συστοιχέω
systoichéō
G4960 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To align or march in the same row or line; to correspond to or be in the same order as another. In the literal sense, the word refers to arranging or moving in a series with others, particularly like soldiers in rank or in orderly sequence. Figuratively, it denotes correspondence, equivalence, or alignment between concepts, patterns, or categories.
Semantic Range
to arrange in a row, to be in the same line, to align together, to match, to correspond, to answer to (figuratively)
Root / Etymology
From the preposition σύν ('with, together') and the verb στοιχέω ('to be in a row, to march in order'). The compound suggests moving or standing in line together with others, hence 'to align with' or 'to correspond.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical and Hellenistic Greek, στοιχέω and its cognates generally evoke imagery of orderly arrangement, progression, or following a prescribed path, such as in military or processional contexts. συστοιχέω is rare, appearing in later Greek and in specific technical, mathematical, or rhetorical contexts. In the New Testament (Galatians 4:25), the term is used figuratively to indicate that one thing (Mount Sinai in Arabia) 'corresponds' or 'aligns' with another (the present Jerusalem). The translation 'corresponds to' captures this parallelism, but English renderings like 'answer to' or 'correspond,' while serviceable, may miss the underlying notion of sequential or structural alignment, as in a matched pair or ordered sequence. The term does not carry religious, ethnic, or political connotations, and is strictly descriptive of alignment or correspondence. Septuagint usage is virtually absent; the term belongs to the realm of technical vocabulary in Koine and later.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from σύν and στοιχέω; to file together (as soldiers in ranks), i.e. (figuratively) to correspond to:--answer to.
Root Family
συστοιχέω (systoicheō) — to be in a row, to march in order, to align together, to correspond
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4960-01 |
συνστοιχεῖ | sunstoichei | V PRS ACT IND 3P SG |
corresponds | aligns together | corresponds | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4960-01 |
Galatians 4:25 | συνστοιχεῖ | sunstoichei | V PRS ACT IND 3P SG |
corresponds | aligns together | corresponds |