ὑποτίθημι (G5294) — Greek Lexicon

ὑποτίθημι

hypotíthēmi

G5294 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To place or set under; in extended or figurative use, to suggest, to set forth, or to propose (an idea, plan, or reminder), and in some contexts, to make oneself vulnerable or expose oneself to risk. The primary sense is to put or lay something underneath another object; metaphoric senses include presenting, proposing, or suggesting something to another's mind, as well as subjecting oneself to something.

Semantic Range

to place underneath, to lay the foundation, to suggest, to propose, to bring to mind, to remind, to make vulnerable to risk, to hazard oneself

Root / Etymology

From ὑπό (under, beneath) + τίθημι (to place, to set), literally 'to put under.' The compositional format is typical of Greek verb formation indicating an action of 'placing beneath' or 'suggesting.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, ὑποτίθημι primarily meant 'to place under' or 'to lay the foundation.' By Hellenistic and Koine periods, it acquired broader figurative meanings, such as 'to suggest,' 'to propose,' or 'to remind.' In the New Testament (e.g., Romans 16:4), it appears in a reflexive sense as 'to risk oneself' or 'to expose oneself to danger.' In other contexts, especially in literature and philosophical writings, the term could denote making suggestions or laying things out for consideration. English translations such as 'suggest,' 'put in remembrance,' or 'lay down' may not always capture these nuanced meanings, especially the difference between physical and metaphorical usages. The semantic range extends beyond 'propose' to include contexts of vulnerability or risk, which is less apparent in some translation traditions. Over time, its use in everyday Greek shifted toward more abstract senses, while the original physical meaning became less common except in formal or poetic registers.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from ὑπό and τίθημι; to place underneath, i.e. (figuratively) to hazard, (reflexively) to suggest:--lay down, put in remembrance.

Root Family

ὑποτίθημι (hypotithēmi) — to put under, to lay beneath, to suggest, to propose

Root ὑποτιθέ- to put under, to lay beneath, to suggest, to propose

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`G5294-02`	ὑποτιθέμενος	upotithemenos	`V PRS MID PTCP NOM M SG`	putting before	proposing for himself	setting forth	1
`G5294-01`	ὑπέθηκαν	upethekan	`V AOR ACT IND 3P PL`	laid down	they set under	they set under	1

Occurrences in Scripture

2 occurrences

Filter by SIDANCE:

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`G5294-01`	Romans 16:4	ὑπέθηκαν	upethekan	`V AOR ACT IND 3P PL`	laid down	they set under	they set under
`G5294-02`	1 Timothy 4:6	ὑποτιθέμενος	upotithemenos	`V PRS MID PTCP NOM M SG`	putting before	proposing for himself	setting forth

← G5293 Greek Lexicon G5295 →