Another
Greek word which conjures up a picture to the mind is entugkhano. This
word is used five times in the New Testament—Acts xxv. 24; Rom. viii. 27, 34;
xi. 2; Heb. vii. 25. In the Authorised Version the rendering is “make intercession”,
except in Acts xxv. 24, where the translation is, “The Jews have dealt with
me”, The Revised Version translates the word in this passage by “made suit to”,
in Rom. xi. 2 the term is rendered by “pleadeth with”. These variations become
clearer when evidence of the history of the word has been produced.
The
primary use of entugkhano in Classical authors is “to light upon”, “fall
in with”, and calls up the picture of two persons happening to meet. Then the
word came to be used of “obtaining an audience of interview”. As a chance meeting
or a formal interview involves the interchange of words, the further meaning
was developed of meeting for purposes of conversation, consultation or
supplication. This last took the form of presenting a petition, and the cognate
noun enteuxis was used of a technical petition to a king.
The
English “make intercession” suggests going between two parties on behalf of a
suppliant, but in two of the five instances of entugkhano it is obvious
that there is another meaning. In Acts xxv. 24 the Jews are said to have “made
suit” to Festus in order to bring about Paul’s death, and in Rom. xi. 2 Elijah
is said to have pleaded with God against (kata) Israel. In the remaining
instances, the pleading is “for” or “on behalf of” persons. Both these uses may
be seen in secular writers and in the Septuagint. It will be clear, then, that
the word entugkhano in itself indicates the meeting or interview, but
other words are needed to determine its exact nature. (Randall T. Pittman, Words
and their Ways in the Greek New Testament [London: Marshall, Morgan and
Scott, LTD., 1942], 30-32)
