against, hold a grudgeFrom en and echo; to hold in or upon, i.e. Ensnare; by implication, to keep a grudge -- entangle with, have a quarrel against, urge. see GREEK en see GREEK echo NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom en and echó Definition to hold in or upon, i.e. to ensnare, by impl. to keep a grudge NASB Translation grudge against (1), had a grudge against (1), hostile (1), subject (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 1758: ἐνέχωἐνέχω; imperfect ἐνεῖχον; (present passive ἐνέχομαι); to have within, to hold in; a. passive to be held, be entangled, be held ensnared, with a dative of the thing in which one is held captive — very often in Greek writings, both literally (as τῇ πάγη, Herodotus 2, 121, 2) and figuratively (as ἀγγελία, Pindar Pythagoras 8, 69; φιλοτιμία, Euripides, Iph. A. 527; κακῷ, Epictetus diss. 3, 22, 93): ζυγῷ δουλείας, Galatians 5:1; (θλίψεσιν, 2 Thessalonians 1:4 WH marginal reading) (ἀσεβείαις, 3Macc. 6:10). b. ἐνέχω τίνι, to be enraged with, set oneself against, hold a grudge against someone: Mark 6:19; Luke 11:53 (Genesis 49:23); the expression is elliptical, and occurs in full (χόλον τίνι to have anger in oneself against another) in Herodotus 1, 118; 8, 27; 6, 119; see a similar ellipsis under προσέχω. (In this last case the ellipsis supplied is τόν νοῦν, Winers Grammar, 593 (552); Buttmann, 144 (126); Meyer, et al., would supply the same after ἐνέχειν in Mark and Luke the passages cited and render the phrase to have (an eye) on, watch with hostility; but DeWette, Bleek, others, agree with Grimm. Many take the expression in Luke, the passage cited outwardly, to press upon (R. V. text); see Stephanus Thesaurus, under the word; Liddell and Scott, under the word; Hesychius ἐνέχει. μνησικακεῖ. ἔγκειται.) Ἐνέχω appears three times in the Greek New Testament and portrays the idea of “holding upon” someone or something—whether as a hostile fixation, as a lingering resentment, or as a constricting burden. While the contexts differ, each occurrence highlights the way an inner attitude can dominate and shape outward actions, either in destructive hostility or in spiritual bondage. Occurrences in the New Testament 1. Mark 6:19 – “So Herodias held a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she had been unable.” Theological Significance At root, Ἐνέχω depicts an internal clutch that dictates external behavior. When applied to personal animosity (Mark, Luke), it exposes sin’s corrosive power on relationships and the human propensity to cling to offense rather than forgiveness. In Galatians it exposes a spiritual danger: surrendering liberty in Christ to a system that re-enslaves. Together the passages reveal that what the heart “holds” eventually controls the life. Historical Background and Cultural Context • First-century Mediterranean honor-shame dynamics often nurtured lingering grudges. A slighted honor could produce the kind of enduring hostility exemplified by Herodias and the Pharisees. Pastoral and Practical Applications 1. Guarding the Heart – Believers are cautioned to refuse the slow poison of grudge-holding. As Ephesians 4:31 commands, “Get rid of all bitterness,” for unresolved anger imprisons both the offended and the offender. Connections with Related Biblical Concepts • Bitterness (Hebrews 12:15) – A root that “springs up” and defiles parallels Herodias’s abiding vendetta. Biblical Theology Trajectory From Old Covenant to New, Scripture moves from external constraints to internal transformation. The Law could “hold” Israel in pedagogical custody, but grace in Christ releases believers into Spirit-empowered freedom (Galatians 5:13-18). Conversely, the Pharisaic hostility to Jesus and Herodias’s vendetta illustrate how sin binds the unregenerate heart. Redemption therefore involves both objective emancipation (justification) and subjective release (sanctification) from what once held sway. Summary Ἐνέχω serves as a concise picture-word of bondage—whether emotional, relational, or legalistic. The term warns against cherishing resentment and against re-embracing systems that Christ has dismissed. By the Spirit’s enabling, Christians are called to live ungripped by grudges and unyoked by slavery, “standing firm” in the liberty for which the Savior died and rose. Englishman's Concordance Mark 6:19 V-IIA-3SGRK: δὲ Ἡρῳδιὰς ἐνεῖχεν αὐτῷ καὶ NAS: Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted KJV: Herodias had a quarrel against him, INT: and Herodias held it against him and Luke 11:53 V-PNA Galatians 5:1 V-PMM/P-2P Strong's Greek 1758 |
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