τίθημι
títhēmi
G5087 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To place, set, or put (something or someone) at a particular location or in a specific condition; extends to a wide range of contexts including arranging objects, establishing conditions, appointing persons to roles, and instituting actions or intentions. The core meaning is to cause something or someone to occupy a position or state, whether literal (to lay or set down) or figurative (to establish, appoint, determine, commit). In Koine, it can also signify setting forth a plan, making a determination, or depositing (as in trust).
Semantic Range
to put or place (physically), to lay (down, aside, up), to set in position, to set forth (as a plan or law), to establish (circumstances, offices, persons), to appoint or assign, to determine or decide, to deposit (entrust), to dedicate, to commit, to ordain, to purpose as an intention
Root / Etymology
From the root τίθημι (τίθη-), with PIE root *dheh₁- 'to put, to place, to do.' No certain relationship to non-Greek roots. Closely related to other Greek verbs of placing or setting, such as ἵστημι (to stand, set upright) and κεῖμαι (to lie, be lain). τίθημι, by contrast, focuses on the action of causing something to be placed, most commonly in a prone or resting position.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Used extensively in classical, Hellenistic, and Koine Greek with very broad application. Distinguished from ἵστημι (to cause to stand, often signifying a vertical or upright status) and κεῖμαι (to lie, emphasizing the resultant state of being placed or set down). τίθημι emphasizes the action of placing or appointing rather than the final state itself. In legal and social contexts, it can denote the setting forth of laws, decrees, or purposes (e.g., setting a value, establishing a covenant). In the NT and LXX, it is used for laying objects down, appointing positions or roles (e.g., apostles, elders), depositing trust (as in entrustment), or determining plans. The range extends into metaphorical senses, such as laying down one's life or setting one's mind/heart. English translations may obscure its full flexibility, sometimes rendering it as 'make,' 'appoint,' 'establish,' 'lay,' or 'set,' depending on context.
Translation Consistency
“Place” best captures the wide, typical semantic range of τίθημι — physical putting/setting, laying down, and the common figurative senses (establish, appoint, set forth, deposit/entrust, dedicate). It is natural English, versatile for literal and idiomatic contexts, and matches the most frequent P2 renderings (placed/place) while remaining easy to inflect consistently across forms.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a prolonged form of a primary (which is used only as alternate in certain tenses); to place (in the widest application, literally and figuratively; properly, in a passive or horizontal posture, and thus different from ἵστημι, which properly denotes an upright and active position, while κεῖμαι is properly reflexive and utterly prostrate):--+ advise, appoint, bow, commit, conceive, give, X kneel down, lay (aside, down, up), make, ordain, purpose, put, set (forth), settle, sink down.
Root Family
τιθη- (diathḗkē) — to place, to set, to arrange
Word Forms
42 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G5087-07 |
ἔθηκεν | etheken | V AOR ACT IND 3P SG |
laid | he placed | he placed | 11 |
G5087-05 |
ἔθηκαν | ethekan | V AOR ACT IND 3P PL |
they laid | they placed | they placed | 7 |
G5087-10 |
ἔθετο | etheto | V AOR MID IND 3P SG |
has set | he set for himself | he placed for himself | 7 |
G5087-41 |
τίθησιν | tithesin | V PRS ACT IND 3P SG |
puts | places | places | 6 |
G5087-34 |
θῶ | tho | V AOR ACT SUBJ 1P SG |
make | I may place | I may place | 5 |
G5087-38 |
τίθημι | tithemi | V PRS ACT IND 1P SG |
lay down | I place | I place | 5 |
G5087-08 |
ἔθεντο | ethento | V AOR MID IND 3P PL |
advised | they set for themselves | they placed for themselves | 4 |
G5087-24 |
θεῖναι | theinai | V AOR ACT INF |
lay | to place | to place | 4 |
G5087-25 |
θεὶς | theis | V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M SG |
having placed | having placed | having placed | 4 |
G5087-04 |
ἔθηκα | etheka | V AOR ACT IND 1P SG |
appointed | I placed | I placed | 3 |
Occurrences in Scripture
100 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G5087-36 |
Matthew 5:15 | τιθέασιν | titheasin | V PRS ACT IND 3P PL |
put | they place | they place |
G5087-31 |
Matthew 12:18 | θήσω | theso | V FUT ACT IND 1P SG |
I will put | I will set | I will place |
G5087-34 |
Matthew 22:44 | θῶ | tho | V AOR ACT SUBJ 1P SG |
put | I may place | I may place |
G5087-29 |
Matthew 24:51 | θήσει | thesei | V FUT ACT IND 3P SG |
he will appoint | he/she/it will set | he/she/it will place |
G5087-07 |
Matthew 27:60 | ἔθηκεν | etheken | V AOR ACT IND 3P SG |
laid | he placed | he placed |
G5087-15 |
Mark 4:21 | τεθῇ | tethe | V AOR PASS SUBJ 3P SG |
it be placed | may be placed | may be placed |
G5087-15 |
Mark 4:21 | τεθῇ | tethe-2 | V AOR PASS SUBJ 3P SG |
it be placed | may be placed | may be placed |
G5087-35 |
Mark 4:30 | θῶμεν | thomen | V AOR ACT SUBJ 1P PL |
shall we set | let us set | let us set |
G5087-05 |
Mark 6:29 | ἔθηκαν | ethekan | V AOR ACT IND 3P PL |
laid | they placed | they placed |
G5087-13 |
Mark 6:56 | ἐτίθεσαν | etithesan | V IMPF ACT IND 3P PL |
they laid | they were placing | they were placing |
G5087-37 |
Mark 10:16 | τιθεὶς | titheis | V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M SG |
laying | placing | placing |
G5087-34 |
Mark 12:36 | θῶ | tho | V AOR ACT SUBJ 1P SG |
I make | I may place | I may place |
G5087-40 |
Mark 15:19 | τιθέντες | tithentes | V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M PL |
bowing | placing | placing |
G5087-07 |
Mark 15:46 | ἔθηκεν | etheken | V AOR ACT IND 3P SG |
laid | he placed | he placed |
G5087-20 |
Mark 15:47 | τέθειται | tetheitai | V PRF PASS IND 3P SG |
he was laid | has been set | has been set |
G5087-05 |
Mark 16:6 | ἔθηκαν | ethekan | V AOR ACT IND 3P PL |
they laid | they placed | they placed |
G5087-08 |
Luke 1:66 | ἔθεντο | ethento | V AOR MID IND 3P PL |
they kept | they set for themselves | they placed for themselves |
G5087-24 |
Luke 5:18 | θεῖναι | theinai | V AOR ACT INF |
to lay | to place | to place |
G5087-07 |
Luke 6:48 | ἔθηκεν | etheken | V AOR ACT IND 3P SG |
laid | he placed | he placed |
G5087-41 |
Luke 8:16 | τίθησιν | tithesin | V PRS ACT IND 3P SG |
puts | places | places |
G5087-41 |
Luke 8:16 | τίθησιν | tithesin-2 | V PRS ACT IND 3P SG |
puts | places | places |
G5087-32 |
Luke 9:44 | θέσθε | thesthe | V AOR MID IMP 2P PL |
Let sink | Set for yourselves | Set for yourselves |
G5087-41 |
Luke 11:33 | τίθησιν | tithesin | V PRS ACT IND 3P SG |
puts | places | places |
G5087-29 |
Luke 12:46 | θήσει | thesei | V FUT ACT IND 3P SG |
will appoint | he/she/it will set | he/she/it will place |
G5087-28 |
Luke 14:29 | θέντος | thentos | V AOR ACT PTCP GEN M SG |
he hath laid | having placed | having placed |
G5087-06 |
Luke 19:21 | ἔθηκας | ethekas | V AOR ACT IND 2P SG |
you laid down | you placed | you placed |
G5087-04 |
Luke 19:22 | ἔθηκα | etheka | V AOR ACT IND 1P SG |
I laid down | I placed | I placed |
G5087-34 |
Luke 20:43 | θῶ | tho | V AOR ACT SUBJ 1P SG |
make | I may place | I may place |
G5087-33 |
Luke 21:14 | θέτε | thete | V AOR ACT IMP 2P PL |
settle | Place for yourselves | Place for yourselves |
G5087-25 |
Luke 22:41 | θεὶς | theis | V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M SG |
kneeled down | having placed | having placed |
G5087-07 |
Luke 23:53 | ἔθηκεν | etheken | V AOR ACT IND 3P SG |
laid | he placed | he placed |
G5087-01 |
Luke 23:55 | ἐτέθη | etethe | V AOR PASS IND 3P SG |
was laid | was placed | was placed |
G5087-41 |
John 2:10 | τίθησιν | tithesin | V PRS ACT IND 3P SG |
serves | places | places |
G5087-41 |
John 10:11 | τίθησιν | tithesin | V PRS ACT IND 3P SG |
lays down | places | places |
G5087-38 |
John 10:15 | τίθημι | tithemi | V PRS ACT IND 1P SG |
lay down | I place | I place |
G5087-38 |
John 10:17 | τίθημι | tithemi | V PRS ACT IND 1P SG |
lay down | I place | I place |
G5087-38 |
John 10:18 | τίθημι | tithemi | V PRS ACT IND 1P SG |
lay down | I place | I place |
G5087-24 |
John 10:18 | θεῖναι | theinai | V AOR ACT INF |
to lay it down | to place | to place |
G5087-17 |
John 11:34 | τεθείκατε | tetheikate | V PRF ACT IND 2P PL |
have you laid | you have set in place | you have laid |
G5087-41 |
John 13:4 | τίθησιν | tithesin | V PRS ACT IND 3P SG |
laid aside | places | places |
G5087-31 |
John 13:37 | θήσω | theso | V FUT ACT IND 1P SG |
I will lay down | I will set | I will place |
G5087-30 |
John 13:38 | θήσεις | theseis | V FUT ACT IND 2P SG |
will you lay down | you will place | you will place |
G5087-23 |
John 15:13 | θῇ | the | V AOR ACT SUBJ 3P SG |
lay down | may place | he may place |
G5087-04 |
John 15:16 | ἔθηκα | etheka | V AOR ACT IND 1P SG |
appointed | I placed | I placed |
G5087-07 |
John 19:19 | ἔθηκεν | etheken | V AOR ACT IND 3P SG |
put | he placed | he placed |
G5087-19 |
John 19:41 | τεθειμένος | tetheimenos | V PRF PASS PTCP NOM M SG |
laid | having been placed | laid |
G5087-05 |
John 19:42 | ἔθηκαν | ethekan | V AOR ACT IND 3P PL |
they laid | they placed | they placed |
G5087-05 |
John 20:2 | ἔθηκαν | ethekan | V AOR ACT IND 3P PL |
they have laid | they placed | they placed |
G5087-05 |
John 20:13 | ἔθηκαν | ethekan | V AOR ACT IND 3P PL |
they have laid | they placed | they placed |
G5087-06 |
John 20:15 | ἔθηκας | ethekas | V AOR ACT IND 2P SG |
you have laid | you placed | you placed |