The Greek deute (plural imperative form of deuro) is an urgent invitation: 'Come!' or 'Come here!' — addressed to more than one person. It is the word Jesus uses for some of His most powerful invitations throughout the Gospels.
Deute is the vocabulary of divine invitation and divine commissioning. Jesus uses it to call His first disciples: 'Come, follow me' (deute opiso mou, Matthew 4:19) — the founding moment of discipleship. In Matthew 11:28, the invitation 'Come to me, all you who are weary...' (deute pros me) is one of the most beloved calls in Scripture — not an obligatory summons but a gracious welcome to rest. At the resurrection, the angel uses deute: 'Come and see the place where he lay' (Matthew 28:6) — inviting the women (and all subsequent believers) to enter the empty tomb and be the first witnesses to resurrection. Each use of deute is an echo of the divine initiative: God calls, welcomes, and sends. Discipleship begins not with our seeking but with His invitation.