ὀπίσω ((perhaps) from ἡ ὄπις; and this from ἐπω, ἕπομαι, to follow (but cf. Vanicek, p. 530)), adverb of place and time, from Homer down; the Sept. for ΰΗηΗψ, ΰΘηεψ and especially for ΰΗηΒψΕι; (at the) back, behind, after; 1. adverbially of place: ἑστάναι, Luk_7:38; ἐπιστρέψαι ὀπίσω, back, Mat_24:18 (ὑποστρέφειν ὀπίσω, Josephus, Antiquities 6, 1, 3); τά ὀπίσω, the things that are behind, Php_3:13 (14); εἰς τά ὀπίσω ἀπέρχεσθαι, to go backward, Vulg.abire retrorsum, Joh_18:6; to return home, of those who grow recreant to Christ's teaching and cease to follow him, Joh_6:66; στρέφεσθαι, to turn oneself back, Joh_20:14; ἐπιστρέφειν, to return back to places left, Mar_13:16; Luk_17:31; ὑποστρέψαι εἰς τά ὀπίσω, tropically, of those who return to the manner of thinking and living already abandoned, 2Pe_2:21 Lachmann; βλέπειν (Vulg. (aspicere or)respicere retro (A. V. to look back)), Luk_9:62. 2. By a usage unknown to Greek authors, as a preposition with the genitive (Winers Grammar, § 54, 6; Buttmann, § 146, 1); a. of place: Rev_1:10 (WH marginal reading ὄπισθεν); (Num_25:8; Son_2:9); in phrases resembling the Hebrew (cf. Winers Grammar, 30; Buttmann, as above and 172 (150)): ὀπίσω τίνος ἔρχεσθαι to follow anyone as a guide, to be his disciple or follower, Mat_16:24; Luk_9:23; Mar_8:34 R L Tr marginal reading WH; (cf. Luk_14:27); also ἀκολουθεῖν, Mar_8:34 G T Tr text; Mat_10:38 (see ἀκολουθέω, 2 at the end); πορεύεσθαι, to join oneself to one as an attendant and follower, Luk_21:8 (Sir_46:10); to seek something one lusts after, 2Pe_2:10 (cf. Winers Grammar, 594 (553); Buttmann, 184 (160)); ἀπέρχομαι ὀπίσω τίνος, to go off in order to follow one, to join one's party, Mar_1:20; Joh_12:19; to run after a thing which one lusts for (cf. Buttmann, as above), ἑτέρας σαρκός, Jud_1:7; δεῦτε ἐπίσω μου (see δεῦτε, 1), Mat_4:19; Mar_1:17; ἀποστέλλειν τινα ὀπίσω τίνος, Luk_19:14; ἀφισταναι, ἀποσπᾶν, τινα ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ, to draw one away to (join) his party, Act_5:37; Act_20:30; ἐκτρέπεσθαι, to turn out of the right path, turn aside from rectitude, 1Ti_5:15; by a pregnant construction, after θαυμάζειν, to wonder after i. e. to be drawn away by admiration to follow one (Buttmann, 185 (160f)), Rev_13:3 (πᾶς ὁ λαός ἐξέστη ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ, 1Sa_13:7); ὕπαγε ὀπίσω μου (A. V. get thee behind me), out of my sight: Luk_4:8 R L brackets; Mat_4:10 (G L brackets); ; Mar_8:33. b. of time, after: ἐρήξεσθαι ὀπίσω τίνος, to make his public appearance after (subsequently to) one, Mat_3:11; Mar_1:7; Joh_1:15; Joh_1:27; Joh_1:30 (ὀπίσω τοῦ σαββάτου, Neh_13:19).

ὀπίσω opisō 35x can function as an improper prep., behind, after, at one s back, Mat_4:10 ; Luk_7:38 ; Rev_1:10 ; τὰ ὀπίσω , the things which are behind, Php_3:13 ; ὀπίσω and εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω , back, backwards, Mat_24:18 ; Mar_13:16 ; Luk_9:62 , when an improper prep., takes the gen.

ὀπίσω , adv. of place and time, [in LXX chiefly for H310 and cogn . forms;] 1. prop ., as in cl ., adv. , (a) of time (not in NT); (b) of place, back, behind, after: Mat_24:18 , Luk_7:38 ; τὰ ὀ ., Php_3:13 ; εἰς τὰ ὀ ., Mar_13:16 , Luk_9:62 ; Luk_17:31 , Joh_6:66 ; Joh_18:6 ; Joh_20:14 . 2. By a usage not found in cl ., and in LXX representing the Heb . prep . H310 (Bl., § 40, 8; Thackeray, Gr. , 46 f .), but also prob. general in vernacular ( M , Pr., 99), as prep . c . gen .; (a) of time, after: Mat_3:11 , Mar_1:7 Joh_1:15 ; Joh_1:27 ; Joh_1:30 ; (b) of place, behind, after: Mat_4:19 ; Mat_10:38 ; Mat_16:23-24 , Mar_1:17 ; Mar_1:20 ; Mar_8:33-34 , Luk_9:33 ; Luk_14:27 ; Luk_19:14 ; Luk_21:8 , 2Pe_2:10 , Jud_1:7 , Rev_1:10 ; Rev_12:15 ; in constr. praegn. ( v. Swete on Re, l.c .), Joh_12:19 , Act_5:17 ; Act_20:30 , 1Ti_5:15 , Rev_13:3 .†

ὀπίσω [page 453] For ὄπισθεν ( Rev_5:1 like Juvenal s scriptus et in tergo necdum finitus Orestes : i. 6), cf. P Tebt I. 58 recto .37 (B.C. 111) τἀπίλοιπα ὀπείσωι , continued on the back, and similarly ib. 178 (late ii/B.C.). For another form of P.T.O. we may cite P Rev L xli. 13 (B.C. 259 8) ἔξω ὅρα . See also Meyer Ostr 61 .15 (iii/B.C.) ὀπίσω , turn over, at the end of an account, though as a matter of fact nothing is written on the reverse side of the sheet, and BGU III. 1002 .16 (B.C. 55), where, at the end of a contract, we find ἐπεγράφησαν ἐκ τῶν ὀπίσω μαρτύρω <ν > ( l. ἐκ τοῦ ὀπίσω μάρτυρες ), with reference to the names of the sixteen witnesses on the back. The superlative ὀπιστωτάτη occurs in Preisigke 4308 .5 (iii/B.C. ?), unfortunately with lacunae before and after. On the Hebraistic influence in such a phrase as ζητεῖν ὀπίσω τινός ( Job_39:8 ) see Thackeray Gr. i. p. 47, and on the survival of (ὀ )πίσω in MGr cf. Moulton Proleg. p. 99.

ὀπίσω [Etym: ὄπις] of Place, "backwards", opp. to πρόσω, Il. :—in Prose also τὸ ὀπίσω, contr. τοὐπίσω, Hdt. , attic "back, back again", i. e. by the same way as one came, Od. , Hdt. "again", ἀνακτᾶσθαι ὀπ. Hdt. , etc. c. gen., δεῦτε ὀπ. μου come "after" me, follow me, NTest. of Time, "hereafter", since the future is unseen or "behind" us, whereas "the past" is known and "before" our eyes, Hom. ; ἅμα πρόσσω καὶ ὀπ. λεύσσει Il. ; οὔτ᾽ ἐνθάδ᾽ ὁρῶν οὔτ᾽ ὀπίσω neither present nor "future", Soph. ἐν τοῖσι ὀπίσω λόγοις in the "following" books, Hdt.

ὀπίσω adv. of place and time, [in LXX chiefly for אַחַר and cogn. forms ;] __1. prop., as in cl., adv., __(a) of time (not in NT); __(b) of place, back, behind, after: Mat.24:18, Luk.7:38; τὰ ὀ., Php.3:13; εἰς τὰ ὀ., Mrk.13:16, Luk.9:62 17:31, Jhn.6:66 18:6 20:14. __2. By a usage not found in cl., and in LXX representing the Heb. prep. אַחַר (Bl., § 40, 8; Thackeray, Gr., 46 f.), but also prob. general in vernacular (M, Pr., 99), as prep. with genitive; __(a) of time, after: Mat.3:11, Mrk.1:7 Jhn.1:15, 27 1:30; __(b) of place, behind, after: Mat.4:19 10:38 16:23-24, Mrk.1:17, 20 8:33-34, Luk.9:33 14:27 19:14 21:8, 2Pe 2;10, Ju 7, Rev.1:10 12:15; in constr. praegn. (see Swete on Re, l.with), Jhn.12:19, Act.5:17 20:30, 1Ti.5:15, Rev.13:3.† (AS)