What does συνανάκειμαι (synanákeimai) mean in the Bible?
The Greek verb synanákeimai means to recline together at a meal or to dine in company. All seven New Testament occurrences appear in Gospel table scenes.
Greek · G4873
συνανάκειμαι
To recline in company with (at a meal)
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συνανάκειμαιG4873
Pronunciationsynanákeimai
What does συνανάκειμαι (synanákeimai) mean in the Bible?
The Greek verb synanákeimai means to recline together at a meal or to dine in company. All seven New Testament occurrences appear in Gospel table scenes.
Reader summary
Full entry for συνανάκειμαι (G4873) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G4873?
The BSB source-word alignment has 7 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include at the table (2), his guests (2), [and] ate with (1), reclining with [Him] (1), were eating with (1).
Where does συνανάκειμαι (synanákeimai) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 9:10. Its strongest book concentrations include Luke (3), Mark (2), Matthew (2).
What This Word Actually Means
The Greek verb synanákeimai means to recline together at a meal or to dine in company. All seven New Testament occurrences appear in Gospel table scenes. Matthew and Mark use it when Jesus eats with tax collectors and sinners, provoking objections that He answers with mercy and His call to sinners. The same Gospels use it for Herod's guests when public pleasure, a rash oath, political pride, and adult manipulation lead to John the Baptist's execution.
Luke places fellow diners around a woman whose loving response to forgiveness exposes a host's failure of hospitality, and later around Jesus' teaching on humble seating and the kingdom banquet. The verb describes shared table position, not automatic moral agreement, friendship, reconciliation, safety, or salvation. It can appear at a merciful table, an honor-seeking table, or a deadly royal table.
Responsible teaching attends to who hosts, who is welcomed or shamed, whose body or voice is at risk, how status is arranged, and what Jesus says or does. Table fellowship can embody mercy and humility, but it must not be used to demand access, excuse abuse, erase accountability, or blame vulnerable people for the choices of powerful adults.
How the Bible Uses It
Synanákeimai places people beside one another at Gospel meals. The scenes contrast Jesus' merciful welcome and humility teaching with Herod's status-bound table, where performance, oaths, and fear of guests contribute to lethal injustice.
- Matt.9.10
Later, as Jesus was dining at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with Him and His disciples.
Jesus dines with Matthew, tax collectors, sinners, and disciples, making shared space part of His merciful call rather than an endorsement of exploitation.
- Mark.2.15
While Jesus was dining at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with Him and His disciples—for there were many who followed Him.
At Levi's house many tax collectors and sinners recline with Jesus because they follow Him, and the scene leads to His mission statement.
- Matt.14.9
The king was grieved, but because of his oaths and his guests, he ordered that her wish be granted
Herod orders John's execution because of his oaths and reclining guests, showing how public reputation at a banquet can serve cowardly violence.
- Mark.6.22
When the daughter of Herodias came and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests, and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.”
Herod and his guests are pleased by a girl's dance before adults turn the occasion toward a coerced request and John's death.
- Luke.7.49
But those at the table began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
Fellow diners question Jesus' authority to forgive after He honors a weeping woman's loving response and exposes the host's neglected hospitality.
- Luke.14.10
But when you are invited, go and sit in the last place, so that your host will come and tell you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in front of everyone at the table with you.
Jesus tells an invited person to take the lower place, using table position to confront self-exaltation and status competition among guests.
- Luke.14.15
When one of those reclining with Him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is everyone who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”
A fellow diner blesses those who will eat in God's kingdom, prompting Jesus' parable about rejected invitations and a banquet opened beyond reciprocal status circles.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Itat the table2×Luke 7:49, Luke 14:10
his guests2×Matthew 14:9, Mark 6:22
[and] ate with1×Matthew 9:10
reclining with [Him]1×Luke 14:15
were eating with1×Mark 2:15
Show sample aligned rows
Matthew 9:10συνανέκειντοto[and] ate withVerb - Imperfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person PluralMatthew 14:9συνανακειμένουςtohis guestsVerb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Masculine PluralMark 2:15συνανέκειντοtowere eating withVerb - Imperfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person PluralMark 6:22συνανακειμένοιςtohis guestsVerb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Dative Masculine PluralLuke 7:49συνανακείμενοιtoat the tableVerb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine PluralLuke 14:10συνανακειμένωνtoat the tableVerb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Genitive Masculine PluralLuke 14:15συνανακειμένωνtoreclining with [Him]Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Genitive Masculine Plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowMatthew 9:10
Aligned rows7
Books represented3
Matthew2Mark2Luke3
Source forms
συνανακειμένων2xsynanakeimenōnLuke 14:10, Luke 14:15
συνανέκειντο2xsynanekeintoMatthew 9:10, Mark 2:15
συνανακείμενοι1xsynanakeimenoiLuke 7:49
συνανακειμένοις1xsynanakeimenoisMark 6:22
συνανακειμένους1xsynanakeimenousMatthew 14:9
Parsing patterns
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Plural2xMatthew 9:10, Mark 2:15
Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Genitive Masculine Plural2xLuke 14:10, Luke 14:15
Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Masculine Plural1xMatthew 14:9
Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Dative Masculine Plural1xMark 6:22
Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Plural1xLuke 7:49
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Practice welcome alongside clear safeguarding and accountability, remembering that shared food does not erase harm, power differences, or the need for boundaries.
- Use table access to challenge contempt and status competition without pressuring vulnerable people to perform reconciliation or surrender privacy.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim that Jesus' table fellowship means every behavior is approved or that repentance, restitution, and protection are unnecessary.
- Do not claim a right to another person's table, home, body, trust, or silence in the name of Christian inclusion or reconciliation.
Evidence Summary
Greek word. Sharing table fellowship, suggesting social intimacy and acceptance within the meal community.
Strong'sG4873
Lexical occurrences7 versesGreek text appearances9 timesWord forms2 forms7 referencesVerse guides0 guides
Study linkMatthew 9:10Source Gloss
to recline in company with (at a meal)
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpusGreek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
9 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Matthew 9:10Verb Third Person Plural Imperfect Middle or Passive Deponent Indicative
συνανέκειντοsunanekeinto
I recline at table with
Read verseMatthew 14:9Verb Present Middle or Passive Deponent Participle Accusative Plural Masculine
συνανακειμένουςsunanakeimenouv
I recline at table with
Read verseMark 2:15Verb Third Person Plural Imperfect Middle or Passive Deponent Indicative
συνανέκειντοsunanekeinto
I recline at table with
Read verseMark 6:22Verb Present Middle or Passive Deponent Participle Dative Plural Masculine
συνανακειμένοις,sunanakeimenoiv
I recline at table with
Read verseMark 6:26Verb Present Middle or Passive Deponent Participle Accusative Plural Masculine
συνανακειμένουςsunanakeimenouv
I recline at table with
Read verseLuke 7:49Verb Present Middle or Passive Deponent Participle Nominative Plural Masculine
συνανακείμενοιsunanakeimenoi
I recline at table with
Read verseLuke 14:10Verb Present Middle or Passive Deponent Participle Genitive Plural Masculine
συνανακειμένωνsunanakeimenwn
I recline at table with
Read verseLuke 14:15Verb Present Middle or Passive Deponent Participle Genitive Plural Masculine
συνανακειμένωνsunanakeimenwn
I recline at table with
Read verseJohn 12:2Verb Present Middle or Passive Deponent Participle Genitive Plural Masculine
συνανακειμένωνsunanakeimenwn
I recline at table with
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
Grammatical Forms
How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups2Aligned forms7TensesImperfect, PresentVoicesMiddle
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Tenses
Voices
Indicativestates a fact or reality2×
Imperfect MiddleMatt 9:10 · Mark 2:152×
Participleverbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality5×
Present MiddleLuke 14:10 · Luke 14:15 · Matt 14:9 · Mark 6:22 · Luke 7:495×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 7 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect
Tense
present5imperfect2
Voice
middle7
Mood
participle5indicative2
NT Occurrences
Matthew 9:10συνανέκειντοimperfect middle indicativebackgroundMatthew 14:9συνανακειμένουςpresent middle participleparticipleMark 2:15συνανέκειντοimperfect middle indicativebackgroundMark 6:22συνανακειμένοιςpresent middle participleparticipleLuke 7:49συνανακείμενοιpresent middle participleparticipleLuke 14:10συνανακειμένωνpresent middle participleparticipleLuke 14:15συνανακειμένωνpresent middle participleparticiple
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)
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Jesus reclines at table with tax collectors and sinners
Many tax collectors and sinners recline together with Jesus at dinner
A sinful woman anoints Jesus while he reclines at table with a Pharisee
Guest reclines in place of honor at a wedding feast dinner
Showing 4 selected witnesses from 7 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
συνανάκειμαι is built from these roots:
For the Preacher and Teacher
Synanákeimai turns table position into a window on mercy and power. Jesus reclines with people branded sinners, not because exploitation is harmless but because His mission calls sinners through mercy. In Luke 7, fellow diners question His authority while He sees a woman the host has reduced to a category and receives her love as a response to forgiveness. Luke 14 exposes guests competing for honor and presses hosts beyond reciprocal invitation toward people excluded by wealth and bodily status.
Yet Matthew and Mark also place the verb at Herod's banquet, where the king values his oath and reputation before guests above John's life. The girl in that account is acted upon by adult desires, prompting, and power; responsible teaching must not shift blame onto her. Together these scenes show that sharing a table can reveal grace, prejudice, humility, fear, or violence.
Christian hospitality should welcome without pretending discernment is unnecessary. It can offer food and presence while maintaining safeguarding, truth, repentance, lawful accountability, and boundaries. Jesus' table ministry challenges contempt, but the Gospels never make social access a right to another person's home, body, trust, or silence.
Anchor passage
Matt.9.10
Doctrinal connections
- Matthew 9 joins Jesus' shared meal to His merciful call of sinners, confronting contempt without approving tax exploitation or denying repentance.
- Mark 2 emphasizes that many at Levi's table followed Jesus, locating fellowship within His active mission and teaching.
- Matthew 14 exposes a ruler who values oaths and guest opinion above a prophet's life, revealing the deadly moral pressure of status.
- Luke 7 places table companions around Jesus' forgiveness and a woman's love, contrasting His sight of her with the host's condemning category.
- Luke 14 uses reclining positions to confront self-exaltation and to redirect hospitality beyond networks able to repay the host.
- The kingdom-banquet saying leads Jesus to challenge presumed entitlement, showing that proximity to religious conversation is not the same as receiving God's invitation.
Synanákeimai is a compound Greek middle-form verb built around reclining with others. Its seven governed New Testament forms are imperfect indicatives or present participles. The verb describes concurrent table posture or dining company; context supplies whether that company expresses mercy, opposition, honor competition, or complicity.
From Old to New Testament
Isaiah 25 anticipates the Lord's banquet for all peoples where death is swallowed and tears are wiped away. Jesus' meals and kingdom-banquet teaching resonate with that hope, while Herod's table provides a sharp counter-image. The connection is thematic rather than a claim that H4960 and G4873 are equivalent lexical forms.