Bible Encyclopedias
Follow

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

fol´ō ( אחר , 'aḥar , רדף , rādhaph ; ἀκολουθέω , akolouthéō , διώκω , diō̇kō ) : Frequently the translation of 'aḥar , "after," e.g. Numbers 14:24 , "hath followed me fully," literally, "fulfilled after me" (Numbers 32:11 , Numbers 32:12; Deuteronomy 1:36; Amos 7:15 ); rādhaph is "to pursue," and is often so translated; it is translated "follow" (Psalm 23:6; Isaiah 5:11 , etc.); "follow after" (Genesis 44:4; Exodus 14:4 ); reghel , "foot," is several times translated "follow" (literally, "at the foot of"; Exodus 11:8; Judges 8:5 , etc.); hālakh 'aḥar , "to go after" (Deuteronomy 4:3; 1 Kings 14:8 , etc.); yālakh 'aḥar , "to go on after" (Genesis 24:5; Judges 2:19 , etc.); dābhēḳ , "to cause to cleave to" is "follow hard after" (1 Samuel 14:22; Psalm 63:8 , etc.).

In the New Testament, in addition to akoloutheō (Matthew 4:20 , Matthew 4:22 , Matthew 4:25 , etc.) various words and phrases are rendered "follow," e.g. Deúte opı́sō mou , "Come after me" (Matthew 4:19 , "Follow me," the Revised Version (British and American) "Come ye after me"); diōkō , "to pursue" (Luke 17:23; 1 Thessalonians 5:15 , the Revised Version (British and American) "follow after," etc.); miméomai , "to imitate" (Hebrews 13:7 , "whose faith follow," the Revised Version (British and American) "imitate their faith"; 2 These Hebrews 3:7 , Hebrews 3:9; 3 John 1:11 ); compounds of akoloutheō with ex , pará , sun , etc. (2 Peter 1:16; Mark 16:20; Acts 16:17; Mark 5:37 , etc.).

English Revised Version, "Follow after faithfulness" makes an important change in Psalm 37:3 , where the King James Version has "and verily thou shalt be fed"; but the American Standard Revised Version has "feed on his faithfulness," margin "feed securely or verily thou shalt be fed." For "attained" ( 1 Timothy 4:6 ) the Revised Version (British and American) gives "followed until now."