ἐξαυτῆς (exautēs)
exautēs
immediately
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 6 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The adverb exautēs conveys immediate action, meaning "at once" or "forthwith." It appears six times in the New Testament, primarily within the Gospel of Mark and the Acts of the Apostles. This concise term signals that there is no delay between a command, request, or event and its fulfillment.
Its structure combines a preposition with a pronoun, literally pointing to the very moment something occurs. In Mark 6:25, it describes a woman entering the hall immediately to make her request. Similarly, in Acts 10:33, Cornelius states he sent for Peter at once upon receiving his vision. The word emphasizes urgency and promptness in narrative flow.
Translators consistently render exautēs as "immediately" or "at once." Its usage highlights the swift response of characters to divine or authoritative instructions. By using this specific term, the biblical authors underscore the directness of these interactions without adding descriptive filler.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word exautēs captures a moment of decisive action. It appears when someone responds without hesitation to a command or a divine prompt. This immediacy reminds us that faith often requires moving forward at once, trusting that the path will become clear as we step.
In Mark 6:25, a woman acts with haste to make her request. While her motives were wrong, the speed of her action shows how quickly intentions can turn into deeds. For believers, this word invites us to consider our own responses. Do we delay when God calls? Or do we move with the same urgency?
Acts 10:33 offers a positive example. Cornelius sent for Peter at once after his vision. He did not wait to figure out every detail. He simply obeyed. This promptness honors God’s timing and opens doors for unexpected encounters. We can learn from this pattern of swift obedience in our own lives.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 6 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- at once3×
- immediately;1×
- immediately1×
- At once1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἐξαυτῆς5×
- ἐξαυτῆς·1×
Key Verses
-
Mark 6:25
She came in immediately with haste to the king and requested, “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptizer on a platter.”
This verse shows the word describing a hasty, decisive action taken to fulfill a specific request.
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Acts 10:33
Therefore I sent to you at once, and it was good of you to come. Now therefore we are all here present in the sight of God to hear all things that have been commanded you by God.”
Here it highlights Cornelius’s prompt obedience to his vision by sending for Peter without delay.
-
Acts 21:32
Immediately he took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them. They, when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, stopped beating Paul.
The term emphasizes the centurion’s rapid response to stop the beating of Paul upon seeing the troops.