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Greek · G5087 · unreviewed

τίθημι

To place

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τίθημι G5087
Pronunciation títhēmi

What does τίθημι (títhēmi) mean in the Bible?

τίθημι (títhēmi) is a Greek word meaning "to place". τίθημι, [in LXX for שִׁית ,נתן ,שׂוּם, etc. Voluntary, deliberate sacrifice. This term runs through the canonical themes of Messiah, Priesthood.

Full entry for τίθημι (G5087) · Browse the biblical lexicon

Meaning

to place
Extended definition

Core causative: to place physically or establish authoritatively; middle voice emphasizes personal agency in positioning or appointing.

1causative of κεῖμαι,
ato place, lay, set: Luk.6:48, Rom.9:33, al.; of laying the dead to rest, Mrk.15:47, Luk.23:55, Jhn.11:34, Act.7:16, al.; before ἐπί, with genitive, Luk.8:16, Jhn.19:19, al.; id. with accusative, Mrk.4:21, 2Co.3:13, al.; ὑπό, Mat.5:15, al.; παρά, Act.4:35, 37. Mid., to have put or placed, to place for oneself: of putting in prison, Act.4:3, 5:18, 25, al.; of giving counsel, βουλήν, Act.27:12; of laying up in one's heart, Luk.1:66 21:14 ( 1Ki.21:12);
bto put down, lay down: of bending the knees, τ. γόνατα, to kneel, Mrk.15:19, Act.7:60, al.; of putting off garments, Jhn.13:4; of laying down life, τ. ψυχήν, Jhn.10:11, 15 17, 18 13:37, 38 15:13, 1Jn.3:16; of laying by money, παρ ̓ ἑαυτῷ, 1Co.16:2; of setting on food, Jhn.2:10; metaphorically, of setting forth an idea in symbolism, Mrk.4:30.
2to set, fix, establish: ὑπόδειγμα, 2Pe.2:6.
3to make, appoint: Mat.22:44, Mrk.12:36, Luk.20:43, Act.2:35, Rom.4:17, al. Mid., to make, set or appoint for oneself: Act.20:28, 1Co.12:28, 1Th.5:9, 1Ti.1:12, al.; before ἵνα, Jhn.15:16 (cf . ἀνα-, προσ-ανα-, ἀπο-, δια-, ἀντι-δια-, ἐκ-, ἐπι-, συν-επι-, κατα-, συν-κατα-, μετα-, παρα-, περι-, προ-, προσ-, συν-, ὑπο-τίθημι).
Source: STEPBible TBESG + Abbott-Smith
Why This Word Matters
Voluntary, deliberate sacrifice. 1 John 3:11-18
Reflects deliberate missionary intent. Acts 19:21-27
Emphasizes humble, communal intercession. Acts 21:1-6
Christ’s voluntary sacrifice defines the measure and model of Christian love.
Grammatical Forms

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

Tenses
Aorist Present Imperfect Future Perfect
Voices
Active Middle Passive
Indicative states a fact or reality 66×
Aorist Active Matt 27:60 · Mark 15:46 · Luke 6:48 · Luke 23:53 · John 19:19 · Acts 4:37 · Acts 5:2 · Heb 1:2 · 1 John 3:16 · Rev 1:17 · Rev 10:2 · Mark 6:29 · Mark 16:6 · John 19:42 · John 20:2 · John 20:13 23×
Aorist Middle Acts 1:7 · Acts 12:4 · Acts 19:21 · Acts 20:28 · 1 Cor 12:18 · 1 Cor 12:28 · 1 Thess 5:9 · Luke 1:66 · Acts 4:3 · Acts 5:18 · Acts 27:12 · Acts 5:4 · Acts 5:25 13×
Present Active Luke 8:16 · Luke 11:33 · John 2:10 · John 10:11 · John 13:4 · John 10:15 · John 10:17 · John 10:18 · Rom 9:33 · 1 Pet 2:6 · Matt 5:15 12×
Future Active Matt 12:18 · John 13:37 · Matt 24:51 · Luke 12:46 · John 13:38 5×
Aorist Passive Acts 7:16 · 1 Pet 2:8 · 1 Tim 2:7 · 2 Tim 1:11 · Luke 23:55 5×
Imperfect Active Mark 6:56 · Acts 3:2 · Acts 4:35 · 2 Cor 3:13 4×
Perfect Active Acts 13:47 · Rom 4:17 · John 11:34 3×
Perfect Passive Mark 15:47 1×
Subjunctive possibility, probability, or purpose 12×
Aorist Active Matt 22:44 · Mark 12:36 · Luke 20:43 · Acts 2:35 · 1 Cor 9:18 · Heb 1:13 · John 15:13 · 1 Cor 15:25 · Mark 4:30 9×
Aorist Passive Mark 4:21 · Heb 10:13 3×
Infinitive verbal noun — the action in abstract 7×
Aorist Active Luke 5:18 · John 10:18 · 1 Cor 3:11 · 1 John 3:16 4×
Present Active Acts 5:15 · Rom 14:13 2×
Aorist Passive Rev 11:9 1×
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 12×
Aorist Active Luke 22:41 · Acts 7:60 · Acts 9:40 · Acts 20:36 · Luke 14:29 · Acts 21:5 6×
Aorist Middle 2 Cor 5:19 · 1 Tim 1:12 2×
Present Active Mark 10:16 · Mark 15:19 2×
Perfect Passive John 19:41 1×
Perfect Active 2 Pet 2:6 1×
Imperative command or strong request 3×
Aorist Middle Luke 9:44 1×
Aorist Active Luke 21:14 1×
Present Active 1 Cor 16:2 1×
100 total occurrences across all forms in the biblical text Morphology: MorphGNT SBLGNT — CC BY-SA 3.0
Discourse Aspect

How this verb appears across 97 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).

Aspect
completed 39 ongoing 12 prospective 5 resultant 4 imperative 3 background 4 subjunctive 12 infinitive 7 participle 11
Tense
aorist 66 present 17 perfect 5 future 5 imperfect 4
Voice
active 73 middle 16 passive 8
Mood
indicative 64 subjunctive 12 participle 11 infinitive 7 imperative 3
NT Occurrences
Matthew 5:15 τιθέασιν present active indicative ongoing Matthew 12:18 θήσω future active indicative prospective Matthew 22:44 θῶ aorist active subjunctive subjunctive Matthew 24:51 θήσει future active indicative prospective Matthew 27:60 ἔθηκεν aorist active indicative completed Mark 4:21 τεθῇ aorist passive subjunctive subjunctive Mark 4:21 τεθῇ aorist passive subjunctive subjunctive Mark 4:30 θῶμεν aorist active subjunctive subjunctive Mark 6:29 ἔθηκαν aorist active indicative completed Mark 6:56 ἐτίθεσαν imperfect active indicative background Mark 10:16 τιθεὶς present active participle participle Mark 12:36 θῶ aorist active subjunctive subjunctive Mark 15:19 τιθέντες present active participle participle Mark 15:46 ἔθηκεν aorist active indicative completed Mark 15:47 τέθειται perfect passive indicative resultant Mark 16:6 ἔθηκαν aorist active indicative completed Luke 1:66 ἔθεντο aorist middle indicative completed Luke 5:18 θεῖναι aorist active infinitive infinitive Luke 6:48 ἔθηκεν aorist active indicative completed Luke 8:16 τίθησιν present active indicative ongoing Luke 8:16 τίθησιν present active indicative ongoing Luke 9:44 Θέσθε aorist middle imperative imperative Luke 11:33 τίθησιν present active indicative ongoing Luke 12:46 θήσει future active indicative prospective Luke 14:29 θέντος aorist active participle participle Luke 19:21 ἔθηκας aorist active indicative completed Luke 19:22 ἔθηκα aorist active indicative completed Luke 20:43 θῶ aorist active subjunctive subjunctive Luke 21:14 θέτε aorist active imperative imperative Luke 22:41 θεὶς aorist active participle participle Luke 23:53 ἔθηκεν aorist active indicative completed Luke 23:55 ἐτέθη aorist passive indicative completed John 2:10 τίθησιν present active indicative ongoing John 10:11 τίθησιν present active indicative ongoing John 10:15 τίθημι present active indicative ongoing John 10:17 τίθημι present active indicative ongoing John 10:18 τίθημι present active indicative ongoing John 10:18 θεῖναι aorist active infinitive infinitive John 11:34 τεθείκατε perfect active indicative resultant John 13:37 θήσω future active indicative prospective +57 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 Priesthood
Biblical Occurrences

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

New Testament Witnesses
1 John 3:11-18 lay down títhēmi Indicative · Aorist Active
To voluntarily give up, especially one’s life.
Acts 19:21-27 Resolved títhēmi Indicative · Aorist Middle
To set or determine.
Acts 21:1-6 Kneeling títhēmi Participle · Aorist Active
Placing the knees down in prayer.
Additional Occurrences
John 10:1-21 τίθημι títhēmi
to lay down
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.

τίθημι · λόγος · οὖς G5087, G3056, G3775
put these words into your ears, listen carefully
τίθημι · μέρος G5087, G3313
assign his portion or place
τίθημι · ψυχή G5087, G5590
Lay down life; the greatest love, pointing to Jesus’ death.
ψυχή · τίθημι G5590, G5087
lay down my life
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.

1 Corinthians 12 — One Spirit, Many Gifts, and One Body in Christ John 10 — The Good Shepherd, the Door, and the Son One with the Father John 13 — The Servant-Lord, the Washed Disciples, and the New Command of Love John 15 — The True Vine, Abiding Fruitfulness, Christlike Love, and the World’s Hatred Mark 15 — The Crucified King: Condemnation, Mockery, Death, Confession, and Burial Mark 16 — He Has Risen: The Empty Tomb, the Angelic Announcement, Galilee Promise, and Trembling Witness

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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