ἀκολουθέω

(ῶ; future ἀκολουθήσω; imperfect ἠκολούθουν; 1 aorist ἠκολούθησα; perfect ἠκολούθηκα (Mk 10:28 L T Tr WH); (from ἀκόλουθος, and this from a copulative and κέλευθος road, properly, walking the same road);
1. to follow one who precedes, join him as his attendant, accompany him: Mt 4:25; Mt 8:19; Mt 9:19; Mt 27:55; Mk 3:7; Mk 5:24 ( Lachmann); (R G); Lk 22:39, Lk 22:54; Lk 23:27; Jn 1:37f, 43 (); Jn 6:2; Jn 18:15; , etc.; Acts 12:8; Acts 13:43; Acts 21:36; 1 Cor 10:4; distinguished from προάγειν in Mt 21:9; Mk 11:9; tropically, τά ἔργα αὐτῶν ἀκολούθει μετ' αὐτῶν, their good deeds will accompany them to the presence of God the judge to be rewarded by him, Rev 14:13; on the other hand, ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῆς αἱ ἁμαρτίαι ἄχρι τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, Rev 18:5, but here for ἠκολούθησαν G L T Tr WH have restored ἐκολλήθησαν; (σημεῖα τοῖς πιστεύσασιν ἀκολουθήσει ταῦτα, Mk 16:17 Tr WH text (where others παρακολουθέω, which see)). to follow one in time, succeed one: Rev 14:8f. (Herodian, 1, 14, 12 (6) τά γοῦν ἀκολουθήσαντα, others). Since among the ancients disciples were accustomed to accompany their masters on their walks and journeys — (others derive the usage that follows from the figurative sense of the word directly; cf. e. g. 2 Macc. 8:36 τό ἀκολουθεῖν τοῖς νόμοις; M. Antoninus 1. vii. § 31 ἀκολούθησον θεῷ, and Gataker at the passage), ἀκολουθέω denotes
2. to join one as a disciple, become or be his disciple; side with his party, (A. V. follow him): Mt 4:20, Mt 4:22; Mt 9:9; Mt 19:27; Mk 1:18; Mk 8:34; Lk 5:11, Lk 5:27, etc.; Jn 8:12 (where Jesus likens himself to a torch which the disciple follows); οὐκ ἀκολούθει ἡμῖν he is not of our band of thy disciples, Mk 9:38 to cleave steadfastly to one, conform wholly to his example, in living and if need be in dying also: Mt 10:38; Mt 16:24; Jn 12:26; Jn 21:22. This verb is not found in the Epistles except in 1 Cor 10:4. As in the classics, it is joined mostly with a dative of the object; sometimes with μετά τίνος, Lk 9:49; Rev 6:8 (Treg. marginal reading dative); ; (so also in Greek writings; cf. Lob. ad Phryn., p. 353f; (Rutherford, New Phryn., p. 458f)); ὀπίσω τίνος, Mt 10:38; Mk 8:34 (where R L WH Tr marginal reading ἐλθεῖν), Hebrew פְּלֹנִי אַחֲרֵי הָלַך, cf. 1 Kgs 19:21; see Winers Grammar, 234 (219); (Buttmann, 172 (150), cf. ἀκολουθέω κατόπιν τίνος, Aristophanes Plutarch, 13. Compare: ἐξακολουθέω, ἐπακολουθέω, κατακολουθέω, παρακολουθέω, συνακολουθέω).