ἐκλέγομαι

: perfect passive participle ἐκλελεγμένος, once in Lk 9:35 L marginal reading T Tr WH; middle, imperfect ἐξελεγομην (Lk 14:7); 1 aorist ἐξελεξάμην; in Greek writings from Herodotus down; the Sept. for בָּחַר; to pick out, choose; in the N. T. (except Lk 9:35, where the reading is doubtful) always middle, ἐκλέγομαι, to pick or choose out for oneself: τί, Lk 10:42; Lk 14:7; τινα, one from among many (of Jesus choosing his disciples), Jn 6:70; Jn 13:18; Jn 15:16; Acts 1:2; ἀπό τινων, from a number of persons (Sir. 45:16), Lk 6:13: ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου, Jn 15:19; used of choosing one for an office, Acts 6:5; followed by ἐκ τινων, Acts 1:24; to discharge some business, Acts 15:22, Acts 15:25; ἐν ἡμῖν (others ὑμῖν) ἐξελέξατο ὁ Θεός, followed by the accusative and infinitive denoting the end, God made choice among us i. e. in our ranks, Acts 15:7, where formerly many, misled by the Hebrew בְּ בָּחַר (1 Sam 16:9; 1 Kgs 8:16, etc., and the Sept. of these passages), wrongly regarded ἐν ἡμῖν as the object on which the mind of the chooser was as it were fixed; (Winers Grammar, § 32, 3 a.; Buttmann, 159 (138)). Especially is God said ἐκλέξασθαι those whom he has judged fit to receive his favors and separated from the rest of mankind to be peculiarly his own and to be attended continually by his gracious oversight: thus of the Israelites, Acts 13:17 (Deut 14:2 (cf. Deut 4:37); 2 Macc. 5:19); of Christians, as those whom he has set apart from among the irreligious multitude as dear unto himself, and whom he has rendered, through faith in Christ, citizens in the Messianic kingdom: Mk 13:20; 1 Cor 1:27f; with two accusatives, one of the object, the other of the predicate (Winer's Grammar, § 32, 4 b.), Jas 2:5; τινα ἐν Χριστῷ, so that the ground of the choice lies in Christ and his merits, followed by the accusative with an infinitive denoting the end, Eph 1:4. In Lk 9:35 L marginal reading T Tr WH Jesus is called ὁ υἱός τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁ ἐκλελεγμένος (R G L text ἀγαπητός), as being dear to God beyond all others and exalted by him to the preeminent dignity of Messiah; but see ἐκλεκτός, 1 b.