4792. sugkomizó

Lexical Summary

sugkomizó: To carry together, to bring together, to gather up.

Original Word: συγκομίζω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: sugkomizó
Pronunciation: soong-kom-ID-zo
Phonetic Spelling: (soong-kom-id'-zo)
KJV: carry
NASB: buried
Word Origin: [from G4862 (σύν - along) and G2865 (κομίζω - receive)]

1. to convey together, i.e. collect or bear away in company with others

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

carry, bear

From sun and komizo; to convey together, i.e. Collect or bear away in company with others -- carry.

see GREEK sun

see GREEK komizo

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from sun and komizó
Definition
to bring together, spec. to take up (a body for burial)
NASB Translation
buried (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 4792: συγκομίζω

συγκομίζω: 1 aorist 3 person plural συνεκόμισαν;

1. to carry or bring together, to collect (see σύν, II. 2); to house crops, gather into granaries: Herodotus, Xenophon, Diodorus, Plutarch, others; Job 5:26.

2. to carry with others, help in carrying out, the dead to be burned or buried (Sophocles Aj. 1048; Plutarch, Sull. 38); to bury: Acts 8:2.

Topical Lexicon

Scriptural Occurrence

The verb translated “buried” in Acts 8:2 appears only once in the Greek New Testament. “God-fearing men buried Stephen and mourned deeply over him” (Acts 8:2). The single usage intensifies its importance, drawing attention to the dignified, deliberate action of believers who cared for Stephen’s body after his martyrdom.

Historical and Cultural Background

First-century Jewish practice regarded burial as both a sacred duty and a public testimony of respect. Proper interment commonly took place on the day of death (Genesis 23:19; Deuteronomy 21:23). Under Roman occupation, public executions often left victims unburied, a further humiliation. That devout Jews defied potential opposition to secure and prepare Stephen’s body underscores their courage and loyalty to a brother in Christ.

Ministry Significance in Acts 8:2

1. Corporate Compassion. The verb expresses a collective act—believers uniting to render honor where the authorities had shown contempt. Their compassion provided a tangible answer to Stephen’s prayer of forgiveness moments earlier (Acts 7:60).
2. Witness in Suffering. By burying Stephen, the church bore witness to the resurrection hope he proclaimed. Honoring the body affirmed confidence that “God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him” (1 Thessalonians 4:14).
3. Catalyst for Mission. Luke records the burial immediately before the great scattering (Acts 8:4). Loving care for Stephen’s remains is the church’s final act in Jerusalem before the Gospel advances to Judea and Samaria, illustrating how suffering often precedes expansion.

Theological Reflections

• Sanctity of the Body. Scripture treats the human body as created good (Genesis 1:31) and destined for resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:42-44). Respectful burial points forward to that transformation.
• Fellowship of the Saints. The episode reveals the communion of believers transcending death. The living serve the fallen, anticipating reunion in Christ’s presence (2 Corinthians 5:8).
• Hope amid Persecution. Stephen’s burial testifies that hostility cannot silence Christian love. Even a martyr’s broken body becomes a platform for proclaiming the Gospel’s power and the believer’s security in Christ.

Practical Lessons for Believers

• Honor the Departed. Christian funerals should articulate resurrection hope while expressing genuine grief, following the pattern of lament and love in Acts 8:2.
• Serve Courageously. The men who buried Stephen risked association with a condemned “blasphemer.” Modern disciples likewise honor Christ when they serve the marginalized or persecuted.
• Hold Fast to Hope. Lamentation and faith co-exist. Deep mourning (“mourned deeply”) is not unbelief but a recognition of loss tempered by confidence in eternal life (1 Thessalonians 4:13).

In its lone appearance, this verb invites believers to combine courage, compassion, and eschatological hope, demonstrating that the church’s care for her own—even in death—magnifies the risen Lord.

Forms and Transliterations

συγκομισθείσα συγκόπτειν συγκόψατε συγκόψεις συγκόψουσι συγκόψω σύγκρασιν σύγκριμα συγκρίματος συνεκομισαν συνεκόμισαν συνέκοψα συνέκοψαν συνέκοψε συνέκοψεν sunekomisan synekomisan synekómisan

Englishman's Concordance

Acts 8:2 V-AIA-3P
GRK: συνεκόμισαν δὲ τὸν
NAS: men buried Stephen,
KJV: men carried Stephen
INT: buried moreover

Strong's Greek 4792
1 Occurrence

συνεκόμισαν — 1 Occ.