ἐτήρουν
tēréō
they kept watch
To keep watch over, to observe attentively with the purpose of guarding, maintaining, or fulfilling. It denotes active care, attention, or preservation, whether referring to rules, traditions, objects, or persons. Contextually, it can mean to preserve from harm, to carry out a directive, to guard custody, or to maintain a certain state or condition.
Matthew 27:36 · Word #3
Lexicon G5083
| Lemma | τηρέω |
| Transliteration | tēréō |
| Strong's | G5083 |
| Definition | To keep watch over, to observe attentively with the purpose of guarding, maintaining, or fulfilling. It denotes active care, attention, or preservation, whether referring to rules, traditions, objects, or persons. Contextually, it can mean to preserve from harm, to carry out a directive, to guard custody, or to maintain a certain state or condition. |
Morphology V IMPF ACT IND 3P PL
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | V — Verb — An action or state of being |
| Tense | IMPF — Imperfect — Continuous or repeated past action |
| Voice | ACT — Active — The subject performs the action |
| Mood | IND — Indicative — States a fact or reality |
| Person | 3P — 3rd person — The one spoken about ("he/she/it/they") |
| Number | PL — Plural — More than one |
Common Translation
| Phrase | they kept watch |
| Literal | they-were-keeping-watch |
Lexical Info
| Lemma | τηρέω |
| Strong's | G5083 |
SIBI-P1 Translation G5083-05
they were guarding
| Morphological Notes | Verb; imperfect tense (past ongoing), active voice, indicative mood, 3rd person plural. |
| Rendering Rationale | The imperfect active indicative, third person plural, denotes ongoing past action performed by "they." "They were guarding" preserves the root sense of attentive keeping or watchful protection while reflecting the continuous aspect of the imperfect tense. |
View full lexicon entry for G5083 →
SILEX v2
SIBI-P2 (Context-Aware)
they were keeping
| Same as P1 | Yes |
| Rationale | Standardized from "they were guarding". |