Greek · G4748 · unreviewed

στοιχέω

To follow

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στοιχέω G4748
Pronunciation stoichéō

What does στοιχέω (stoichéō) mean in the Bible?

στοιχέω (stoichéō) is a Greek word meaning "to follow". στοιχέω, -ῶ (στοῖχος, a row), [in LXX: Ecc.

Full entry for στοιχέω (G4748) · Browse the biblical lexicon

Meaning

to follow
Extended definition

To align oneself with a standard or rule; marching in orderly formation toward a shared destination.

(στοῖχος, a row), [in LXX: Ecc.11:6 (כָּשֵׁר) * ;] to be in rows (of waves, plants, etc., as well as of men), to walk in line (esp. of marching in file to battle; Xen., Cyr., vi, 3, 34, al.). Metaphorical, in late writers, to walk by rule: Act.21:24; with dative, to walk by or in (as a rule of life), Rom.4:12 (cf. MM, xxiii), Gal.5:25 6:16, Php.3:16 (cf. συν-στοιχέω).

Source: STEPBible TBESG + Abbott-Smith
Grammatical Forms

How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.

Tenses
Present Future
Voices
Active
Indicative states a fact or reality
Present Active Acts 21:24
Future Active Gal 6:16
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality
Present Active Rom 4:12
Subjunctive possibility, probability, or purpose
Present Active Gal 5:25
Infinitive verbal noun — the action in abstract
Present Active Phil 3:16
Discourse Aspect

How this verb appears across 5 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).

Aspect
ongoing 1 prospective 1 subjunctive 1 infinitive 1 participle 1
Tense
present 4 future 1
Voice
active 5
Mood
indicative 2 subjunctive 1 infinitive 1 participle 1

Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.

Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)

Word Pictures (Robertson)

A.T. Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) discusses this term in the following chapters. Open any chapter and go to the Word Pictures tab to read his verse-by-verse commentary.

A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) — public domain

Sources