Bible Dictionaries
Receive, Receiving

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words

denotes either "to take" or "to receive," (I) literally, (a) without an object, in contrast to asking, e.g., Matthew 7:8; Mark 11:24 , RV, "have received" (the original has no object); (b) in contrast to giving, e.g., Matthew 10:8; Acts 20:35; (c) with objects, whether things, e.g., Mark 10:30; Luke 18:30 , in the best mss. (some have No. 4); John 13:30; Acts 9:19 , RV, "took" (AV, "received"); 1 Corinthians 9:25 , RV, "receive" (AV, "obtain"); or persons, e.g., John 6:21; 13:20; 16:14 , RV, "take;" 2 John 1:10; in Mark 14:65 , RV, "received (Him with blows of their hands);" this has been styled a vulgarism; (II) metaphorically, of the word of God, Matthew 13:20; Mark 4:16; the sayings of Christ, John 12:48; the witness of Christ, John 3:11; a hundredfold in this life, and eternal life in the world to come, Mark 10:30; mercy, Hebrews 4:16 , RV, "may receive" (AV, "may obtain"); a person (prosopon, see FACE), Luke 20:21 , "acceptest," and Galatians 2:6 , "accepteth," an expression used in the OT either in the sense of being gracious or kind to a person, e.g., Genesis 19:21; 32:20 , or (negatively) in the sense of being impartial, e.g., Leviticus 19:15; Deuteronomy 10:17; this latter is the meaning in the two NT passages just mentioned. See ACCEPT , A, No. 4, TAKE, etc.

Lambano and prosopon are combined in the nouns prosopolempsia, "respect of persons," and prosopolemptes, "respecter of persons," and in the verb prosopolempto, "to have respect of persons:" see PERSON.

"to receive from another" (para, "from beside"), or "to take," signifies "to receive," e.g., in Mark 7:4; John 1:11; 14:3; 1 Corinthians 11:23; 15:1,3; Galatians 1:9,12; Philippians 4:9; Colossians 2:6; 4:17; 1 Thessalonians 2:13 (1st part); 4:1; 2 Thessalonians 3:6; Hebrews 12:28 . See TAKE.

"to take up" (ana), "to take to oneself, receive," is rendered "to receive" in Mark 16:19; Acts 1:2,11,22 , RV, "He was received up" (AV, "taken"); Mark 10:16; 1 Timothy 3:16 . See TAKE.

signifies "to receive from another," (a) to "receive" as one's due (for Luke 18:30 , see No. 1); Luke 23:41; Romans 1:27; Colossians 3:24; 2 John 1:8; (b) without the indication of what is due, Luke 16:25; Galatians 4:5 (in some mss. 3 John 1:8 , for No. 7); (c) to receive back, Luke 6:34 (twice); 15:27. For its other meaning, "to take apart," Mark 7:33 , see TAKE.

denotes "to take to oneself" (pros, "to") or "to receive," always in the Middle Voice, signifying a special interest on the part of the receiver, suggesting a welcome, Acts 28:2; Romans 14:1,3; 15:7; Philemon 1:12 (in some mss; the best omit it); Philemon 1:17 . See TAKE.

"to have or get a share of, partake of" (meta, with), is rendered "receiveth" in Hebrews 6:7 . See EAT , HAVE , PARTAKE , TAKE. In the Sept., Esther 5:1 .

"to take or bear up" (hupo, "under"), "to receive," is rendered "received" in Acts 1:9 , of the cloud at the Ascension; in 3 John 1:8 , RV, "welcome" (AV, "receive"). See ANSWER , B, No. 3, SUPPOSE, WELCOME.

"to receive by deliberate and ready reception of what is offered," is used of (a) taking with the hand, taking hold, taking hold of or up, e.g., Luke 2:28 , RV, "he received (Him)," AV, "took he (Him) up;" 16:6,7; 22:17; Ephesians 6:17; (b) "receiving," said of a place "receiving" a person, of Christ into the Heavens, Acts 3:21; or of persons in giving access to someone as a visitor, e.g., John 4:45; 2 Corinthians 7:15; Galatians 4:14; Colossians 4:10; by way of giving hospitality, etc., e.g., Matthew 10:14,40 (four times),41 (twice); 18:5; Mark 6:11; 9:37; Luke 9:5,48,53; 10:8,10; 16:4; Luke 16:9 , of reception, "into the eternal tabnacles," said of followers of Christ who have used "the mammon of unrighteousness" to render assistance to ("make ... friends of") others; of Rahab's reception of the spies, Hebrews 11:31; of the reception, by the Lord, of the spirit of a departing believer, Acts 7:59; of "receiving" a gift, 2 Corinthians 8:4 (in some mss; RV follows those which omit it); of the favorable reception of testimony and teaching, etc., Luke 8:13; Acts 8:14; 11:1; 17:11; 1 Corinthians 2:14; 2 Corinthians 8:17; 1 Thessalonians 1:6; 2:13 , where paralambano (No. 2) is used in the 1st part, "ye received," dechomai in the 2nd part, "ye accepted," RV (AV, "received"), the former refers to the ear, the latter, adding the idea of appropriation, to the heart; James 1:21; in 2 Thessalonians 2:10 , "the love of the truth," i.e., love for the truth; cp. Matthew 11:14 , "if ye are willing to receive it," an elliptical construction frequent in Greek writings; of "receiving," by way of bearing with, enduring, 2 Corinthians 11:16; of "receiving" by way of getting, Acts 22:5; 28:21; of becoming partaker of benefits, Mark 10:15; Luke 18:17; Acts 7:38; 2 Corinthians 6:1; 11:4 (last clause "did accept:" cp. lambano in previous clauses); Philippians 4:18 .

Note: There is a certain distinction between lambano and dechomai (more pronounced in the earlier, classical use), in that in many instances lambano suggests a self-prompted taking, whereas dechomai more frequently indicates "a welcoming or an appropriating reception" (Grimm-Thayer).

"to receive gladly," is used in Acts 28:7 , of the reception by Publius of the shipwrecked company in Melita; in Hebrews 11:17 , of Abraham's reception of God's promises, RV, "gladly (ana, "up," regarded as intensive) received." Moulton and Milligan point out the frequency of this verb in the papyri in the legal sense of taking the responsibility of something, becoming security for, undertaking, and say "The predominance of this meaning suggests its application in Hebrews 11:17 . The statement that Abraham had 'undertaken,' 'assumed the responsibility of,' the promises, would not perhaps be alien to the thought." The responsibility would surely be that of his faith in "receiving" the promises. In Classical Greek it had the meaning of "receiving," and it is a little difficult to attach any other sense to the circumstances, save perhaps that Abraham's faith undertook to exercise the assurance of the fulfillment of the promises.

"to welcome, to accept gladly" (apo, "from"), "to receive without reserve," is used (a) literally, Luke 8:40 , RV, "welcomed;" Luke 9:11 (in the best texts, some have No. 8); Acts 18:27; 21:17; 28:30; (b) metaphorically, Acts 2:41; 24:3 , "we accept," in the sense of acknowledging, the term being used in a tone of respect. See ACCEPT , A No. 2.

"to receive into" (eis), is used only in 2 Corinthians 6:17 , where the verb does not signify "to accept," but "to admit" (as antithetic to "come ye out," and combining Isaiah 52:11 with Zephaniah 3:20 ).

lit., "to accept besides" (epi, "upon"), "to accept" (found in the papyri, of accepting the terms of a lease), is used in the sense of accepting in 3 John 1:9; in 3 John 1:10 , in the sense of "receiving" with hospitality, in each verse said negatively concerning Diotrephes.

"to receive or admit with approval" (para, "beside"), is used (a) of persons, Acts 15:4 (in some texts, No. 10); Hebrews 12:6; (b) of things, Mark 4:20 , AV, "receive" (RV, "accept"); Acts 16:21; 22:18; 1 Timothy 5:9 . In the Sept., Exodus 23:1; Proverbs 3:12 .

"to receive to oneself, to receive favorably," also "to look for, wait for," is used of "receiving" in Luke 15:2; Romans 16:2; Philippians 2:29 . See ACCEPT , A, No. 3, ALLOW, LOOK (for), TAKE, WAIT.

denotes "to receive under one's roof" (hupo, "under"), "receive as a guest, entertain hospitably," Luke 10:38; 19:6; Acts 17:7; James 2:25 .

denotes "to bear, carry," e.g., Luke 7:37; in the Middle Voice, "to bear for oneself," hence (a) "to receive," Hebrews 10:36; 11:13 (in the best texts; some have lambano, No. 1),39; 1 Peter 1:9; 5:4; in some texts in 2 Peter 2:13 (in the best mss. adikeomai, "suffering wrong," RV); (b) "to receive back, recover," Matthew 25:27; Hebrews 11:19; metaphorically, of requital, 2 Corinthians 5:10; Colossians 3:25 , of "receiving back again" by the believer at the Judgment-Seat of Christ hereafter, for wrong done in this life; Ephesians 6:8 , of "receiving," on the same occasion, "whatsoever good thing each one doeth," RV; see BRING , No. 20.

denotes (a) transitively, "to have in full, to have received;" so the RV in Matthew 6:2,5,16 (for AV, "they have"); Luke 6:24 , AV, and RV; in all these instances the present tense (to which the AV incorrectly adheres in the Matthew 6 verses) has a perfective force, consequent upon the combination with the prefix apo ("from"), not that it stands for the perfect tense, but that it views the action in its accomplished result; so in Philippians 4:18 , where the AV and RV translate it "I have;" in Philemon 1:15 , "(that) thou shouldest have (him for ever)," AV, "shouldest receive;" see HAVE , No. 2, and the reference to illustrations from the papyri of the use of the verb in receipts; (b) intransitively, "to be away, distant," used with porro, "far," Matthew 15:8; Mark 7:6; with makran, "far off, afar," Luke 7:6; 15:20; without an accompanying adverb, Luke 24:13 , "which was from." See ABSTAIN , ENOUGH , HAVE.

"to give space, make room for" (chora, "a place"), is used metaphorically, of "receiving" with the mind, Matthew 19:11,12; into the heart, 2 Corinthians 7:2 , RV, "open your hearts," marg., "make room" (AV, "receive"). See COME , No. 24, CONTAIN, No. 1, COURSE, B.

"to obtain by lot," is translated "received" in Acts 1:17 , RV (AV, "had obtained"). See LOT.

Notes: (1) In Mark 2:2 , AV, choreo is translated "there was (no) room to receive" [RV, "there was (no longer) room (for);] (2) In Revelation 13:16 , AV, didomi is translated "to receive" (marg., "to give them"), RV, "(that) there be given (them)." (3) In 2 Corinthians 7:9 , AV, zemioo, "to suffer loss" (RV), is translated "ye might receive damage." (4) In Luke 7:22 , RV, anablepo, "to recover sight," is translated "receive their sight" (AV, "see"). (5) For "received (RV, 'hath taken') tithes," Hebrews 7:6 , see TITHE. (6) For eleeo, in the Passive Voice, 2 Corinthians 4:1 , AV, "having received mercy" (RV, "obtained"), see MERCY. (7) For patroparadotos, in 1 Peter 1:18 , AV, "received by tradition from your fathers," see HANDED DOWN. (8) In the AV of Matthew 13:19,20,22,23 , speiro, "to sow seed," is translated "received seed;" see sow.

"a receiving" (akin to lambano, A, No. 1), is used in Philippians 4:15 . In the Sept., Proverbs 15:27,29 .

"a taking up" (ana, "up," and No. 1), is used in Luke 9:51 with reference to Christ's ascension; "that He should be received up" is, lit., "of the receiving up (of Him)."

"a participation, taking, receiving," is used in 1 Timothy 4:3 , in connection with food, "to be received," lit., "with a view to (eis) reception."

pros, "to," and No. 1, is used in Romans 11:15 , of the restoration of Israel.