ἐνεργέω

ἐνεργέω 1 aor. ἐνήργησα; pf. ἐνήργηκα; aor. pass. inf. ἐνεργηθῆναι; ptc. ἐνεργηθέντα (s. ἐνέργεια; Just., D. 78, 6, A I, 26, 4) (Aristot.+).

① intr. to put one’s capabilities into operation, work, be at work, be active, operate, be effective

ⓐ act. (Philo Mech. 59, 48; 96, 12; Vett. Val. 226, 2; Herm. Wr. 12, 11ab; PGiss 78, 4 [II A.D.] καλῶς δὲ ποιήσεις καὶ περὶ τὰ λοιπὰ ἐνεργήσασα; Wsd 15:11; 16:17; Jos., Ant. 15, 290, Vi. 156) τὸ θέλειν καὶ τὸ ἐ. the will and the action Phil 2:13b. Used w. ἐν and dat. of pers. (TestDan 5:5 ἐνεργούντων ἐν ὑμῖν τῶν πνευμάτων; TestSim 4:8; without ἐν Ath. 10, 3) αἱ δυνάμεις ἐνεργοῦσιν ἐν αὐτῷ miraculous powers are at work in him Mt 14:2; Mk 6:14; cp. Eph 2:2. Of God (Julian 4, 142d ἐνεργεῖν ἐθέλει) ὁ ἐνεργῶν B 2:1 (s. HWindisch, Hdb. ad loc.). W. dat. of advantage (cp. Pr 31:12) ὁ ἐνεργήσας Πέτρῳ the one who was at work for Peter Gal 2:8 (the εἰς foll. supplies the goal of the activity, as Ro 7:5; s. b below).

ⓑ mid., in our lit. always w. impers. subj. (Diod S 13, 85, 2 the siege ‘went into effect’, ‘began’; Herm. Wr. 12, 11c τὰ ἀσώματα) τὰ παθήματα ἐνηργεῖτο ἐν τ. μέλεσιν the passions were at work in our members Ro 7:5 (the εἰς foll. introduces the goal; s. a above on Gal 2:8). ἡ παράκλησις ἡ ἐνεργουμένη ἐν ὑπομονῇ consolation that functions in (the act of) enduring 2 Cor 1:6. ὁ θάνατος ἐν ἡμῖν ἐνεργεῖται death is at work in us 4:12 (Lucian, Charon 2 ἐνεργεῖν τὰ τοῦ θανάτου ἔργα). Of God’s word 1 Th 2:13. δύναμις ἐνεργουμένη ἐν ἡμῖν the power that works in us Eph 3:20; cp. Col 1:29. πίστις διʼ ἀγάπης ἐνεργουμένη faith working (=expressing itself) through love Gal 5:6. τὸ μυστήριον ἐνεργεῖται τῆς ἀνομίας the secret force of lawlessness is at work = is in operation 2 Th 2:7. δέησις ἐνεργουμένη effective prayer Js 5:16. τὰ ἐνεργούμενα the forces at work 1 Cl 60:1. τὰ καθʼ ἕκαστα βλέποντες ἐνεργούμενα we see how one thing after the other works itself out = comes to pass B 1:7.—JRoss, ἐνεργεῖσθαι in the NT: Exp. 7th ser., 7, 1909, 75–77; JMayor, ibid. 191f; AGarvie, ET 55, ’43/44, p. 97. For the view that the passages in b are passive, not mid., s. the art. by Clark below, p. 98ff and ref. there.

② trans. to bring someth. about through use of capability, work, produce, effect w. acc. (of pers. Just., A I, 26, 4; Ath. 9, 1 al.) of thing (Philo Mech. 59, 48; Polyb. 3, 6, 5; Diod S 13, 85, 2; POxy 1567; Pr 21:6; 31:12; Jos., Ant. 3, 155; 15, 283; Just., A I, 12, 5 ταῦτα; 23, 3 ἀσεβῆ ἔργα al.; Iren. 3, 21, 2 [Harv. II 114, 6]; δαίμονες ἐ. λοιμούς Orig., C. Cels. 1, 31, 27; ἡ Ἰησοῦ δύναμίς ἐστιν ἐνεργοῦσα τὴν ἐπιστροπφήν 1, 43, 39; Hippol.) τί someth.: of God ὁ τὰ πάντα ἐνεργῶν Eph 1:11 (cp. EpArist 210). Of the Spirit 2:2. τὶ ἔν τινι produce someth. in someone ὁ ἐνεργῶν τὰ πάντα ἐν πᾶσιν 1 Cor 12:6; cp. vs. 11. ὁ ἐνεργῶν ἐν ὑμῖν τὸ θέλειν the one who produces the will in you Phil 2:13a. οὐδὲ ἐνεργῆσαι δύναται εἰς αὐτούς it cannot influence them Hm 5, 2, 1 (cp. Just., D. 18, 3 τὰ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων … ἐνεργούμενα εἰς ἡμᾶς); δυνάμεις ἐ. Gal 3:5 (Just., D. 7, 3); ἐνέργειαν ἐ. Eph 1:20. (W. acc. and inf.: Just., A I, 62, 1 al.)—GWhitaker, ET 26, 1914/15, 474–76; KClark, The Mng. of ἐνεργέω and καταργέω in the NT: JBL 54, ’35, 93–101.—M-M. TW.