Pronunciation Guide: pah-rah-DEKH-oh-my
Quick Answer: παραδέχομαι means to receive openly with welcoming acceptance, going beyond mere tolerance to embrace what is offered with personal interest and commitment. This Greek verb describes the heart-deep reception that leads to genuine transformation and fruitful living.
What Does παραδέχομαι Mean?
Strong’s 3858: παραδέχομαι represents a profound form of receiving that involves both intellectual acceptance and heartfelt embrace. Unlike simple reception, this Greek verb describes the act of welcoming something or someone with genuine openness, personal interest, and commitment to act upon what has been received. In biblical contexts, it often describes how believers should receive the word of יהוה (Yahweh), acknowledging its truth and allowing it to transform their lives. The word carries the sense of not merely hearing or tolerating, but actively embracing and making one’s own. When used of divine discipline in Hebrews 12:6, it reveals how יהוה receives His children with love, even in correction.
Key Insight: True reception transforms the receiver—παραδέχομαι describes receiving that leads to fruitful change.
Where Does παραδέχομαι Come From?
- Part of Speech: Deponent middle verb
- Root Words: παρά (para, “beside/near”) + δέχομαι (dechomai, “to receive”)
- Language Origin: Classical Greek from Homer onwards
- Primary Usage: To receive openly with personal welcome
- Hebrew Equivalents: רָצָה (ratsah, “to be pleased with, accept favorably”)
What Is the Historical and Cultural Context of παραδέχομαι?
The compound verb παραδέχομαι emerged in classical Greek literature, appearing in works from Homer through the Hellenistic period. The prefix παρά intensifies the basic meaning of δέχομαι, creating a word that means “to receive openly” or “to accept near,” suggesting a welcoming reception with personal interest. In modern Greek, παραδέχομαι continues to mean “to admit, accept, concede, or acknowledge,” often carrying the nuance of reluctant admission or recognition of another’s abilities.
Classical Development and Biblical Usage
In classical Greek from Homer onwards, παραδέχομαι properly meant “to receive, take up, take upon oneself,” with the derived meaning “to admit” or “not to reject”. The Septuagint translators chose this word to render the Hebrew רָצָה (ratsah) in Proverbs 3:12, where it describes how a father receives or delights in his son. This Hebrew word carries connotations of pleasure, favor, and acceptance, which παραδέχομαι captures beautifully in its Greek rendering.
Cultural Significance in Hellenistic Judaism
During the Second Temple period, παραδέχομαι became significant in describing how Jewish communities in the Diaspora received and maintained their traditions while living in Gentile cultures. The word implied not just passive acceptance but active embrace and commitment to what was received. Epictetus used the word to describe receiving genuine coins versus counterfeit ones, emphasizing discernment in reception.
Historical Summary: From Homer to the Apostolic era, παραδέχομαι evolved from simple reception to discerning, committed acceptance.
How Is παραδέχομαι Used in the Bible?
παραδέχομαι appears six times in the New Testament, consistently meaning “to accept, receive, admit, or yield assent to”. The word describes both human reception of divine truth and divine reception of human beings. In each occurrence, the emphasis falls on wholehearted, committed acceptance rather than mere acknowledgment.
The verb’s usage pattern reveals three primary contexts: receiving God’s word (Mark 4:20), accepting cultural practices (Acts 16:21), and divine reception of people (Acts 15:4, Hebrews 12:6). Each context emphasizes the relational and transformative nature of true reception.
Septuagint Connections
The word also appears in 2 Maccabees 4:22, showing its usage in inter-testamental Jewish literature. The Septuagint connection to Proverbs 3:12 provides crucial theological insight, as the Hebrew רָצָה speaks of God’s favorable disposition toward His children, even in discipline.
Usage Summary: παραδέχομαι consistently describes committed, transformative reception that leads to relationship and fruit.
- Mark 4:20 – “But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word and accept [παραδέχονται] it, and bear fruit”
- Acts 15:4 – “And when they had come to Jerusalem, they were received [παρεδέχθησαν] by the church and the apostles and the elders”
- Acts 16:21 – “And they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive [παραδέχεσθαι] or observe”
- Acts 22:18 – “And saw Him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive [παραδέξονται] your testimony concerning Me’”
- 1 Timothy 5:19 – “Do not receive [παραδέχου] an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses”
- Hebrews 12:6 – “For whom יהוה loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives [παραδέχεται]”
How Should παραδέχομαι Be Translated?
Translation Tip: Context determines whether παραδέχομαι emphasizes welcome, acceptance, acknowledgment, or reception—all involve personal commitment.
παραδέχομαι Translation Options:
| Translation | Context | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| “receive/accept” | Divine word or truth | Emphasizes the middle voice commitment to internalize |
| “welcome” | Personal reception | Highlights the hospitable, open-hearted aspect |
| “acknowledge” | Recognition contexts | Stresses the intellectual and relational admission |
| “admit” | Legal or formal settings | Focuses on the official or reluctant acceptance aspect |
| “embrace with favor” | Divine reception | Captures the loving, favorable disposition implied |
What Does παραδέχομαι Teach Us About God?
παραδέχομαι reveals profound truths about יהוה’s character and His relationship with His people. In Hebrews 12:6, the verb describes how יהוה receives His children—not merely tolerating them, but embracing them with fatherly love even in discipline. This divine reception demonstrates God’s righteousness in that He accepts us not based on our merit but through the Messiah’s work, and His justice in that genuine reception requires transformation.
The word also illuminates God’s love as active and committed. When יהוה παραδέχεται His children, He does so with full knowledge of who they are and commitment to who they will become. This reception is never passive but always purposeful, aimed at producing “the peaceable fruit of righteousness” (Hebrews 12:11). Unlike human reception which can be fickle or conditional, divine reception through παραδέχομαι is steadfast and transformative.
Theological Core: God’s παραδέχομαι reception transforms us from strangers into beloved children through committed, fatherly love.
How Can I Apply παραδέχομαι to My Life?
The call to παραδέχομαι God’s word in Mark 4:20 challenges us to examine how we receive spiritual truth. Are we merely hearing, or are we truly receiving with the commitment that leads to fruitfulness? True παραδέχομαι reception requires us to open not just our minds but our hearts, allowing the Spirit of יהוה to transform us from the inside out. This means embracing not only the comfortable promises but also the challenging commands, receiving both blessing and discipline as expressions of our Father’s love.
When we παραδέχομαι others as Acts 15:4 describes, we mirror God’s heart by welcoming fellow believers with genuine openness and commitment to relationship. This goes beyond mere tolerance to active embrace, seeing others through the Messiah’s eyes and receiving them as gifts from our heavenly Father.
Self-Examination Questions: How do I receive God’s word—with mere intellectual assent or heart-deep commitment? Do I welcome others with the same grace with which Christ has received me? Am I allowing the Holy Spirit to transform how I receive both blessings and disciplines?
What Words Are Similar to παραδέχομαι?
| Greek Word | Definition | How It Differs |
|---|---|---|
| δέχομαι (dechomai) | “to receive, accept, welcome” – See G1209 | δέχομαι is the basic form; παραδέχομαι adds intensity and personal commitment through the παρά prefix |
| προσδέχομαι (prosdechomai) | “to receive to oneself, await, expect” – See G4327 | προσδέχομαι emphasizes expectant waiting; παραδέχομαι focuses on committed acceptance |
| ἀποδέχομαι (apodechomai) | “to receive gladly, welcome” – See G588 | ἀποδέχομαι stresses joyful reception; παραδέχομαι emphasizes deep, committed acceptance |
| λαμβάνω (lambano) | “to take, receive, obtain” – See G2983 | λαμβάνω suggests active taking; παραδέχομαι implies welcoming what is offered |
Did You Know?
- What does παραδέχομαι mean in modern Greek? It primarily means “to admit” or “concede,” often reluctantly, and “to acknowledge someone’s abilities or worth.”
- How did Epictetus use παραδέχομαι? The Stoic philosopher used it to describe accepting genuine coins versus rejecting counterfeit ones, emphasizing discernment in reception.
- What’s the difference between παραδέχομαι and δέχομαι? The παρά prefix intensifies the basic meaning, adding personal interest, commitment, and closer relationship to the act of receiving.
- Why does the Bible use παραδέχομαι in Mark 4:20? It emphasizes that fruitful reception of God’s word requires more than hearing—it demands committed, heart-deep acceptance that transforms the receiver.
- How does παραδέχομαι relate to discipleship? True discipleship requires παραδέχομαι reception of the Messiah’s teachings—not mere intellectual assent but life-transforming commitment.
- What causes shallow reception today? Distractions, pride, fear of change, and lack of spiritual hunger prevent the deep, committed reception that παραδέχομαι describes.
- παραδέχομαι appears in the parable of the sower as the key difference between fruitful and fruitless hearers – those who παραδέχονται the word bear fruit thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold, demonstrating the transformative power of committed reception.
Remember This
Key Takeaway: παραδέχομαι transforms mere hearing into heart-deep reception that produces the fruit of righteousness in our lives.
