1210. deó
Lexical Summary
deó: To bind, tie, fasten

Original Word: δέω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: deó
Pronunciation: deh'-o
Phonetic Spelling: (deh'-o)
KJV: bind, be in bonds, knit, tie, wind
NASB: bound, bind, imprisoned, tied, binds, binding, prisoners
Word Origin: [a primary verb]

1. to bind
2. (regarding marriage) to be bethrothed, to pledge to give oneself in marriage
{in various applications, literally or figuratively}

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
bind, be in bonds, knit, tie, wind.

A primary verb; to bind (in various applications, literally or figuratively) -- bind, be in bonds, knit, tie, wind. See also dei, deomai.

see GREEK dei

see GREEK deomai

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
a prim. verb
Definition
to tie, bind
NASB Translation
bind (7), binding (1), binds (2), bound (23), imprisoned (4), prisoners (1), put...in chains (1), tied (4).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 1210: δέω

δέω: (future δήσω); 1 aorist έ᾿δησα; perfect participle δεδεκώς (Acts 22:29); passive, perfect δέδεμαι; 1 aorist infinitive δεθῆναι (Acts 21:33); the Sept. chiefly for אָסַר; (from Homer down); to bind, tie, fasten;

1. properly: τί, εἰςδέσμας, Matthew 13:30 (Tr WH brackets G probably omit εἰς, cf. Buttmann, 150 (131); Winer's Grammar, 225 (211)); ὀθόνη τέσσαρσιν ἀρχαῖς δεδεμεναις a sheet bound by the four corners (to the sky), Acts 10:11 (G L T Tr WH omit δεδεμεναις καί); an animal, to prevent it from straying around, ὄνος δεδεμενη, πῶλος δεδεμένος, Matthew 21:2; Mark 11:2; Luke 19:30; with πρός τήν θύραν added, Mark 11:4; with the accusative of person to bind, to fasten with chains, to throw into chains: ἀγγέλους, Revelation 9:14; a madman, πέδαις καί ἁλύσεσι, Mark 5:3f; captives, Matt. (); ; Mark (); ; John 18:12; Acts 9:14; Acts 21:11; Acts 22:29; Revelation 20:2; Passive, Mark 15:7; John 18:24; Acts 9:2, 21 (in the last two passages δεδεμένον ἄγειν τινα); Acts 21:13; Acts 22:5; Acts 24:27; Colossians 4:3; ἁλύσεσι, Acts 12:6; Acts 21:33; λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐ δέδεται, figuratively for these bonds of mine in no way hinder its course, i. e. the preaching, extension, and efficacy of the gospel, 2 Timothy 2:9; the bodies of the dead, which were accustomed to be bound with bandages and linen cloths: τεθνηκώς δεδεμονος τούς πόδας καί τάς χεῖρας κειριας, bound hand and foot with grave-cloths, John 11:44; τό σῶμα ὀθονίοις (Tdf. 2, 7 ἐν ὀθονίοις), to swathe in linen cloths, John 19:40.

2. metaphorically,

a. Satan is said δῆσαι a woman bent together, i. e. by means of a demon, as his messenger, taking possession of the woman and preventing her from standing upright, Luke 13:16 cf. Luke 13:11.

b. to bind, i. e. put under obligation, namely, of law, duty, etc.: δεδεμένος τῷ πνεύματι, bound or constrained in my spirit, i. e. compelled by my convictions, Acts 20:22 (so not infrequent in Greek authors as Plato, rep. 8, p. 567 d. ἀνάγκη δέδεται προσταττει αὐτῷ); with the dative of person δεδέσθαι τίνι, to be bound to one: ἀνδρί, of a wife, Romans 7:2; γυναικί, of a husband, 1 Corinthians 7:27; δέδεται absolutely, opposed to ἐλευθέρα ἐστι, 1 Corinthians 7:39; (Achilles Tatius 1, 11, p. 41 ἄλλη δέδεμαι παρθένῳ, Jamblichus, vit. Pythagoras 11, 56 τήν μέν ἀγαμον, ... τήν δέ πρός ἄνδρα δεδεμένην).

c. by a Chaldean and rabbinical idiom (equivalent to אֲסַר), to forbid, prohibit, declare to be illicit: Matthew 16:19; Matthew 18:18. (Compare: καταδέω, περιδέω, συνδέω, ὑποδέω.)

Topical Lexicon
Overview of Themes

The verb translated “to bind” gathers a rich constellation of ideas—physical restraint, covenant obligation, spiritual authority, and eschatological judgment. These ideas converge to underline God’s sovereign rule, the authority entrusted to His people, and the sure defeat of evil.

1. Physical Restraint of Persons

• Civil and religious authorities repeatedly “bind” Jesus: “Then the detachment of soldiers... seized Jesus and bound Him” (John 18:12). The binding serves the larger narrative of substitutionary atonement; human fetters cannot thwart the divine plan.

• Criminals are bound as a token of justice (Mark 15:7; Acts 21:33) and prophets as a testimony (Acts 21:11). Paul’s chains turn into a pulpit: “So Paul remained bound two years” (Acts 24:27), yet his letters composed in custody still nourish the Church.

• Satan employs physical bondage to oppress (Luke 13:16), while Christ releases captives, authenticating His messianic mission.

2. Binding of Animals and Objects

Simple acts of tethering frame redemptive moments. The colt “tied there” in Matthew 21:2–5 fulfills Zechariah’s prophecy, introducing the King of peace. Likewise the disciples locate “a colt tied” in Mark 11:2–4, demonstrating Jesus’ foreknowledge and authority over mundane details.

3. Spiritual Conflict and Victory

Before the strong man's goods are plundered, “first he must bind the strong man” (Mark 3:27; Matthew 12:29). Jesus’ miracles embody this principle: He binds demonic power, liberates victims, and previews the ultimate curbing of Satan (Revelation 20:2).

Conversely, Satan “bound this woman for eighteen years” (Luke 13:16), revealing his crippling intent. Christ’s word releases her, contrasting satanic bondage with messianic freedom.

4. Apostolic Authority to Bind and Loose

The keys of the kingdom are entrusted to the Church. “Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven” (Matthew 16:19; 18:18). In context the verbs carry legal-judicial weight, authorizing the community to declare what Scripture already affirms—either barring or admitting persons and practices consistent with the gospel.

5. Covenant and Marital Obligation

Marriage creates a binding covenant until death dissolves it. “A married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives” (Romans 7:2). Paul counsels the Corinthian believers: “Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be released” (1 Corinthians 7:27), and, “A wife is bound as long as her husband lives” (1 Corinthians 7:39). The permanence reflects God’s faithfulness to His own covenant people.

6. Binding in Parables of Judgment

• Parable of the Wedding Banquet: the improperly clothed guest is bound hand and foot and cast out (Matthew 22:13), depicting final exclusion from the kingdom.

• Parable of the Wheat and Tares: servants are told, “Gather the tares first and bind them in bundles to burn” (Matthew 13:30), foreshadowing eschatological separation.

These images stress the irrevocability of divine judgment.

7. Captivity and the Advance of the Gospel

Paul is “bound in the spirit” to go to Jerusalem (Acts 20:22), a constraint of conscience rather than iron. Even literal chains cannot arrest the Word: “I am suffering to the point of being bound with chains like a criminal, but the word of God is not bound” (2 Timothy 2:9). The gospel travels unshackled through imprisoned messengers.

8. Eschatological Binding of Evil Powers

• Four destructive angels are “bound at the great river Euphrates” until their appointed hour (Revelation 9:14).

• Ultimately, “He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years” (Revelation 20:2). The restraint is temporary but decisive, demonstrating God’s complete mastery over cosmic evil.

9. Prayer, Open Doors, and Chains

From confinement Paul pleads, “Pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains” (Colossians 4:3). Physical bonds provoke intercession and highlight the Church’s dependence on divine provision rather than human freedom.

Pastoral and Ministry Implications

1. Suffering saints may be confined, yet their testimony remains unhindered.
2. Church discipline must mirror heaven’s verdict, exercised with humility and fidelity to Scripture.
3. Marriage vows are sacred, cultivating covenant faithfulness that mirrors Christ’s love for the Church.
4. Spiritual warfare is real; victory is assured through Christ who has already “bound the strong man.”
5. The ultimate triumph belongs to the Lamb, who will bind Satan and liberate creation.

The thread that unites every use of the verb is divine sovereignty: God permits temporary bonds for His servants, but He reserves everlasting chains for evil. In Christ, believers are freed to serve, proclaim, and endure, confident that “if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

Forms and Transliterations
αὐτὸν δεδεκως δεδεκώς δεδεμαι δέδεμαι δεδεμενα δεδεμένα δεδεμενην δεδεμένην δεδεμένοι δεδεμενον δεδεμένον δεδεμενος δεδεμένος δεδέμενος δεδεμενους δεδεμένους δεδεσαι δέδεσαι δεδεσθαι δεδέσθαι δεδεται δέδεται δεθηναι δεθήναι δεθῆναι δεθήση δεθήσονται δησαι δήσαι δήσαί δῆσαι Δησαντες Δήσαντες δησας δήσας δησατε δήσατε δήσεις δηση δήση δήσῃ δησης δήσης δήσῃς δησητε δήσητε δήσομεν δήσομέν δήσουσί δησουσιν δήσουσιν δήσωμεν δήσωσί εδέθησαν εδησαν έδησαν ἔδησαν εδησεν έδησεν ἔδησεν καὶ auton dedekos dedekōs dedekṓs dedemai dédemai dedemena dedeména dedemenen dedemenēn dedeménen dedeménēn dedemenon dedeménon dedemenos dedeménos dedemenous dedeménous dedesai dédesai dedesthai dedésthai dedetai dédetai desai dêsai dēsai dē̂sai Desantes Dēsantes Dḗsantes desas dēsas dḗsas desate dēsate dḗsate dese dēsē dḗsei dḗsēi dḗseis dḗsēis deses dēsēs desete dēsēte dḗsete dḗsēte desousin dēsousin dḗsousin dethenai dethênai dethēnai dethē̂nai edesan edēsan édesan édēsan edesen edēsen édesen édēsen kai
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Englishman's Concordance
Matthew 12:29 V-ASA-3S
GRK: μὴ πρῶτον δήσῃ τὸν ἰσχυρόν
NAS: he first binds the strong
KJV: he first bind the strong man?
INT: not first he bind the strong [man]

Matthew 13:30 V-AMA-2P
GRK: ζιζάνια καὶ δήσατε αὐτὰ εἰς
NAS: up the tares and bind them in bundles
KJV: the tares, and bind them in
INT: weeds and bind them into

Matthew 14:3 V-AIA-3S
GRK: τὸν Ἰωάνην ἔδησεν αὐτὸν καὶ
NAS: arrested, he bound him and put
KJV: on John, and bound him,
INT: John he bound him and

Matthew 16:19 V-ASA-2S
GRK: ὃ ἐὰν δήσῃς ἐπὶ τῆς
NAS: and whatever you bind on earth
KJV: whatsoever thou shalt bind on
INT: whatever if you might bind on the

Matthew 16:19 V-RPM/P-NNS
GRK: γῆς ἔσται δεδεμένον ἐν τοῖς
NAS: on earth shall have been bound in heaven,
KJV: earth shall be bound in heaven:
INT: earth will be bound in the

Matthew 18:18 V-ASA-2P
GRK: ὅσα ἐὰν δήσητε ἐπὶ τῆς
NAS: to you, whatever you bind on earth
KJV: Whatsoever ye shall bind on
INT: how many if you shall bind on the

Matthew 18:18 V-RPM/P-NNP
GRK: γῆς ἔσται δεδεμένα ἐν οὐρανῷ
NAS: on earth shall have been bound in heaven;
KJV: earth shall be bound in heaven:
INT: earth will be bound in heaven

Matthew 21:2 V-RPM/P-AFS
GRK: εὑρήσετε ὄνον δεδεμένην καὶ πῶλον
NAS: a donkey tied [there] and a colt
KJV: ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt
INT: you will find a donkey tied and a colt

Matthew 22:13 V-APA-NMP
GRK: τοῖς διακόνοις Δήσαντες αὐτοῦ πόδας
NAS: to the servants, 'Bind him hand
KJV: to the servants, Bind him
INT: to the servants Having bound him feet

Matthew 27:2 V-APA-NMP
GRK: καὶ δήσαντες αὐτὸν ἀπήγαγον
NAS: and they bound Him, and led Him away
KJV: And when they had bound him,
INT: and having bound him they led away [him]

Mark 3:27 V-ASA-3S
GRK: τὸν ἰσχυρὸν δήσῃ καὶ τότε
NAS: he first binds the strong man,
KJV: he will first bind the strong man; and
INT: the strong man he binds and then

Mark 5:3 V-ANA
GRK: ἐδύνατο αὐτὸν δῆσαι
NAS: was able to bind him anymore,
KJV: no man could bind him, no, not
INT: was able him to bind

Mark 5:4 V-RNM/P
GRK: καὶ ἁλύσεσιν δεδέσθαι καὶ διεσπάσθαι
NAS: he had often been bound with shackles
KJV: had been often bound with fetters
INT: and chains had been bound and had been torn in two

Mark 6:17 V-AIA-3S
GRK: Ἰωάννην καὶ ἔδησεν αὐτὸν ἐν
NAS: arrested and bound in prison
KJV: upon John, and bound him in
INT: John and bound him in

Mark 11:2 V-RPM/P-AMS
GRK: εὑρήσετε πῶλον δεδεμένον ἐφ' ὃν
NAS: a colt tied [there], on which
KJV: a colt tied, whereon
INT: you will find a colt tied upon which

Mark 11:4 V-RPM/P-AMS
GRK: εὗρον πῶλον δεδεμένον πρὸς θύραν
NAS: a colt tied at the door,
KJV: found the colt tied by the door
INT: found the colt tied at the door

Mark 15:1 V-APA-NMP
GRK: τὸ συνέδριον δήσαντες τὸν Ἰησοῦν
NAS: a consultation; and binding Jesus,
KJV: council, and bound Jesus,
INT: the Council having bound Jesus

Mark 15:7 V-RPM/P-NMS
GRK: τῶν στασιαστῶν δεδεμένος οἵτινες ἐν
NAS: had been imprisoned with the insurrectionists
KJV: Barabbas, [which lay] bound with
INT: the associates in insurrection bound who in

Luke 13:16 V-AIA-3S
GRK: οὖσαν ἣν ἔδησεν ὁ Σατανᾶς
NAS: Satan has bound for eighteen
KJV: Satan hath bound, lo,
INT: being whom has bound Satan

Luke 19:30 V-RPM/P-AMS
GRK: εὑρήσετε πῶλον δεδεμένον ἐφ' ὃν
NAS: you will find a colt tied on which no
KJV: a colt tied, whereon
INT: you will find a colt tied on which

John 11:44 V-RPM/P-NMS
GRK: ὁ τεθνηκὼς δεδεμένος τοὺς πόδας
NAS: came forth, bound hand
KJV: came forth, bound hand
INT: he who had been dead bound the feet

John 18:12 V-AIA-3P
GRK: Ἰησοῦν καὶ ἔδησαν αὐτὸν
NAS: arrested Jesus and bound Him,
KJV: Jesus, and bound him,
INT: Jesus and bound him

John 18:24 V-RPM/P-AMS
GRK: ὁ Ἅννας δεδεμένον πρὸς Καιάφαν
NAS: sent Him bound to Caiaphas
KJV: had sent him bound unto Caiaphas
INT: Annas bound to Caiaphas

John 19:40 V-AIA-3P
GRK: Ἰησοῦ καὶ ἔδησαν αὐτὸ ὀθονίοις
NAS: of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings
KJV: and wound it
INT: of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths

Acts 9:2 V-RPM/P-AMP
GRK: καὶ γυναῖκας δεδεμένους ἀγάγῃ εἰς
NAS: he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
KJV: he might bring them bound unto
INT: and women having bound he might bring [them] to

Strong's Greek 1210
43 Occurrences


δῆσαι — 2 Occ.
Δήσαντες — 3 Occ.
δήσας — 1 Occ.
δήσατε — 1 Occ.
δήσῃ — 2 Occ.
δήσῃς — 1 Occ.
δήσητε — 1 Occ.
δήσουσιν — 1 Occ.
δεδεκώς — 1 Occ.
δέδεμαι — 1 Occ.
δεδεμένα — 1 Occ.
δεδεμένην — 1 Occ.
δεδεμένον — 6 Occ.
δεδεμένος — 4 Occ.
δεδεμένους — 4 Occ.
δέδεσαι — 1 Occ.
δεδέσθαι — 1 Occ.
δέδεται — 3 Occ.
δεθῆναι — 2 Occ.
ἔδησαν — 2 Occ.
ἔδησεν — 4 Occ.

1209
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