"to salute, greet, welcome, express good wishes, pay respects, Mt. 10:12; Mk. 9:15, et al. freq.; to bid farewell, Acts 20:1; 21:6; to treat with affection, Mt. 5:47; met. to embrace mentally, welcome to the heart of understanding, Heb. 11:13"
Definition and meaning
to salute, greet, welcome, express good wishes, pay respects, Mt. 10:12; Mk. 9:15, et al. freq.; to bid farewell, Acts 20:1; 21:6; to treat with affection, Mt. 5:47; met. to embrace mentally, welcome to the heart of understanding, Heb. 11:13
In the original Greek the word is written: ἀσπάζομαι
Historical context
Rome had controlled Judea since 63 BC. Herod the Great rebuilt the Temple into one of the most magnificent structures in the ancient world — and simultaneously murdered members of his own family. The common people paid multiple layers of taxation and were politically powerless. Into that world a carpenter from Galilee began teaching that the kingdom of God had arrived.
The people who first heard this word were not reading a book — they were living through empires, oppression, exile, and covenant. Every word carried the weight of that reality. Understanding it changes how you read Scripture.
Scripture references
These are the most notable occurrences of aspazomai (G782) across the King James Bible.
And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
And when ye come into an house, salute it.
And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him.
And began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews!
And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.
Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way.
And when he had landed at Caesarea, and gone up, and saluted the church, he went down to Antioch.
And after the uproar was ceased, Paul called unto him the disciples, and embraced them, and departed for to go into Macedonia.
And when we had taken our leave one of another, we took ship; and they returned home again.
And when we had finished our course from Tyre, we came to Ptolemais, and saluted the brethren, and abode with them one day.
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Common questions
Strong's G782 (aspazomai) is a Greek word that means: to salute, greet, welcome, express good wishes, pay respects, Mt. 10:12; Mk. 9:15, et al. freq.; to bid farewell, Acts 20:1; 21:6; to treat with affection, Mt. 5:47; met. to embrace mentally, welcome ... It appears 49 times in the King James Bible.
The word aspazomai (G782) appears 49 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G782 is aspazomai, a Greek word defined as: to salute, greet, welcome, express good wishes, pay respects, Mt. 10:12; Mk. 9:15, et al. freq.; to bid farewell, Acts 20:1; 21:6; to treat with affec. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
aspazomai is a Greek word found in the New Testament.