Greek

To follow

παρακολουθέωStrong’s G3877

parakoloutheō

Appears in 4 verses of the New Testament

In short

Parakoloutheō is the Greek word usually translated “accompany”, “having been acquainted” and “have closely followed”. It appears in 4 verses of the New Testament.

“If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.”

1 Timothy 4:6 KJV

Meaning

Usually translated “accompany”, “having been acquainted” and “have closely followed”. Open the dictionary entry below for the full range of meaning, with the verses it cites.

How it's translated

will accompany 1
having been acquainted 1
you have closely followed 1
closely followed 1

Word-by-word English from the STEPBible tagged text.

Where it's used most

Mark 1
Luke 1
1 Timothy 1
2 Timothy 1

4 books in all.

Related words

Explore in Scripture

Greek dictionary

παρακολουθέω parakoloutheō · to follow

παρ-ακολουθέω, -ῶ [in LXX: 2Ma.8:11 2Mac 9:27 R* ;] with dative, to follow closely, accompany. Metaphorical, in various senses, (a) to result: Mrk.16:17; (b) to follow up, trace, investigate: Luk.1:3 (so frequently in cl.); (with) to follow as a standard of conduct: 1Ti.4:6, 2Ti.3:10. (For exx. from π., see MM, xviii.)† (AS)

From STEPBible’s Greek lexicon (based on Abbott-Smith).

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

How the English word “follow” was understood when the King James Version was still the common Bible of English readers.

FOL'LOW, verb transitive

To go after or behind; to walk, ride or move behind, but in the same direction.
To pursue; to chase; as an enemy, or as game.
To accompany; to attend in a journey.“And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode on the camels, and followed the man” Genesis 24:61
To accompany; to be of the same company; to attend, for any purpose. Luke 5:27

All definitions and other forms of “follow”

To succeed in order of time; to come after; as a storm is followed by a calm.
To be consequential; to result from, as effect from a cause.
To result from, as an inference or deduction.
To pursue with the eye; to keep the eyes fixed on a moving body.
To imitate; to copy; as, to follow a pattern or model; to follow fashion.
To embrace; to adopt and maintain; to have or entertain like opinions; to think or believe like another; as, to follow the opinions and tenets of a philsophic sect; to follow Plato.
To obey; to observe; to practice; to act in conformity to.
To pursue as an object of desire; to endeavor to obtain.“Follow peace with all men” Hebrews 12:14
To use; to practice; to make the chief business; as, to follow the trade of a carpenter; to follow the profession of law.
To adhere to; to side with.“The house of Judah followed David” 2 Samuel 2:10
To adhere to; to honor; to worship; to serve.“If the Lord be God, follow him” 1 Kings 18:21
To be led or guided by.“Wo to the foolish prophets, who follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing” Ezekiel 13:3
To move on in the same course or direction; to be guided by; as, to follow a track or course.

FOL'LOW, verb intransitive

To come after another.“The famine - shall follow close after you” Jeremiah 42:16
To attend; to accompany.
To be posterior in time; as following ages.
To be consequential, as effect to cause.
To result, as an inference.

Noah Webster, An American Dictionary of the English Language (1828). Verse references are checked against the KJV. Read the full entry.

Verses are from the King James Version. Word meanings come from the original Greek, not from any one translation.