the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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Language Studies
Greek Thoughts
apokaradokia - απεκδεχομαι (Strong's #603)
Waiting expectantly with uplifted head looking afar'
The Roman Letter was written by the apostle Paul while in Corinth, in approximately A.D. 58 when he was about to visit Jerusalem with an offering for the poor saints (Romans 15:23-28 cp. Acts 20:2,3; 24:17; also, Romans 16:21-23, cp. Acts 20:4 and 1 Corinthians 1:14). It was sent by Phebe (Romans 16:1), a deaconess of Cenchrae, the eastern port of Corinth. The Jewish and proselyte sojourners of Rome (Acts 2:10) who heard the apostles on the day of Pentecost were undoubtedly the founders of the church of Christ (Romans 16:16) in their native city. A majority of the Christians at Rome during that time were of Jewish origin, hence the apostle's frequent references to the Mosaic Law, but there were also many Gentiles in the church (Romans 1:13-15; 15:5,6). Our focus in this week's word study will be on an exhilarating eschatological passage in this Epistle where the inspired apostle Paul states: "For the earnest expectation of the creation waiteth for the revealing of the sons of God" (Romans 8:19). The noun in this sentence, αποκαραδοκια (Strong's #603), and translated "earnest expectation" is a long compound word found only here and in Philippians 1:20. It is composed of three roots, απο, "from, from afar;" καρα, "the head;" and δοκευω, "to wait for, to expect;" hence, literally, "the waiting expectation with uplifted head looking afar." Vincent states, "απο from, implies abstraction, the attention turned from other objects." F1 Parkhurst defines αποκαραδοκια as: "Attentive or earnest expectation, or looking for, as with the neck stretched out, and the head thrust forward."F2 Bagster affirms: "to watch with the head stretched out, to keep an eager look-out."F3 Finally, Meyer says the term correctly means: "waiting expectation that continues on the strain till the goal is attained."F4 Thus, the idea of the word is one who waits with his head raised, and his eyes steadfastly fixed on the point in the distance from which the expected object will appear. We may see it illustrated in J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, the Return of the King, where the watchmen were to look expectantly across the mountains for the far off beacon fires that would announce Gondor's call for aid. It can also be illustrated in one who stands on the station platform, anxiously bending forward to catch the first glimpse of the oncoming locomotive as it appears from far around the bend. Thus, by the vividness of the original language we see painted before us a much clearer portrait than our English rendering "earnest expectation!"
The verb in this sentence, απεκδεχεται (Strong's #553), translated "waiteth for," is also a rare long compound word and is equally exciting and noteworthy. It is made up of two prepositions, απο, "from, from afar;" εκ, "out of, forth from;" and the verb δεχομαι, "to receive;" hence, literally, "to receive forth from another extended from afar." Thayer says it means to "assiduously and patiently wait for."F5 Parkhurst states: "to wait with earnest expectation and desire, to expect earnestly."F6 The word occurs in Philippians 3:20 where it is translated "look for" (KJV) or "eagerly wait" (NKJV, NASB), indicating the intense feeling of eminency characteristic of those in the first century who were actively watching for the coming of the Lord from glory. Thus, it suggests the idea of receiving something from the hands of another who extends it from a far distance. By joining the thoughts embedded in both the noun and the verb of the sentence whose meanings we have just considered, we see the portrait of a groaning, sin-afflicted creation, standing, as it were, on tip-toe, with outstretched neck and head lifted, looking eagerly along the vista of the years for the first faint gleams which signify its "deliverance from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God" (Romans 8:21). Once again the vibrant and colorful depiction of the original language better illustrates to us the intent of the apostle! Literally translated the passage reads: "For I reckon that the sufferings of the present time are not comparable to the glory about to be unveiled unto us; for the waiting expectation with uplifted head looking afar of the creation does assiduously wait to receive from afar the unveiling of the sons of God" (Romans 8:18,19).
In order to comprehend this exciting but complex eschatological passage one must realize that in the first eleven chapters Paul is contrasting two dispensations, the Mosaic and the Christian and the two peoples of God's elect, namely, the Jews and the Gentiles. Without keeping the entire seventh and eighth chapters in the backdrop of the apostle's contrast between the Mosaic law of the flesh and the gospel law of the Spirit one will miss the import of the passage and the argument Paul is expounding. I'll conclude with a quick outline of the Roman Letter. Hopefully, it will assist the student of the scriptures in their study of this powerful Epistle written by the inspired apostle Paul. The two great divisions of the Letter are chapters one through eleven (primarily doctrinal), and chapters twelve through sixteen (primarily practical). Another way to look at the Epistle is to divide it into the following five sections: chapters one through five (addresses justification); chapters six through eight (concerns sanctification); chapters nine through eleven (on calling and election); chapters twelve through fifteen (concerns Christian practice); and finally, chapter fifteen verse fourteen through chapter sixteen (is the apostle's conclusion).
FOOTNOTES:
F1: M.R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament, Vol. 2 (Florida: MacDonald Publishing Company), pg., 709.
F2: John Parkhurst, M.A., A Greek And English Lexicon To The New Testament (London: T. Davison, Whitefriars, 1812), pg., 68.
F3: Samuel Bagster, The Analytical Greek Lexicon (London: Samuel Bagster and Son, 1852), pg., 43.
F4: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer, TH.D., Critical and Exegetical Handbook To The Epistle To The Romans, vol. 5 (Peabody, Massachusetts, 1983 reprint of 6th edition of 1884), pg., 319, 320.
F5: Joseph Henry Thayer, D.D., Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1901), pg., 56.
F6: John Parkhurst, M.A., A Greek And English Lexicon To The New Testament (London: T. Davison, Whitefriars, 1812), pg., 62.
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Bill Klein has been a pastor, counselor, and educator for the past 41 years. He has had extensive training and education in biblical languages, and has authored a Biblical Greek course.
He is currently serving as Professor of Biblical Greek at Master's Graduate School of Divinity, and president of BTE Ministries - The Bible Translation and Exegesis Institute of America, a non-profit organization located in California that provides Bible study tapes and Greek study materials through their website BTEMinistries.org.
