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WG: Come / Arrival Vocabulary

Overview

The NT uses a cluster of words to express the concept of coming, arriving, and being present. These range from the common general verb ἔρχομαι to the technical theological noun παρουσία for Christ's official return. All share the Hebrew root H935 (בּוֹא) as their primary LXX source.

Word Group Members

Strong's Word Transliteration POS Occurrences Role in Concept Library Entry
G2064 ἔρχομαι érchomai verb 604 vv The general verb: physical movement / arrival (also messianic title "the Coming One") G2064-erchomai.md
G2240 ἥκω hḗkō verb 26 vv Arrival as achieved state: "I have arrived / I am here" — stresses presence as result TODO(need G2240 study)
G3952 παρουσία parousía noun 24 vv Technical term: royal/official arrival; the Second Coming of Christ (the "Parousia") G3952-parousia.md
G1904 ἐπέρχομαι epérchomai verb 10 vv Come upon / supervene: arrival of the Spirit, wrath, or trouble from above TODO(need G1904 study)
G3854 παραγίνομαι paragínomai verb 37 vv Formal or official arrival/appearance: often John the Baptist or Paul making an appearance TODO(need G3854 study)

Relationships

Shared Hebrew Source

All five words translate H935 (בּוֹא, bôwʼ) in the LXX — the primary Hebrew root for "come/go": - H935 → G2064 érchomai: 654 co-occ (PMI 20.33) - H935 → G2240 hḗkō: 185 co-occ (PMI 16.53) - H935 → G3854 paragínomai: 106 co-occ (PMI 14.87) - H935 → G1904 epérchomai: 35 co-occ (PMI 7.97) - H935 → G3952 parousía: (noun, derived from παρεῖναι, not directly LXX-mapped)

Co-occurrence (appear in same verses)

Word A Word B Shared Verses Typical Context
G2064 érchomai G2240 hḗkō 4 Luke 13:35 — "Ye shall not see me, until...Blessed is he that cometh [erchomai] in the name of the Lord" + ἥκω
G2064 érchomai G3854 paragínomai 2 Luke 7:20 — John's disciples arrive (paragínomai) and ask about "he that cometh" (erchomai)
G2064 érchomai G3952 parousía 1 Matt 24:39 — "the coming [parousía] of the Son of Man" in context where érchomai is also used

Semantic Distinctions

  • ἔρχομαι — neutral movement; the most common NT verb; spans all categories from physical travel to the Second Coming
  • ἥκω — resultative/stative: emphasizes that the arrival is complete and the person is now present; implies the period of expectation is over
  • παρουσία — official/royal arrival; used predominantly for Christ's Second Advent as a technical theological term; also used of Paul's personal presence vs. his letters
  • ἐπέρχομαι — directional compound: "come upon" (from ἐπί + ἔρχομαι); used of the Spirit (Luke 1:35, Acts 1:8), of wrath (Eph 2:7), of tribulation
  • παραγίνομαι — formal appearance on the scene; preferred for official figures making their debut: John the Baptist (Matt 3:1), Jesus (Matt 3:13), Paul (Acts 9:26)

Roles in the Concept

  • General action: ἔρχομαι — the unmarked verb covering all types of coming and going
  • Achieved presence: ἥκω — "I have come / I am here"; completion and presence foregrounded
  • Official event: παρουσία — the arrival as an occasion (esp. royal/divine); the Parousia
  • Coming upon: ἐπέρχομαι — descending or supervening arrival (Spirit, wrath, trouble)
  • Making an appearance: παραγίνομαι — formal public debut on the scene of history

Key Passages Where Multiple Group Words Appear

  • Luke 13:35 — "Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh [ἔρχομαι] in the name of the Lord" — Jesus quotes Ps 118:26 and ties it to the eschatological coming
  • Matt 24:37–39 — The coming [παρουσία] of the Son of Man...until the flood came [ἔρχομαι] — both terms in eschatological discourse
  • Acts 1:11 — "this same Jesus...shall so come [ἔρχομαι] in like manner" — érchomai used for the Second Coming
  • Heb 10:37 — "he that shall come [ἔρχομαι] will come, and will not tarry" — quoting LXX; emphasizes the certainty of the arrival

Generated from: gather_word_group_data.py, gather_word_data.py, pairwise co-occurrence queries Last updated: 2026-04-01