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G1735 · Greek · New Testament
ἐνδέχεται
endechetai
Verb (impersonal)
it is possible, it is accepted

Definition

An impersonal verb meaning 'it is possible' or 'it can be.' Used only once in the NT, in Jesus' teaching about the impossibility of a prophet perishing outside Jerusalem — making the 'possible' a theological category.

Usage & Theological Significance

Jesus uses endechetai in a sharply ironic statement: 'It cannot be that a prophet should perish outside Jerusalem' (Luke 13:33). The irony is devastating — Jerusalem, the city of God's presence, has become the city that kills God's messengers. What should be impossible (the holy city destroying prophets) has become inevitable. This word captures the tragedy of religious institutions that oppose the very God they claim to serve.

Key Bible Verses

Luke 13:33 It cannot be [endechetai] that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.
Matthew 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets.
Acts 7:52 Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute?
Luke 11:47 Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets.
Hebrews 11:37 They were stoned, sawn in two, killed with the sword.

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External Resources

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