1. to take with the hand: τό γράμμα (L text T Tr WH τά γράμματα), Luke 16:6f; τό ποτήριον, Luke 22:17; to take hold of, take up, τήν περικεφαλαίαν ... τήν μάχαιραν, Ephesians 6:17; τό παιδίον εἰς ἀγκάλας, Luke 2:28.

2. to take up, receive (German aufnehmen,annehmen);

a. used of a place receiving one: ὅν δεῖ οὐρανόν δέξασθαι (οὐρανόν is subject), Acts 3:21 (Plato, Theact., p. 177 a. τελευτησαντας αὐτούς ... ὁ τῶν κακῶν καθαρός τόπος οὐ δέξεται).

b. with the accusative of person to receive, grant access to, a visitor; not to refuse contact or friendship: Luke 9:11 R G; John 4:45; 2 Corinthians 7:15; Galatians 4:14; Colossians 4:10; to receive to hospitality, Matthew 10:14, 40; Mark 6:11; Luke 9:5, 53; Luke 10:8, 10; Acts 21:17 Rec.; Hebrews 11:31 (often in Greek writings from Homer down); παιδίον, to receive into one's family in order to bring up and educate, Matthew 18:5; Mark 9:37; Luke 9:48; to receive εἰς τούς οἴκους, τάς σκηνάς, Luke 16:4, 9; δέξαι τό πνεῦμα μου, to thyself in heaven, Acts 7:59.

c. with the accusative of the thing offered in speaking, teaching, instructing; to receive favorably, give ear to, embrace, make one's own, approve, not to reject: τόν λόγον, Luke 8:13; Acts 8:14; Acts 11:1; Acts 17:11; 1 Thessalonians 1:6; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; James 1:21; τά τοῦ πνεύματος 1 Corinthians 2:14; τήν παράκλησιν, 2 Corinthians 8:17; τήν ἀγάπην τῆς ἀληθείας namely, commended to them, 2 Thessalonians 2:10; (add the elliptical construction in Matthew 11:14) (often in Greek writings); to receive a benefit offered, not to reject it, 2 Corinthians 8:4 Rec. d. to receive equivalent to to take upon oneself, sustain, bear, endure: τινα, his bearing and behavior, 2 Corinthians 11:16 τήν ἀδικίαν, Hebrew נָשָׂא, Genesis 50:17; πᾶν, ὁ ἐάν ἐπαχθῇ, Sir. 2:4; μυθον χαλεπόν, Homer, Odyssey 20, 271, and often in Greek writers).

3. to receive, get, (German empfangen): ἐπιστολάς, Acts 22:5; γράμματα, Acts 28:21; τήν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, to become a partaker of the benefits of God's kingdom, Mark 10:15; Luke 18:17; λόγια ζῶντα, Acts 7:38; εὐαγγέλιον, 2 Corinthians 11:4; τήν χάριν τοῦ Θεοῦ, 2 Corinthians 6:1; — equivalent to to learn: Philippians 4:18 ((?) see the commentaries at the passage). [SYNONYMS: δέχομαι, λαμβάνω: The earlier classic use of these verbs sustains in the main the distinction laid down in the glossaries (e. g. Ammonius, under the word λαβεῖν; λαβεῖν μέν ἐστι, τό κείμενον τί ἀνέλεσθαι. δέξασθαι δέ, τό διδόμενον ἐκ χειρός), and the suggestion of a self-prompted taking still adheres to λαμβάνω in many connections (cf. λαβεῖν τινα γυναῖκα, ἀρχήν λαβεῖν) in distinction from a receiving of what is offered; in use, however, the words overlap and distinctions disappear; yet the suggestion of a welcoming or an appropriating reception generally cleaves to δέχομαι. See Schimdt, chapter 107, who treats of the compound of δέχομαι. in detail. Compare: ἀναδέχομαι, ἀποδέχομαι, διαδέχομαι, εἰσδέχομαι, ἐκδέχομαι, ἀπεκδέχομαι, ἐνδέχομαι, ἐπιδέχομαι, παραδέχομαι, προσδέχομαι, ὑποδέχομαι.]