Lexicon
σκιρτάω
skirtaō
G4640
G:V Greek

to leap

3
Occurrences
1
Books
Greek
Language

skirtao describes leaping, both of a child in the womb and of people rejoicing.

The attested use describes leaping: twice of a child in the womb in response to a greeting, and once as an instruction to rejoice with leaping.

Senses in use

  1. A child leaping in the womb · dominant

    In Luke 1:41, the third-person aorist active form occurs when Elizabeth hears Mary's greeting; the APB renders the clause, "the child leaped in her womb." In Luke 1:44, the same form again refers to the child in Elizabeth's womb when the greeting reaches her ears, with the APB rendering "the child leaped for joy in my womb."

  2. Leaping in rejoicing · occasional

    In Luke 6:23, the second-person aorist active plural form stands with the command to rejoice on that day; the APB renders the clause, "Rejoice on that day and leap for joy."

In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB uses "leaped" for the child in Luke 1:41 and Luke 1:44, and "leap for joy" in Luke 6:23. These renderings confirm the clauses' presentation rather than isolate every nuance of the term.

Passages featuring this word

Across Scripture