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"with" or "together" is never found in combination with either of these Greek words;
another word, bearing a slightly different meaning is employed, and it is the imperative
duty of all who teach to recognize the Spirit's choice, and refrain from building upon
inadequate translations. The word translated "raise together" or "to raise with" is
sunegeiro, a compound of sun "with" and egeiro "to rouse". This word occur in eight
different forms in the N.T. and an examination of them must be undertaken before we can
safely proceed.
Egeiro. There are three occasions where the A.V. translates the word in its primary
sense:
"His disciples . . . . . AWOKE Him" (Matt. 8: 25).
"It is high time to AWAKE out of sleep" (Rom. 13: 11).
"AWAKE thou that sleepest" (Eph. 5: 14).
In the passage quoted from Eph. 5: 14 we shall discover that the word anistemi is
used in correspondence. Let us set the verse out fully:
A |
Awake (egeiro)
\
subject "sleep".
B
| Thou that SLEEPEST (katheudo) /
A |
Arise (anistemi)
\
subject "death".
B
| From the DEAD (nekros)
/
It will be observed that the awakening is from sleep, and that sleep is not the sleep of
death, but of drowsiness, insobriety, unwatchfulness (I Thess. 5: 6, 7, 10) in contrast with
the sleep of death, which is koimaomai (I Thess. 4: 14) and those subsequently referred
to as "the dead in Christ" (I Thess. 4: 16).
The distinction between katheudo and koimaiomai may be observed in the two
following passages.
Katheudo "She is NOT dead, but SLEEPETH" (Luke 8: 52).
Koimaiomai "Our friend Lazarus sleepth . . . plainly, Lazarus IS dead" (John 11: 11, 14).
Even in this passage which speaks of death, under the figure of sleep, the Saviour
avoids the use of egeiro and employs instead exhypnizo. In some of the places where
egeiro is translated "arise" it could well be render "awake" as in Matt. 2: 13, for it was
spoken to Joseph while he slept. In the majority of cases the word is associated with
resurrection and is translated rightly "to raise" (Acts 3: 15; Rom. 4: 24), because of
the recognized figure of Scripture whereby death was spoken of as sleep and resurrection
of necessity spoken of as being awakened.
Egersis.
"And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept
arose (egeiro), and came out of their graves after His resurrection
(egersis) (Matt. 27: 52, 53).
Diergeiro.
"Then Joseph being raised from sleep" (Matt. 1: 24).
"They came to Him, and awoke Him" (Luke 8: 24).
"I stir up your pure minds" (II Pet. 3: 1 also 1: 13).
Epegeiro.
"Raised persecution" (Acts 13: 50).