Exploring the Meaning of Paraginomai in Greek

Paraginomai means “to come,” describing arrivals and approaches that move a scene forward in the Gospels. In the passages listed here it marks the entrance of people (or groups) onto the narrative stage, whether in public ministry, private requests, travel, or confrontation.

Occurrences

“Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying,” (Matthew 2:1)

Here the verb frames the appearance of “wise men from the east” in Jerusalem. Their coming is not simply movement from one place to another; it initiates speech (“saying,”) and begins an inquiry that affects the city and its ruler (“in the days of King Herod”). The scene’s focus rests on their arrival as the catalyst for what follows.

“In those days, John the Baptizer came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying,” (Matthew 3:1)

The coming of John is paired with his public activity: “preaching in the wilderness of Judea.” The verb anchors the start of his visible ministry in a defined setting. It presents John as entering the narrative as a herald whose arrival immediately expresses itself in proclamation (“saying,”).

“Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him.” (Matthew 3:13)

Jesus’ coming is portrayed with origin (“from Galilee”), destination (“to the Jordan”), and purpose (“to John, to be baptized by him”). The verb carries the weight of deliberate approach toward a person and a moment, not merely a change of location. The line is structured so that the coming sets up a specific interaction between Jesus and John.

“Immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, came—and with him a multitude with swords and clubs, from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders.” (Mark 14:43)

The verb marks a sudden entry into an already tense moment (“Immediately, while he was still speaking”). Judas’ coming is amplified by the company he brings: “a multitude with swords and clubs,” and by the authorities standing behind them (“from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders”). In this context, coming signals the arrival of pressure and danger; the movement into the scene changes its direction at once.

“When they came to Jesus, they begged him earnestly, saying, ‘He is worthy for you to do this for him,” (Luke 7:4)

The coming here is relational and petitionary: “they came to Jesus” in order to “beg him earnestly.” The verb introduces an approach that seeks access and response. The arrival is immediately connected to speech addressed to Jesus and to an appeal on someone else’s behalf (“for him”).

“When the men had come to him, they said, ‘John the Baptizer has sent us to you, saying, ‘Are you he who comes, or should we look for another?’ ”” (Luke 7:20)

The men’s coming is explicitly commissioned (“John the Baptizer has sent us to you”). The verb sets up a formal inquiry delivered in person. Their arrival leads directly to a question about identity and expectation (“Are you he who comes…”), so that the act of coming functions as the vehicle for testimony and questioning.

“His mother and brothers came to him, and they could not come near him for the crowd.” (Luke 8:19)

The verb is used twice in this sentence to contrast intention with impediment. First, it reports the family’s arrival at Jesus’ location (“came to him”); then it states their inability to complete the approach (“could not come near him”) because of “the crowd.” Coming is therefore pictured as both arrival and attempted nearness, with physical access becoming a key issue in the scene.

“for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him,’” (Luke 11:6)

In this everyday setting, the coming is the arrival of a traveler (“from a journey”) that creates an immediate social obligation: hospitality (“I have nothing to set before him”). The verb frames the situation that drives the request in the surrounding story: someone’s arrival brings practical need and urgency.

“Do you think that I have come to give peace in the earth? I tell you, no, but rather division.” (Luke 12:51)

Here the verb is placed on Jesus’ lips to speak of his own coming and its perceived purpose. The sentence is shaped as a corrective question and answer: not “peace in the earth,” but “division.” Within the quoted words, coming is presented as decisive entry with far-reaching effects, and the verb holds together the idea of arrival with its consequences for those on earth.

““That servant came, and told his lord these things. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor, maimed, blind, and lame.’” (Luke 14:21)

The servant’s coming is a return with a report: he “came, and told his lord these things.” The verb marks the transition from attempted invitations (implied by “these things”) to the master’s new command. Coming functions as the hinge between one stage of the master’s plan and the next, with the servant’s arrival delivering information that provokes action (“being angry… Go out quickly…”).

“The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten more minas.’” (Luke 19:16)

The coming is formal and accountable: “came before him,” followed by a verbal report addressing “Lord.” The verb signals an appearance in the presence of authority for the purpose of giving an account. The arrival sets the stage for evaluation, with the servant’s words presenting results (“your mina has made ten more minas”).

“Jesus said to the chief priests, captains of the temple, and elders, who had come against him, ‘Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs?” (Luke 22:52)

The verb identifies the approach of an official group in hostile posture: they “had come against him.” Jesus’ question highlights the manner and implication of their coming—armed as if confronting “a robber,” “with swords and clubs.” Coming here is not neutral arrival but a coordinated advance that Jesus publicly interrogates.

Sense and Usage

Across these passages, “to come” regularly does more than register motion; it introduces a new actor, initiates a speech-act, or shifts the scene into a fresh phase. In Matthew 2:1 and Matthew 3:1 the verb brings key figures onto the stage—first the wise men, then John—and in both cases the coming immediately opens into speaking (“saying,”) and public consequence. Matthew 3:13 shows the verb carrying directional detail (“from… to…”) and an expressed aim (“to be baptized by him”), so that coming becomes a purposeful approach to a person and an event.

Several Lukan examples cluster around coming to Jesus as a way of seeking access and response. Luke 7:4 places coming at the start of earnest entreaty; Luke 7:20 places it at the start of a delegated question; Luke 8:19 shows that coming can be thwarted in its intended closeness (“could not come near him for the crowd”), distinguishing being present in the vicinity from gaining effective nearness. In Luke 22:52, by contrast, those who come do so “against him,” and the verb readily supports that adversarial framing within the sentence itself.

Other uses highlight how an arrival creates obligation or accountability. Luke 11:6 treats coming as the arrival of a guest that generates the immediate need to provide food. Luke 14:21 and Luke 19:16 portray coming as appearing before one who has authority—a master or lord—either to deliver a report (“told his lord these things”) or to present results (“your mina has made ten more minas”). Mark 14:43 intensifies the idea of coming through timing (“Immediately”) and through the contingent that arrives with Judas, showing how the verb can carry narrative force when an arrival changes the situation at once.

Luke 12:51 uses the same verb in a self-referential saying of Jesus, connecting coming with its stated effect in the world. Within that single line, coming is treated as decisive entrance whose outcome is contested expectation—“peace” imagined, “division” announced—so the verb bears an explanatory load beyond travel, linking presence with consequence.

Imagery in Context

The scenes attached to this verb are often vivid: travelers arriving from far places (Matthew 2:1), a preacher appearing in the wilderness (Matthew 3:1), a purposeful walk toward the Jordan (Matthew 3:13), a crowd arriving armed (Mark 14:43), family pressing through a crowd (Luke 8:19), and officials advancing with “swords and clubs” (Luke 22:52). Even when the text is administrative or domestic—servants reporting (Luke 14:21; Luke 19:16) or a friend arriving late from a journey (Luke 11:6)—the verb keeps the narrative grounded in concrete approaches that demand a response from those who are met.

Sources: Lexical data from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance and the Translators Brief Lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (STEPBible, CC BY). Occurrence data from the Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament (STEPBible, CC BY). Scripture quotations from the World English Bible (public domain).