3901. pararreó
Strong's Lexicon
pararreó: To drift away, to slip away, to flow past

Original Word: παραρρέω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: pararreó
Pronunciation: pah-rah-RREH-oh
Phonetic Spelling: (par-ar-hroo-eh'-o)
Definition: To drift away, to slip away, to flow past
Meaning: (lit: I flow past, glide past, hence) I am lost, perish, or merely: I drift away (fall away) from duty.

Word Origin: From the Greek prefix "para-" meaning "beside" or "alongside," and "rheo," meaning "to flow" or "to run."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: While there is no direct Hebrew equivalent to "pararreó," the concept of drifting away can be related to Hebrew terms that describe turning away or straying, such as "שָׁגָה" (shagah - to go astray) and "סוּר" (sur - to turn aside).

Usage: The verb "pararreó" is used metaphorically to describe the act of drifting away or slipping away, often in a spiritual or moral sense. It conveys the idea of something that is not anchored and thus moves away from its intended path or position. In the context of the New Testament, it is used to warn believers about the danger of neglecting their faith and allowing themselves to drift away from the truth of the Gospel.

Cultural and Historical Background: In the ancient world, the imagery of drifting or slipping away would have been familiar to those living in maritime cultures, where the danger of a ship drifting off course was a real and present threat. This metaphor would resonate with early Christians, many of whom lived in port cities and were familiar with the sea. The concept of drifting also aligns with the broader biblical theme of remaining steadfast and vigilant in one's faith.

HELPS Word-studies

3901 pararrhyéō (from 3844 /pará, "from close-beside" and 4483 /rhéō, "to flow, drift") – properly, to float (flow) alongside, drifting past a destination because pushed along by current.

3901 /pararrhyéō ("drift away from") only occurs in Heb 2:1 where it refers to going spiritually adrift – "sinning by slipping away" (from God's anchor). 3901 /pararrhyéō ("gradually drift away") means to "lapse" into spiritual defeat, describing how we slowly move away from our moorings in Christ.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from para and rheó
Definition
to flow by, hence slip away
NASB Translation
drift away (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 3901: παραρρέω

παραρρέω; (παρά and ῤέω); from Sophocles, Xenophon, and Plato down; to flow past (παραρρέον ὕδωρ, Isaiah 44:4), to glide by: μήποτε παραρρυῶμεν (2 aorist passive subjunctive; cf. Alexander Buttmann (1873) Ausf. Spr. ii., p. 287; (Veitch, under the word ῤέω; WHs Appendix, p. 170); but L T Tr WH παραρυῶμεν; see Rho), lest we be carried past, pass by (R. V. drift away from them) (missing the thing), i. e. lest the salvation which the things heard show us how to obtain slip away from us, Hebrews 2:1. In Greek authors παρραρει μοι τί, a thing escapes me, Sophocles Philoct. 653; tropically, slips from my mind, Plato, legg. 6, p. 781 a.; in the sense of neglect, μή παρραρυης, τήρησον δέ ἐμήν βουλήν, Proverbs 3:21.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
drift away

From para and the alternate of rheo; to flow by, i.e. (figuratively) carelessly pass (miss) -- let slip.

see GREEK para

see GREEK rheo

Forms and Transliterations
παραρρέον παραρριπτείσθαι παράρριψόν παραρρυής παραρρυώμεν παραρύματα παραρυωμεν παραρυῶμεν pararuomen pararuōmen pararyomen pararyômen pararyōmen pararyō̂men
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Englishman's Concordance
Hebrews 2:1 V-ASA-1P
GRK: μή ποτε παραρυῶμεν
NAS: so that we do not drift away [from it].
KJV: lest at any time we should let [them] slip.
INT: lest ever we should drift away

Strong's Greek 3901
1 Occurrence


παραρυῶμεν — 1 Occ.

















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