John 9:22

Ταῦτα εἶπον οἱ γονεῖς αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ἐφοβοῦντο τοὺς Ἰουδαίους· ἤδη γὰρ συνετέθειντο οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι, ἵνα ἐάν τις αὐτὸν ὁμολογήσῃ Χριστόν, ἀποσυνάγωγος γένηται.

RBT Greek Interlinear:

Strongs 3778; Tauta; Ταῦτα; these ones; DPro-ANP

Strongs 2036; eipan; εἶπαν; they said; V-AIA-3P

Strongs 3588; hoi; οἱ; the; Art-NMP

Strongs 1118; goneis; γονεῖς; begetters; N-NMP

Strongs 846; autou; αὐτοῦ; himself; PPro-GM3S

Strongs 3754; hoti; ὅτι; that; Conj

Strongs 5399; ephobounto; ἐφοβοῦντο; were afraid of; V-IIM/P-3P

Strongs 3588; tous; τοὺς; the; Art-AMP

Strongs 2453; Ioudaious; Ἰουδαίους; Casters; Adj-AMP

Strongs 2235; ēdē; ἤδη; already; Adv

Strongs 1063; gar; γὰρ; for; Conj

Strongs 4934; synetetheinto; συνετέθειντο; had agreed together; V-LIM-3P

Strongs 3588; hoi; οἱ; the; Art-NMP

Strongs 2453; Ioudaioi; Ἰουδαῖοι; Casters; Adj-NMP

Strongs 2443; hina; ἵνα; so that; Conj

Strongs 1437; ean; ἐάν; if; Conj

Strongs 5100; tis; τις; anyone; IPro-NMS

Strongs 846; auton; αὐτὸν; himself; PPro-AM3S

Strongs 3670; homologēsē; ὁμολογήσῃ; shall confess; V-ASA-3S

Strongs 5547; Christon; Χριστόν; Christ; N-AMS

Strongs 656; aposynagōgos; ἀποσυνάγωγος; expelled from the synagogue; Adj-NMS

Strongs 1096; genētai; γένηται; He might become; V-ASM-3S

RBT Hebrew Literal:

These ones spoke the begetters of himself, because they feared the Casters. For already now the Casters had placed-together so that if anyone confesses himself Anointed one ("Christ"), he might become gathered-away.⁹¹

Julia Smith Literal 1876 Translation:
These said his parents, for they feared the Jews: for already had the Jews agreed, that if any should acknowledge him Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.

LITV Translation:
His parents said these things because they feared the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Him as Christ, he would be expelled from the synagogue.

ESV Translation:
(His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.

Footnotes

91

Gathered Away

Strongs NT #656 ἀποσυνάγωγος (aposunagógos). This is another NT coined term. Broken down we have:

1. "ἀπό" (apo) - indicating "away from" or "from."
2. "συνάγωγος" (synagōgos) - meaning "gathered together" or "assembled."

The literal meaning therefore would be "gathered away", or "assembled away." 

In various instances in the New Testament, where unconventional concepts of "The Whole" or "The Beyond" are discussed, scholars have observed the creation or adaptation of words to articulate these ideas within the linguistic framework of Koine Greek. This phenomenon is evident in the formation of neologisms or specialized vocabulary to express theological or philosophical concepts unique to early NT thought. These innovative word formations served to convey nuanced meanings and distinguish their teachings from prevailing cultural or religious norms of the time. Examples include terms like this one, "ἀποσυνάγωγος" (aposynagōgos) in John 9:22, which has been interpreted to mean someone "expelled from the synagogue." But such a concept does not need a new word.

Ancient Greek had readily available language to convey such an idea:

1. "ἐκβολή ἀπὸ τῆς συναγωγῆς" (ekbolē apò tēs synagōgēs) - meaning "cast out from the synagogue."
2. "ἐκτροπή ἀπὸ τῆς συναγωγῆς" (ektropē apò tēs synagōgēs) - meaning "banishment from the synagogue."
3. "ἐκκλεισμός ἀπὸ τῆς συναγωγῆς" (ekkleismós apò tēs synagōgēs) - meaning "exclusion from the synagogue."

But John opts to create a new word: aposunagógos "gathered away." Why? With the Whole of darkness and the Whole of the Eternal One in mind, we can deduce that it meant gathered away from the whole of the dark one. The writers of the NT undoubtably understood the mysteries of the Hebrew texts and therefore understood in particular the meaning behind the Hebrew word אָסַף asaph meaning "gather, take away, remove" and its use in terms of those such as Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, and Jacob/Israel of whom it was written,

"And he is breathing out, and he is dying, and he is being gathered toward his people."