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Greek · G5083 · unreviewed

τηρέω

To keep: observe

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τηρέω G5083
Pronunciation tēréō

What does τηρέω (tēréō) mean in the Bible?

τηρέω (tēréō) is a Greek word meaning "to keep: observe". τηρέω, -ῶ [in LXX for שָׁמַר, נָצַר, etc. Divine protection over believers. This term runs through the canonical themes of Messiah.

Full entry for τηρέω (G5083) · Browse the biblical lexicon

Meaning

to keep: observe
Extended definition

Watchful, active care to preserve or maintain something already entrusted to one's keeping.

1to watch over, guard, keep, preserve: Mat.27:36, Act.16:23, al.; ἑαυτόν, 2Co.11:9, 1Ti.5:22, Jas.1:27, Ju 21; before εἰς, Jhn.12:7, Act.25:21, 1Pe.1:4, 2Pe.2:4 2:9 3:7, Ju 6; ἐν, Jhn.17:11-12, Ju 21; ἐκ, Jhn.17:15, Rev.3:10; τ. πίστιν, 2Ti.4:7, Rev.14:12; τ. ἑνότητα τ. πνεύματος, Eph.4:3.
2to watch, give heed to, observe: τ. σάββατον, Jhn.9:16; τ. ἐντολήν (-άς), Mat.19:17, Jhn.14:15 15:10, 1Ti.6:14, 1Jn.2:3-4 Jn 3:22 Jn 3:24 Jn 5:3, Rev.12:17 14:12; τ. λόγον (-ους), Jhn.8:51-52, 55 14:23-24 15:20 17:6, 1Jn.2:5, Rev.3:8, 10 22:7, 9; τ. νόμον, Act.15:5, Jas.2:10; τ. παράδοσιν, Mrk.7:9; τ. ἔργα, Rev.2:26; τ. γεγραμμένα, Rev.1:3 (cf. δια-, παρα-, συν-τηρέω)
Synonymsφυλάσσω, implying custody and protection: τ. expresses the idea of watchful care and "may mark the result of which φ. is the means" (Thayer see word)
Source: STEPBible TBESG + Abbott-Smith
Why This Word Matters
Divine protection over believers.
Affirms Christ’s preserving power over those born of God.
Grammatical Forms

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

Tenses
Present Aorist Imperfect Perfect Future
Voices
Active Passive
Infinitive verbal noun — the action in abstract 12×
Present Active Matt 28:20 · Acts 15:5 · Acts 16:23 · 1 Cor 7:37 · Eph 4:3 · Jas 1:27 · 2 Pet 2:9 7×
Present Passive Acts 24:23 · Acts 25:4 · Acts 25:21 3×
Aorist Passive Acts 25:21 1×
Aorist Active 1 Tim 6:14 1×
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 17×
Present Active John 14:21 · 1 John 2:4 · 1 John 3:24 · Rev 2:26 · Rev 16:15 · Rev 22:7 · Matt 27:54 · Matt 28:4 · Rev 1:3 · Rev 14:12 · Rev 12:17 · Rev 22:9 12×
Perfect Passive 1 Pet 1:4 · Jude 1:1 2×
Present Passive 2 Pet 2:4 · 2 Pet 3:7 2×
Aorist Active Jude 1:6 1×
Subjunctive possibility, probability, or purpose 10×
Aorist Active John 8:51 · John 8:52 · John 12:7 · Jas 2:10 · Mark 7:9 · John 15:10 · John 17:15 7×
Present Active 1 John 2:3 · 1 John 5:3 · 1 John 2:5 3×
Indicative states a fact or reality 25×
Present Active John 9:16 · John 14:24 · 1 John 5:18 · John 8:55 · 1 John 3:22 5×
Perfect Active John 15:10 · 2 Tim 4:7 · John 2:10 · John 17:6 · Jude 1:6 5×
Future Active 2 Cor 11:9 · Rev 3:10 · John 14:15 · John 14:23 · John 15:20 5×
Aorist Active Rev 3:8 · Rev 3:10 · John 15:20 · 2 Cor 11:9 4×
Imperfect Active Matt 27:36 · Acts 12:6 · John 17:12 3×
Perfect Passive 2 Pet 2:17 · Jude 1:13 2×
Imperfect Passive Acts 12:5 1×
Imperative command or strong request 6×
Aorist Active Matt 19:17 · John 17:11 · Jude 1:21 3×
Present Active 1 Tim 5:22 · Rev 3:3 · Matt 23:3 3×
Optative wish or remote possibility 1×
Aorist Passive 1 Thess 5:23 1×
71 total occurrences across all forms in the biblical text Morphology: MorphGNT SBLGNT — CC BY-SA 3.0
Discourse Aspect

How this verb appears across 68 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).

Aspect
completed 3 ongoing 5 prospective 4 resultant 7 imperative 5 background 4 subjunctive 10 infinitive 12 participle 17 optative 1
Tense
present 34 aorist 17 perfect 9 imperfect 4 future 4
Voice
active 56 passive 12
Mood
indicative 23 participle 17 infinitive 12 subjunctive 10 imperative 5 optative 1
NT Occurrences
Matthew 19:17 τήρησον aorist active imperative imperative Matthew 27:36 ἐτήρουν imperfect active indicative background Matthew 27:54 τηροῦντες present active participle participle Matthew 28:20 τηρεῖν present active infinitive infinitive Matthew 28:4 τηροῦντες present active participle participle Mark 7:9 τηρήσητε aorist active subjunctive subjunctive John 2:10 τετήρηκας perfect active indicative resultant John 8:51 τηρήσῃ aorist active subjunctive subjunctive John 8:52 τηρήσῃ aorist active subjunctive subjunctive John 8:55 τηρῶ present active indicative ongoing John 9:16 τηρεῖ present active indicative ongoing John 12:7 τηρήσῃ aorist active subjunctive subjunctive John 14:15 τηρήσετε future active indicative prospective John 14:21 τηρῶν present active participle participle John 14:23 τηρήσει future active indicative prospective John 14:24 τηρεῖ present active indicative ongoing John 15:10 τηρήσητε aorist active subjunctive subjunctive John 15:10 τετήρηκα perfect active indicative resultant John 15:20 ἐτήρησαν aorist active indicative completed John 15:20 τηρήσουσιν future active indicative prospective John 17:11 τήρησον aorist active imperative imperative John 17:12 ἐτήρουν imperfect active indicative background John 17:15 τηρήσῃς aorist active subjunctive subjunctive John 17:6 τετήρηκαν perfect active indicative resultant Acts 12:5 ἐτηρεῖτο imperfect passive indicative background Acts 12:6 ἐτήρουν imperfect active indicative background Acts 15:5 τηρεῖν present active infinitive infinitive Acts 16:23 τηρεῖν present active infinitive infinitive Acts 24:23 τηρεῖσθαι present passive infinitive infinitive Acts 25:21 τηρηθῆναι aorist passive infinitive infinitive Acts 25:21 τηρεῖσθαι present passive infinitive infinitive Acts 25:4 τηρεῖσθαι present passive infinitive infinitive 1 Corinthians 7:37 τηρεῖν present active infinitive infinitive Ephesians 4:3 τηρεῖν present active infinitive infinitive 1 Thessalonians 5:23 τηρηθείη aorist passive optative optative 1 Timothy 5:22 τήρει present active imperative imperative 1 Timothy 6:14 τηρῆσαί aorist active infinitive infinitive 2 Timothy 4:7 τετήρηκα perfect active indicative resultant James 1:27 τηρεῖν present active infinitive infinitive James 2:10 τηρήσῃ aorist active subjunctive subjunctive +28 more occurrences

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)

Canonical Themes
Messiah
Biblical Occurrences

Each occurrence shows the passage reference, the original language term as it appears in that context, its transliteration, and the contextual sense.

Witnesses
1-john Protect tēréō
to guard or keep safe
John 17:6-19 τήεω tēréō
to keep, guard, preserve
Appears In

Compound and idiomatic lexemes in which this word is a constituent. Follow a link to study the phrase and its other participating words.

σεαυτοῦ · ἁγνός · τηρέω G4572, G53, G5083
keep yourself pure
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.

Acts 15 — The Gospel of Grace Clarified and the Gentiles Received Ephesians 4 — Walking Worthy: Unity, Maturity, and the New Life in Christ John 14 — The Way, the Truth, and the Life, the Father Revealed in the Son, and the Promise of the Spirit John 15 — The True Vine, Abiding Fruitfulness, Christlike Love, and the World’s Hatred John 17 — The Son’s High Priestly Prayer: Glory, Preservation, Sanctification, Unity, Mission, and Love John 8 — The Light of the World, True Freedom, and the I AM Before Abraham Matthew 19 — Marriage from Creation, Children Received, Riches Renounced, and the Reward of Following Christ Matthew 28 — The Resurrection of Jesus and the Great Commission of the Risen King

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

Sources

MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain

Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0

Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0

STEPBible Data — CC BY 4.0

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