Dictionaries :: Follow, Follow After

Follow, Follow After:

to be an akolouthos, "a follower," or "companion" (from the prefix a, here expressing "union, likeness," and keleuthos, "a way;" hence, "one going in the same way"), is used

(a) frequently in the literal sense, e.g., Mat 4:25;

(b) metaphorically, of "discipleship," e.g., Mar 8:34; 9:38; 10:21. It is used 77 times in the Gospels, of "following" Christ, and only once otherwise, Mar 14:13.

Follow, Follow After:

"to follow up, or out to the end" (ek, "out," used intensively, and No. 1), is used metaphorically, and only by the Apostle Peter in his Second Epistle: in 2Pe 1:16, of cunningly devised fables; 2Pe 2:2, of lascivious doings; 2Pe 2:15, of the way of Balaam. In the Sept., Job 31:9; Isa 56:11; Jer 2:2; Amo 2:4.

Follow, Follow After:

"to follow after, close upon" (epi, "upon," and No. 1). is used of signs "following" the preaching of the Gospel. Mar 16:20; of "following" good works, 1Ti 5:10; of sins "following" after those who are guilty of them, 1Ti 5:24; of "following" the steps of Christ, 1Pe 2:21.

Follow, Follow After:

"to follow behind or intently after" (kata, "after," used intensively, and No. 1), is used of the women on their way to Christ's tomb, Luk 23:55; of the demon-possessed maid in Philippi in "following" the missionaries, Act 16:17.

Follow, Follow After:

lit. signifying "to follow close up, or side by side," hence, "to accompany, to conform to" (para, "beside," and No. 1), is used of signs accompanying "them that believe," Mar 16:17; of tracing the course of facts, Luk 1:3, RV; of "following" the good doctrine, 1Ti 4:6, RV (AV, "attained"); similarly of "following" teaching so as to practice it, 2Ti 3:10, RV, "didst follow" (AV, "hast fully known").
See ATTAIN, KNOW, TRACE, UNDERSTAND.

Follow, Follow After:

"to follow along with, to accompany a leader" (sun, "with," and No. 1), is given its true rendering in the RV of Mar 5:37, "He suffered no man to follow with Him;" in Mar 14:51, of the young man who "followed with" Christ (inferior mss. have No. 1 here); Luk 23:49, of the women who "followed with" Christ from Galilee.

Follow, Follow After:

denotes

(a) "to drive away," Mat 23:34;

(b) "to pursue without hostility, to follow, follow after," said of righteousness, Rom 9:30; the Law, Rom 9:31; 12:13, hospitality ("given to") lit., "pursuing" (as one would a calling); the things which make for peace, Rom 14:19; love, 1Cr 14:1; that which is good, 1Th 5:15; righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness, 1Ti 6:11; righteousness, faith, love, peace, 2Ti 2:22; peace and sanctification, Hbr 12:14; peace, 1Pe 3:11;

(c) "to follow on" (used intransitively), Phl 3:12, 14, RV, "I press on;" "follow after," is an inadequate meaning.
See GIVE, PERSECUTE, PRESS, PURSUE.

Follow, Follow After:

"to follow up or closely," with the determination to find (kata, "down," intensive, giving the idea of a hard, persistent search, and No. 7), Mar 1:36, "followed after (Him)," is said of the disciples in going to find the Lord who had gone into a desert place to pray. The verb is found, e.g., in 1Sa 30:22; Psa 23:6, and with hostile intent in Gen 31:36.

Follow, Follow After:

"to become, to come into existence," is used in Rev 8:7; 11:15, 19, in the sense of taking place after, translated "there followed."
See BECOME.

Follow, Follow After:

"to come upon," or, of time, "to come on or after" (epi, "upon," and eimi, "to go"), is used in the present participle as an adjective, in reference to a day, in Act 7:26; 16:11; 20:15; 21:18; a night, Act 23:11, RV, "following," in each place (AV, "next").

Notes:

(1) In Luk 13:33, the present participle, Middle Voice, of the verb echo, "to have, to be next," is used with the article, the word hemera, "a day," being understood, signifying "the day following."

(2) In Jhn 1:43; 6:22 the adverb epaurion with the article, "on the morrow," is translated "the day following" in the AV.
See MORROW.

(3) In Act 21:1 the adverb hexes, in order, next, is translated "the day following" (AV).

(4) Mimeomai, "to imitate, be an imitator," is so translated always in the RV, where the AV uses the verb "to follow;" it is always used in a good sense, 2Th 3:7, 9; Hbr 13:7; 3Jo 1:11. So with the nouns mimetes, "an imitator," and summimetes, "an imitator together."
See IMITATE, IMITATOR.

(5) In Mat 4:19, deute, "come hither," with opiso, "after," is translated "come ye after," RV (AV, "follow").

(6) In Mat 27:62, RV, the phrase eimi meta, "to be after," is translated "(which) is (the day) after" (AV, "that followed").

(7) In 1Pe 1:11, the phrase meta tauta, lit., "after these things," is translated "that should follow," said of glories after the sufferings of Christ.

(8) In Luk 22:49, the phrase to esomenon, lit. "the (thing) about to be" (from eimi, "to be"), is translated "what would follow."

(9) In Act 3:24, the adverb kathexes, "successively, in order," is translated "(them) that followed after," i.e., those who succeeded (him), lit., "the (ones) successively (to him)." Cp. Note (3) above.
See AFTERWARD.