What does ἀγρυπνέω (agrypnéō) mean in the Bible?
G69, agrypneo, is a Greek verb for staying awake, keeping watch, or maintaining vigilant attention. Its four direct New Testament uses form a compact but demanding pattern.
Greek · G69
ἀγρυπνέω
Be watchful
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ἀγρυπνέωG69
Pronunciationagrypnéō
What does ἀγρυπνέω (agrypnéō) mean in the Bible?
G69, agrypneo, is a Greek verb for staying awake, keeping watch, or maintaining vigilant attention. Its four direct New Testament uses form a compact but demanding pattern.
Reader summary
Full entry for ἀγρυπνέω (G69) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G69?
The BSB source-word alignment has 4 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include [and] stay alert (1), keep watch (1), stay alert (1), watch (1).
Where does ἀγρυπνέω (agrypnéō) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Mark 13:33. Its strongest book concentrations include Ephesians (1), Hebrews (1), Luke (1), Mark (1).
What This Word Actually Means
G69, agrypneo, is a Greek verb for staying awake, keeping watch, or maintaining vigilant attention. Its four direct New Testament uses form a compact but demanding pattern. Mark 13:33 and Luke 21:36 call disciples to sustained readiness because the appointed time is unknown and they must stand before the Son of Man. Ephesians 6:18 places alertness inside persevering prayer for all the saints after the description of God's armor. Hebrews 13:17 applies the verb to leaders who watch over souls as people who must give an account.
The lexical image of sleeplessness supplies intensity, but the passages do not command chronic sleep deprivation. G69 concerns attention that refuses neglect, not a body that never rests. Its vigilance is directed: disciples attend to Christ's coming, pray amid spiritual conflict, intercede for the whole church, and exercise care under divine accountability. The verb does not bless anxiety, compulsive monitoring, rumor-driven alarm, or a leader's surveillance of private life.
Hebrews requires particular care. Leaders watch as accountable servants, not owners of another person's soul. The same verse calls the congregation to responsive trust, but it does not cancel biblical limits on authority, excuse abuse, or prohibit questions and appeals. G69 opens a theology of sustained attention shaped by prayer, hope, and answerability to God. It is close to G1127, yet its four uses especially emphasize continuing vigilance on behalf of a responsibility or people entrusted to care.
source_lexiconPassage contextBook contextPastoral applicationCanonical parallel
How the Bible Uses It
G69 appears four times, calling for sustained alertness toward Christ's coming, persevering prayer, intercession for the saints, and accountable care of souls. The object of attention keeps vigilance from becoming generalized anxiety.
- Mark.13.33
Be on your guard and stay alert! For you do not know when the appointed time will come.
Jesus grounds alertness in the disciples' lack of timetable knowledge. The command produces faithful readiness, not confidence in speculative dates or secret calculations.
- Luke.21.36
So keep watch at all times, and pray that you may have the strength to escape all that is about to happen and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Watchfulness and prayer belong together as disciples seek strength to endure and stand before the Son of Man. Readiness depends on God rather than personal nerve.
- Eph.6.18
Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints.
Alertness becomes persevering intercession after the armor of God. The vigilant disciple prays for all the saints instead of narrowing spiritual conflict to private self-protection.
- Heb.13.17
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they watch over your souls as those who must give an account. To this end, allow them to lead with joy and not with grief, for that would be of no advantage to you.
Leaders' watchfulness is defined by accountability for the people in their care. The verse gives authority a solemn purpose and answerability; it does not make leaders unquestionable.
Book contextPassage context
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It[and] stay alert1×Mark 13:33
keep watch1×Luke 21:36
stay alert1×Ephesians 6:18
watch1×Hebrews 13:17
Show sample aligned rows
Mark 13:33ἀγρυπνεῖτεto[and] stay alertVerb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person PluralLuke 21:36ἀγρυπνεῖτεtokeep watchVerb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person PluralEphesians 6:18ἀγρυπνοῦντεςtostay alertVerb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine PluralHebrews 13:17ἀγρυπνοῦσινtowatchVerb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowMark 13:33
Aligned rows4
Books represented4
Mark1Luke1Ephesians1Hebrews1
Source forms
ἀγρυπνεῖτε2xagrypneiteMark 13:33, Luke 21:36
ἀγρυπνοῦντες1xagrypnountesEphesians 6:18
ἀγρυπνοῦσιν1xagrypnousinHebrews 13:17
Parsing patterns
Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person Plural2xMark 13:33, Luke 21:36
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural1xHebrews 13:17
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural1xEphesians 6:18
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Direct vigilance toward Christ's promise, persevering prayer, and real people entrusted to care rather than toward speculative or rumor-driven threats.
- Measure shepherding watchfulness by transparent accountability, patient care, and faithfulness to Scripture, not by control or constant access.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim that G69 requires chronic sleeplessness, anxiety, fear-based monitoring, or continuous attention to alarming media.
- Do not claim that watching over souls gives leaders unlimited authority, removes congregational discernment, or excuses coercion and abuse.
Evidence Summary
Greek word. Vigilant wakefulness implying sustained moral alertness, not merely mental awareness or momentary consciousness.
Strong'sG69
Lexical occurrences4 versesGreek text appearances4 timesWord forms3 forms4 referencesVerse guides0 guides
Study linkHebrews 13:7-17Source Gloss
be watchful
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpusGreek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
4 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Mark 13:33Verb Second Person Plural Present Active Imperative
ἀγρυπνεῖτεagrupneite
I am awake
Read verseLuke 21:36Verb Second Person Plural Present Active Imperative
ἀγρυπνεῖτεagrupneite
I am awake
Read verseEphesians 6:18Verb Present Active Participle Nominative Plural Masculine
ἀγρυπνοῦντεςagrupnountev
I am awake
Read verseHebrews 13:17Verb Third Person Plural Present Active Indicative
ἀγρυπνοῦσινagrupnousin
I am awake
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
Grammatical Forms
How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups3Aligned forms4TensesPresentVoicesActive
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Tenses
Voices
Imperativecommand or strong request2×
Present ActiveMark 13:33 · Luke 21:362×
Participleverbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality1×
Present ActiveEph 6:181×
Indicativestates a fact or reality1×
Present ActiveHeb 13:171×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 4 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect
Tense
present4
Voice
active4
Mood
imperative2participle1indicative1
NT Occurrences
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)
Sampled Scripture Occurrences
Representative Scripture witnesses for this entry: passage, original form, and sense in context.
New Testament Witnesses
keep watch
stay awake
stay awake
Additional Occurrences
Luke 21:25–36ἀγρυπνεῖτεagrypnéō
Stay awake, be watchful
Mark 13:32–37ἀγρυπνέωagrypnéō
to keep watch, remain alert
Word Origins
ἀγρυπνέω is built from these roots:
Why This Word Matters
Commands spiritual alertness.Hebrews 13:7-17
Expresses ongoing spiritual alertness.Luke 21:34–36
Describes pastoral vigilance and accountability.Mark 13:32–37
For the Preacher and Teacher
G69 describes wakeful attention that serves a defined responsibility. In Mark and Luke, disciples remain alert because they do not possess the timetable. Jesus joins watching to prayer and to standing before the Son of Man, so eschatological vigilance is humble dependence rather than speculative mastery. Ephesians turns the same alertness outward through persevering prayer for all the saints.
The armor passage does not end with individual defense; it leads into sustained intercession for the church. Hebrews then places watchfulness in shepherding care. Leaders attend to souls as those who will give an account, which makes authority answerable before it makes it influential. That accountability rules out possession, secrecy, manipulation, and indifference.
G69 should therefore never become a badge for exhaustion. A person can sleep, receive care, and practice healthy limits while remaining spiritually attentive. Nor should vigilance become constant fear of hidden threats. The object of attention matters: Christ's promise, prayer in the Spirit, the saints' needs, and entrusted care. Churches embody this word when they resist distraction, pray beyond themselves, notice danger without manufacturing panic, and require leaders to carry responsibility transparently under God.
Anchor passage
Eph.6.18
Doctrinal connections
- Mark.13.32-37 joins ignorance of the appointed time with assigned work, humble readiness, and the returning master's authority.
- Luke.21.34-36 contrasts weighed-down hearts with watchful prayer and strength to stand before the Son of Man.
- Eph.6.10-20 places persevering intercession within God's armor and extends prayer to all the saints and gospel proclamation.
- Heb.13.7-18 joins remembered examples, accountable oversight, congregational responsiveness, prayer, and Christ's unchanging lordship.
- 1Pet.5.1-4 describes shepherds serving willingly and without domination while awaiting the appearing of the Chief Shepherd.
- G1127 Supplies the broader Greek watch-and-wake field, but G69's four contexts concentrate sustained attention on prayer, readiness, and accountable care.
G69 is a present-tense active verb whose lexical image is wakefulness. Its imperative, participial, and indicative forms portray continued attention, while each complement identifies the responsibility: appointed time, prayer, all the saints, or souls under care.
From Old to New Testament
Scripture repeatedly calls servants and watchmen to remain attentive, pray, warn truthfully, and protect those entrusted to them. The New Testament centers this vigilance on Christ's return, prayer in the Spirit, and accountable church care without treating every Hebrew and Greek watch term as interchangeable.
Passage contextBook contextCanonical parallelPastoral application