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."
The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE) was edited by James Orr, John Nuelsen, Edgar Mullins, Morris Evans, and Melvin Grove Kyle and was published complete in 1939. This web site includes the complete text.
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