The third possibility is the worst, for συλλαμβάνω could also mean, “to become pregnant, conceive!” Here the horrible, no-good, very bad translation would be, “I also ask you, true companion, let these women become pregnant!” The grammar really doesn’t work well with this, but I have known students who could get around that little problem. 

A few weeks ago, as I was preparing to teach the book of Philippians in Israel, I was translating the fourth chapter. Phil. 4:2-3 reads like this:

“I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to align their perspectives in the Lord! Indeed, I also ask you, true companion, help these women (literally, “them”) who have labored alongside me, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow-workers whose names are in the book of life!” (Phil. 4:2-3)

Paul exhorted these two women, Euodia and Sytyche, who obviously were valued as playing significant roles in the ministry of the church. Yet, it seems that these women had a broken relationship. For Paul to have called each of them by name, exhorting each of them individually in a public letter, indicates that their spat was serious and was having a real impact on the unity of the church. Paul in effect tells them, “Get it together, ladies!!” He further asks his “true companion” to help these women. This “true companion” is an unnamed co-worker who may have been Epaphroditus; or, in another interpretation, the second of the Greek words here, σύζυγε (suzuge), may have been a proper name.

Crazy Translations of a Word

Now, the word I have translated as “help” is συλλαμβάνω (sullambanō)—that clearly is the right translation—but I was struck by the fact that a word study on this term could turn out to be anything from horrible to hilarious if handled poorly. As we consider the various possible meanings for the word in the ancient world, we find the following.

συλλαμβάνω could mean “arrest” or “take into custody.” So an enthusiastic student of Scripture could seize on that meaning and translate the passage, “I also ask you, true companion, arrest these women!” Well, that would be one way of cutting down on disunity in the church! Reconciliation through incarceration.

Or how about another really bad interpretation? συλλαμβάνω could also mean “to capture,” as in “to capture a wild animal.” In this case the bad translation would go, “I also ask you, true companion, capture these women!” Images of Euodia and Syntyche running through the streets of Philippi with Paul’s friend in hot pursuit, net in hand, come to mind!

The third possibility is the worst, for συλλαμβάνω could also mean, “to become pregnant, conceive!” Here the horrible, no-good, very bad translation would be, “I also ask you, true companion, let these women become pregnant!” The grammar really doesn’t work well with this, but I have known students who could get around that little problem.

How to Do It Right

OK, enough. The fourth possible meaning clearly is the correct one, for the word, when used with an object in the dative case, as is the case here, often means, “to help by taking part with someone in an activity, to support, aid.” Paul asks his friend to help Euodia and Syntyche work out their relationship, to aid them as they try to get on the same page.

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