ἐγκαταλείπω
To leave behind
Reading a lexicon entry
What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
Strong's number: The Strong's code (H- or G-) is the standard reference number for this word. It connects this entry to chapter and passage language tabs.
Canonical witness: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
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What does ἐγκαταλείπω (enkataleípō) mean in the Bible?
ἐγκαταλείπω (enkataleípō) is a Greek word meaning "to leave behind". ἐγκαταλείπω, [in LXX chiefly for עזב ;] __1. Indicates covenantal abandonment under judgment. This term runs through the canonical themes of Revelation.
Full entry for ἐγκαταλείπω (G1459) · Browse the biblical lexicon
Meaning
To abandon or forsake someone completely, especially in crisis or need; covenant-breaking desertion.
Why This Word Matters
Indicates covenantal abandonment under judgment. 2 Timothy 4:9-15
The word captures the painful reality of relational abandonment in ministry. Mark 15:33–41
Grammatical Forms
How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.
Indicative states a fact or reality 7×
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 2×
Subjunctive possibility, probability, or purpose 1×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 10 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.
Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)
Canonical Themes
Biblical Occurrences
Each occurrence shows the passage reference, the original language term as it appears in that context, its transliteration, and the contextual sense.
Word Pictures (Robertson)
A.T. Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) discusses this term in the following chapters. Open any chapter and go to the Word Pictures tab to read his verse-by-verse commentary.
A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) — public domain