Follow

FOLLOW [ISBE]

FOLLOW - fol'-o ('achar, radhaph; akoloutheo, dioko) : Frequently the translation of 'achar, "after," e.g. Nu 14:24, "hath followed me fully," literally, "fulfilled after me" (Nu 32:11,12; Dt 1:36; Am 7:15); radhaph is "to pursue," and is often so translated; it is translated "follow" (Ps 23:6; Isa 5:11, etc.); "follow after" (Gen 44:4; Ex 14:4); reghel, "foot," is several times translated "follow" (literally, "at the foot of"; Ex 11:8; Jdg 8:5, etc.); halakh 'achar, "to go after" (Dt 4:3; 1 Ki 14:8, etc.); yalakh 'achar, "to go on after" (Gen 24:5; Jdg 2:19, etc.); dabheq, "to cause to cleave to" is "follow hard after" (1 Sam 14:22; Ps 63:8, etc.).

In the New Testament, in addition to akoloutheo (Mt 4:20,22,25, etc.) various words and phrases are rendered "follow," e.g. Deute opiso mou, "Come after me" (Mt 4:19, "Follow me," the Revised Version (British and American) "Come ye after me"); dioko, "to pursue" (Lk 17:23; 1 Thess 5:15, the Revised Version (British and American) "follow after," etc.); mimeomai, "to imitate" (Heb 13:7, "whose faith follow," the Revised Version (British and American) "imitate their faith; 2 These 3:7,9; 3 Jn 1:11); compounds of akoloutheo with ex, para sun, etc. (2 Pet 1:16; Mk 16:20; Acts 16:17; Mk 5:37, etc.).

English Revised Version, "Follow after faithfulness" makes an important change in Ps 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 Tim 4:6) the Revised Version (British and American) gives "followed until now."

W. L. Walker