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8.
(
!
, 1209), “to receive by deliberate and ready reception of what is
offered,” is used of (a) taking with the hand, taking hold, taking hold of or up, e.g., Luke
2:28,
RV
, “he received (Him),”
KJV
, “took he (Him) up”; 16:6, 7; 22:17; Eph. 6:17; (b)
“receiving,” said of a place “receiving” a person, of Christ into the Heavens, Acts 3:21;
or of persons in giving access to someone as a visitor, e.g., John 4:45; 2 Cor. 7:15; Gal.
4:14; Col. 4:10; by way of giving hospitality, etc., e.g., Matt. 10:14, 40 (four times), 41
(twice); 18:5; Mark 6:11; 9:37; Luke 9:5, 48, 53; 10:8, 10; 16:4; v. 9, of reception, “into
the eternal tabernacles,” said of followers of Christ who have used “the mammon of
unrighteousness” to render assistance to (“make … friends of”) others; of Rahab’s
reception of the spies, Heb. 11:31; of the reception, by the Lord, of the spirit of a
departing believer, Acts 7:59; of “receiving” a gift, 2 Cor. 8:4 (in some mss.;
RV
follows
those which omit it); of the favorable reception of testimony and teaching, etc., Luke
8:13; Acts 8:14; 11:1; 17:11; 1 Cor. 2:14; 2 Cor. 8:17; 1 Thess. 1:6; 2:13, where
(No. 2) is used in the 1st part, “ye received,”
in the 2nd part, “ye
accepted,”
RV
(
KJV
, “received”), the former refers to the ear, the latter, adding the idea of
appropriation, to the heart; Jas. 1:21; in 2 Thess. 2:10, “the love of the truth,:” i.e., love
for the truth; cf. Matt. 11:14, “if ye are willing to receive it,” an elliptical construction
frequent in Greek writings; of “receiving,” by way of bearing with, enduring, 2 Cor.
11:16; of “receiving” by way of getting, Acts 22:5; 28:21, of becoming partaker of
benefits, Mark 10:15; Luke 18:17; Acts 7:38; 2 Cor. 6:1; 11:4 (last clause “did accept”:
cf.
in previous clauses); Phil. 4:18.¶
Note:
There is a certain distinction between
and
(more
pronounced in the earlier, classical use), in that in many instances
suggests a
self-prompted taking, whereas
more frequently indicates “a welcoming or an
appropriating reception” (Grimm-Thayer).
9.
(
!
, 324), “to receive gladly,” is used in Acts 28:7, of the
reception by Publius of the shipwrecked company in Melita; in Heb. 11:17, of Abraham’s
reception of God’s promises,
RV
, “gladly ( , “up,” regarded as intensive) received.”
Moulton and Milligan point out the frequency of this verb in the papyri in the legal sense
of taking the responsibility of something, becoming security for, undertaking, and say
“The predominance of this meaning suggests its application in Heb. 11:17. The statement
that Abraham had ‘undertaken,’ ‘assumed the responsibility of,’ the promises, would not
perhaps be alien to the thought.” The responsibility would surely be that of his faith in
“receiving” the promises. In Classical Greek it had the meaning of “receiving,” and it is a
little difficult to attach any other sense to the circumstances, save perhaps that Abraham’s
faith undertook to exercise the assurance of the fulfillment of the promises.¶
10.
(
!
, 588), “to welcome, to accept gladly” ( , “from”),
“to receive without reserve,” is used (a) literally, Luke 8:40,
RV
, “welcomed”; 9:11 (in
the best texts, some have No. 8); Acts 18:27; 21:17; 28:30; (b) metaphorically, Acts 2:41;
24:3, “we accept,” in the sense of acknowledging, the term being used in a tone of
respect. See
ACCEPT
, A No. 2.¶