μέτοχος
métochos
G3353 substantive adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
One who shares with others in something, a participant or partner; more specifically, a person who is involved with others in a possession, experience, or status. The term emphasizes joint participation or commonality, often in a group or collective context. It may refer to one who partakes in a privilege, responsibility, or nature with others, or is an associate in a shared matter. In certain contexts, it connotes legal or formal partnership, but more often it denotes sharing or participation in a broader sense. It lacks the technical force of corporate or commercial partnership (as seen with κοινωνός), and instead points to one who has a real share or part alongside others.
Semantic Range
participant, sharer, associate, companion, partner (in a privilege or calling), partaker, one who takes part in (with others)
Root / Etymology
From the preposition μετά (with, among) and the root ἔχω (to have, to hold); literally, 'one who has with,' i.e., co-holder, companion in possession or status. Cognate with the verb μετέχω (to have a part in, to share, to participate).
Historical & Contextual Notes
In Classical Greek, μέτοχος is used to indicate one who takes part in a thing with others—such as a companion in a campaign or a participant in an event. The term appears in philosophical writings (e.g., Plato) for sharing in a quality or essence. In the LXX, it appears rarely and usually in the sense of participant or associate. In the New Testament (notably Hebrews and Luke-Acts), it often refers to those united by a common spiritual privilege or calling (e.g., μέτοχοι Χριστοῦ, 'participants with Christ') and can overlap with but is somewhat more general than κοινωνός. English translations often use 'partner,' 'partaker,' or 'sharer,' but these can miss the sense of deep communal or participatory identity implied. In comparison, κοινωνός may connote closer fellowship or joint ownership, while μέτοχος focuses on participation by having a share. The term does not imply commercial partnership as the English 'partner' sometimes does.
Translation Consistency
The word μέτοχος denotes someone who has a portion or takes part along with others. "Share" is the most natural, idiomatic base verb that captures joint possession/participation (one who shares or is a sharer) across contexts (privilege, nature, calling). It fits typical usage better than more formal alternatives like "participate" or archaic "partake," and will yield natural English forms (sharer, one who shares, shared) consistently for all forms of G3353.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from μετέχω; participant, i.e. (as noun) a sharer; by implication, an associate:--fellow, partaker, partner.
Root Family
μέτοχος (metochos) — to have with, to partake, to share
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3353-01 |
μέτοχοι | metochoi | ADJ.S VOC M PL |
partakers | O sharers | sharers | 3 |
G3353-03 |
μετόχους | metochous | ADJ.S ACC M PL |
companions | co-sharers | co-sharers | 2 |
G3353-02 |
μετόχοις | metochois | ADJ.S DAT M PL |
partners | to fellow-sharers | partners | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
6 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3353-02 |
Luke 5:7 | μετόχοις | metochois | ADJ.S DAT M PL |
partners | to fellow-sharers | partners |
G3353-03 |
Hebrews 1:9 | μετόχους | metochous | ADJ.S ACC M PL |
companions | co-sharers | co-sharers |
G3353-01 |
Hebrews 3:1 | μέτοχοι | metochoi | ADJ.S VOC M PL |
partakers | O sharers | O sharers |
G3353-01 |
Hebrews 3:14 | μέτοχοι | metochoi | ADJ.S NOM M PL |
partakers | O sharers | sharers |
G3353-03 |
Hebrews 6:4 | μετόχους | metochous | ADJ.S ACC M PL |
partakers | co-sharers | co-sharers |
G3353-01 |
Hebrews 12:8 | μέτοχοι | metochoi | ADJ.S NOM M PL |
partakers | O sharers | sharers |