Quick Definition
ἀσπάζομαι v. I greet, salute, pay my respects to
Strong's Definition
from 1 (as a particle of union) and a presumed form of 4685; to enfold in the arms, i.e. (by implication) to salute, (figuratively) to welcome
KJV Usage: embrace, greet, salute, take leave
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
verb | ἀσπάζομαι
verb | ἀπασπάζομαι · ἀσπασμός
33.20 · Communication · Discourse Types
to greet, to send greetings to employ certain set phrases as a part of the process of greeting, whether communicated directly or indirectly It is possible that in some contexts ἀσπάζομαι[a] could be interpreted as ‘to visit,’ so that in ACT 18:22 one may render ἀσπασάμενος τὴν ἐκκλησίαν as ‘visiting the church’ rather than as ‘greeting the church.’
MAT 10:12 · MRK 9:15 · MRK 15:18 · LUK 1:40 · LUK 10:4 · ACT 18:22 · ACT 21:7 · ACT 21:19 · ACT 25:13 · ROM 16:3 · ROM 16:5 · ROM 16:6 · ROM 16:7 · ROM 16:8 · ROM 16:9 · ROM 16:10 · ROM 16:10 · ROM 16:11 · ROM 16:11 · ROM 16:12 · ROM 16:12 · ROM 16:13 · ROM 16:14 · ROM 16:15 · ROM 16:16 · ROM 16:16 · ROM 16:21 · ROM 16:22 · ROM 16:23 · ROM 16:23 · 1CO 16:19 · 1CO 16:19 · 1CO 16:20 · 1CO 16:20 · 2CO 13:12 · 2CO 13:12 · PHP 4:21 · PHP 4:21 · PHP 4:22 · COL 4:10 · COL 4:12 · COL 4:14 · COL 4:15 · 1TH 5:26 · 2TI 4:19 · 2TI 4:21 · TIT 3:15 · TIT 3:15 · PHM 1:23 · HEB 11:13 · HEB 13:24 · HEB 13:24 · 1PE 5:13 · 1PE 5:14 · 2JN 1:13 · 3JN 1:15 · 3JN 1:15
25.130 · Attitudes and Emotions · Happy, Glad, Joyful
to be happy about, to anticipate with pleasure to be happy about something, on the basis that it would prove particularly welcome (thus implying a type of future orientation) In order to render the future implications of ἀσπάζομαι in HEB 11:13, one may be able to translate ‘and looked forward with happiness to what was going to happen.’ For another interpretation of ἀσπάζομαι in HEB 11:13, see ἀσπάζομαι[c] 34.55.
34.55 · Association · Welcome, Receive
to welcome, to accept gladly to welcome something or someone, with focus upon the initial greeting In some languages, however, it may be difficult to speak of ‘welcoming promises,’ but one can often render this relationship as ‘they were happy to know about what had been promised.’ For another interpretation of ἀσπάζομαι in HEB 11:13, see ἀσπάζομαι[b] 25.130.
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
ἀσπάζομαι ; [impf. ἠσπαζόμην] ; 1 aor. ἠἡσπασάμην ; (fr. σπάω with a intensive [q. y., but cf. ν᾽ ἀπιζθκ p. 1163 ; Curtius, Das Verbum, i. 324 sq.]; hence prop. to draw to one’s self [W. § 38, 7 fin.]; cf. doxaipw for σκαίρω. ἀσπαίpo for σπαίρω, ἀσπαρίζω for σπαρίζω) ; [fr. Hom. down]; a. with an acc. of the pers., to salute one, greet, bid welcome, wish well to, (the Israelites, on meeting and at parting, generally used the formula 7 DI7W); used of those accosting any one: Mt. x. 12; Mk. ix. 15; xv. 18; Lk. i. 40; Acts xxi. 19. of those who visit one to see him a little while, departing almost immediately afterwards: Acts xviii. 22; xxi. 7; like the Lat. sa/utare, our ‘pay one’s respects to,’ of those who show regard for a distinguished person by visiting him: Acts xxv. 13, (Joseph. antt. 1,19, 5;6,11,1). of those who greet one whom they meet in the way: Mt. v.47 (in the East even now Christians and Mohammedans do not salute each other) ; Lk. x. 4 (asa salutation was made not merely by a slight gesture and a few words, but generally by embracing and kissing, a journey was retarded by saluting frequently). of those departing and bidding farewell: Acts xx. 1; xxi. 6 [RG]. of the absent, saluting by letter: Ro. xvi. 3, 5-23; 1 Co. xvi. 19; 2 Co. xiii. 12 (13); Phil. iv. 21 sq.; Col. iv. 10-12, 14 sq.; 1 Th. ν. 26, ete. ἐν φιλήματι: Ro. xvi. 16; 1 Co. xvi. 20; 2 Co. xiii. 12; 1 Pet. v.14. b. with an ace. of the thing, to receive joyfully, welcome : ras ἐπαγγελίας, Heb. xi. 13, (τὴν συμφοράν, Eur. Ion 587; τὴν εὔνοιαν, Joseph. antt. 6, 5, 3 ; τοὺς λόγους, ibid. 7, 8, 4; so saluto, Verg. Aen. 3, 524). [Comp.: ἀπ-ασπάζομαι.
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
ἀσπάζομαι aspazomai 59x
to salute, greet, welcome, express good wishes, pay respects, Mt. 10:12; Mk. 9:15, et al. freq.; to bid farewell, Acts 20:1; 21:6; to treat with affection, Mt. 5:47; met. to embrace mentally, welcome to the heart of understanding, Heb. 11:13
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
ἀσπάζομαι depon.,
[in LXX: Ez 18:7, Jg 18:15 (לְשָׁלוֹם שָׁאַל), Es 5:2, I Mac 7:29, al.;]
to welcome, greet, salute: c. acc. pers., Mt 5:47, Mk 9:15, Ac 21:7, al.; id. seq. ἐν φιλήματι, Ro 16:16, I Co 16:20, II Co 13:12, I Th 5:26, I Pe 5:14; τ. ἐκκλησίαν (Deiss., BS, 257), Ac 18:22; as term. tech. for conveying greetings at the end of a letter (MM, s.v.), used by an amanuensis (Milligan, NTD, 23), Ro 16:22 (on the aoristic pres., here and elsewhere, v. M, Pr., 119; Bl., § 56, 4); κατήντησαν . . . ἀσπασάμενοι (on this constr., v. Bl., § 58, 4; M, Pr., 132, 238), Ac 25:13 (cf. ἀπ-ασπάζομαι).†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
ἀσπάζομαι. The papyri have shown conclusively that this common NT word was the regular ¢erm. tech. for conveying the greetings at the end of a letter. Examples are BGU IV. 1079*f(A.D. 41) (= Selections, p. 40) ἀσπάζου Διόδωρον pler’] ἄλων (Δ ἄλλων)... ἀσπάζου ᾿Αρποχράτη[ν], 22. 11. 423!8f (ii/A.D.) (= Selections, p. 91) ἄσπασαι Καπίτων[α πο]λλὰ καὶ το[ὺς] ἀδελφούς [μ]ου καὶ Σιεϊρήνιϊ]λλαν καὶ τοὺς] φίλους [μ]ου, etc. As showing how much the absence of these greetings was felt, we may quote P Giss I. 787 (ii/A.D.) ἡ μικρά μου “Hpa8[o]is γράφουσα τῶι πατρὶ ἐμὲ οὐκ dorifeται κ[α]ὶ διὰ τί οὐκ οἶδα, and P Grenf I. ς 35: (iv/a.p.) ᾿Αλλοῦς πολλά σοι ἀπειλί(εῖ), ἐπὶ γὰρ πολλάκις γράψας καὶ πάντας ἀσπασάμενος αὐτὴν μόνον οὐκ ἠσπάσου. The use of the Ist pers. ἀσπάζομαι by Tertius in Rom 16*!, the only ex. of this exact formula in the NT, may be paralleled from P Oxy VII. 106775 (iii/A.D.) where to a letter from a certain Helene to her brother, their father Alexander adds the postscript—Kay ᾿Αλέξανδρος ὁ πία]τὴρ ὑμῶν ἀσπάζομαι ὑμᾶς ἀσπασμός 80 πολλά. (As there is no change of hand, both Helene and her father would seem to have employed an amanuensis : see the editor’s note). When several persons are included in a greeting, the phrase kat’ ὄνομα often occurs (as in 3 Jn’) e.g. BGU I. 2765 (ii/iii A.D.) ἀσπάζομαι ὑμᾶς πάντες κατ᾽ ὄνομ(α), καὶ ᾿Ωριγ[έϊνης ὑμᾶς ἀσπάζεται πάντες, P Oxy III. 535327. (ii/iili A.D.) ἀσπάσασθε τὸν μεικρὸν Σερῆνον καὶ Κοπρέα καὶ το[ὺ]ς ἡμῶν πάντας κατ᾽ ὄνομα. Add Ρ Fay 1855 (Α.Ὁ. 110) ἀσπάζου τοὺς φιλοῦντές σε πάντες πρὸς ἀλήθιαν (cf. 2 Jn', 3 Jn!) and the Christian Psenosiris letter P Grenf II. 734 (late iii/A.D.) (= Se/ectzons, p. 117) where immediately after the address we find mpd τῶν ὅλων πολλά σε ἀσπάζομαι Kal τοὺς παρὰ col πάντας ἀδελφοὺς ἐν Θι(ε)ῷ. For ἀ. = ‘‘ pay one’s respects to,’’as in Ac 251", see BGU I. 3763 (A.D. 171) ἠσπάσατο τὸν λαμπρότατον ἡγ[εμόϊΪνα, and 74. 2481 (ii/A.p.) θεῶν δὲ βουλομένων πάν[τ]ως μετὰ τὰ Σουχεῖα σὲ ἀσπάσομαι (cited by Deissmann, BS p. 257), and from the inscriptions OG/S 219% (iii/B.c.) ἀσπασάμενοι αὐτὸν παρὰ tlov δήμου], Sy// 3184 (B.c. 118) a deputation is sent οἵτινες πορευθέντες πρὸς αὐτὸν Kal ἀσπασάμενοι παρὰ τῆς πόλεως καὶ συνχαρέντες ἐπὶ τῶι ὑγιαίνειν αὐτόν τε καὶ τὸ στρατόπεδον κτλ.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
ἀσπάζομαι (aspazomai) — to pay respects to. ἀσπάζομαι, Epic dialect aorist ἀσπάσσατο[Refs]:—welcome kindly, greet, τινά[Refs 8th c.BC+]; μεγάλως ἠσπάζοντο αὐτόν received him with great joy, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: frequently with no modal word, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; especially as the common form on meeting, Στρεψιάδην ἀσπάζομαι[Refs 5th c.BC+]; πόρρωθεν ἀ. salute from a distance, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; πρόσωθεν αὐτὴν ἁγνὸς ὢν ἀ. I salute her at a respectful distance, i. e. keep away from her, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἀ. ταῖς κώπαις, of the saluting of ships, [Refs 1st c.AD+]; ἀ. τινὰ βασιλέα to hail or salute as king, [Refs 1st c.BC+] to bid the event welcome, [Refs 5th c.BC+] __b take leave of, [Refs]; τὰ ὕστατα ἀ. take a last farewell, [Refs 5th c.BC+] __c as a formula in closing letters, [NT+1st c.AD+]
2. from the modes of salutation in use, kiss, embrace, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; of dogs, fawn, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; cling fondly to, ἴσον σ᾽ ὡς τεκοῦσ᾽ ἀσπάζομαι[Refs 5th c.BC+]
3. of things, follow eagerly, cleave to, ἀ. τὸ ὅμοιον, οἶνον, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; of dogs, ἀ. τὰ ἴχνη[Refs 5th c.BC+]
4. ἀ. ὅτι.. to be glad that.., [Refs 5th c.BC+]
5. with infinitive, to be ready to.., εὐωχεῖσθαι[Refs 2nd c.AD+](active ἀσπάζω in letters (cf. I. C), [Refs 3rd c.AD+]