ἐάω

ἐάω impf. εἴων; fut. ἐάσω; 1 aor. εἴασα, impv. ἔασον, opt. 3 sg. ἐάσαι 1 Cl 33:1; 1 aor. pass. 3 pl. εἰάθησαν (3 Macc 5:18); inf. ἐαθῆναι (Hom.+)

① to allow someone to do someth., let, permit w. acc. and inf. (Lucian, Dial. Mort. 13, 5; Tat. 12, 4) εἴασεν πάντα τὰ ἔθνη πορεύεσθαι (God) let all the nations go Ac 14:16.—23:32; 27:32; 28:4; 1 Cl 38:2; 53:3 (Ex 32:10); 55:4; Dg 9:1. W. neg. οὐκ ἐᾶν not permit, prevent (Appian, Bell. Civ. 5, 92 §384; PSI 380, 5 [249 B.C.]; 402, 11; 602, 10; Job 9:18; 1 Macc 12:40; 15:14; 2 Macc 12:2) Mt 24:43; Lk 4:41 (w. pres. inf. as Polyaenus 7, 21, 5 and 6); 1 Cor 10:13; Mk 16:14 v.l. (Freer ms. 3); 1 Cl 33:1; IEph 3:2; 9:1; Hv 3, 1, 9; GJs 6:3. W. ἵνα instead of the inf. Hv 2, 3, 1. W. omission of the inf. (Soph., Ant. 538; POxy 1293, 21) οὐκ εἴασεν αὐτοὺς τὸ πνεῦμα Ἰησοῦ (sc. πορευθῆναι) the Spirit of Jesus prevented them (fr. going) Ac 16:7. οὐκ εἴων αὐτὸν (sc. εἰσελθεῖν) οἱ μαθηταί 19:30.

② to refrain from bothering, detaining, or using, let go, leave alone (Demosth. 9, 26, Ael. Aristid. 34, 42 K.=50 p. 562 D.: ἐῶ τὰ ἄλλα; PFay 122, 6; PTebt 319, 24; Jos., C. Ap. 2, 118; GrBar 16:1; Just., D. 85, 5; Ath. 6:1) τὶ someth. τὴν στρεβλήν (sc. ὁδόν) avoid the crooked way Hm 6, 1, 2. W. relative as obj. Hs 9, 2, 7; =ἀφιέναι τινά let someone go (Maximus Tyr. 8, 5g; 6h) Ac 5:38 v.l.; Rv 2:20 t.r. (Erasmian rdg.? s. Tdf.); leave someone to oneself Hv 2, 3, 1. Abs. ἐᾶτε ἕως τούτου Stop! No more of this! Lk 22:51 (cp. Il. 21, 221 ἔασον). ἔα δέ let alone, not to speak of, much more or less 1 Cl 39:5, but s. also ἔα (Job 4:19 v.l., 15, 16. Cp. PKatz, JTS 47, ’46, 168f).

③ perh. nautical t.t. ἐᾶν τὰς ἀγκύρας εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν leave the anchors in the sea Ac 27:40.—DELG. M-M.