2310. themelios
Lexical Summary
themelios: Foundation

Original Word: θεμέλιος
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine; Noun, Neuter
Transliteration: themelios
Pronunciation: theh-MAY-lee-os
Phonetic Spelling: (them-el'-ee-os)
KJV: foundation
Word Origin: [from a derivative of G5087 (τίθημι - laid)]

1. something put down, i.e. a substructure (of a building, etc.)
{literally or figuratively}

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
foundation.

From a derivative of tithemi; something put down, i.e. A substruction (of a building, etc.), (literally or figuratively) -- foundation.

see GREEK tithemi

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 2310: θεμέλιος

θεμέλιος, θεμέλιον (θέμα (i. e. thing laid down)), laid down as a foundation, belonging to a foundation (Diodorus 5, 66; θεμέλιοι λίθοι, Aristophanes av. 1137); generally as a substantive, θεμέλιος (namely, λίθος) (1 Corinthians 3:11; 2 Timothy 2:19; Revelation 21:19), and τό θεμέλιον (rarely so in Greek writings, as (Aristotle, phys. auscult. 2, 9, p. 200a, 4); Pausanias, 8, 32, 1; (others)), the foundation (of a building, wall, city): properly, Luke 6:49; τιθέναι θεμέλιον, Luke 6:48; Luke 14:29; plural οἱ θεμέλιοι (chiefly so in Greek writings), Hebrews 11:10; Revelation 21:14, 19; neuter τό θεμέλια, Acts 16:26 (and often in the Sept.); metaphorically, the foundations, beginnings, first principles, of an institution or system of truth: 1 Corinthians 3:10, 12; the rudiments, first principles, of Christian life and knowledge, Hebrews 6:1 (μετανοίας genitive of apposition (Winer's Grammar, 531 (494))); a course of instruction begun by a teacher, Romans 15:20; Christ is called the θεμέλιος, i. e. faith in him, which is like a foundation laid in the soul on which is built up the fuller and richer knowledge of saving truth, 1 Corinthians 3:11; τῶν ἀποστόλων (genitive of apposition, on account of what follows: ὄντος ... Χριστοῦ (others say genitive of origin, see ἐποικοδομέω; cf. Winer's Grammar, § 30, 1; Meyer or Ellicott at the passage)), of the apostles as preachers of salvation, upon which foundation the Christian church has been built, Ephesians 2:20; a solid and stable spiritual possession, on which resting as on a foundation they may strive to lay hold on eternal life, 1 Timothy 6:19; the church is apparently called θεμέλιος as the foundation of the 'city of God,' 2 Timothy 2:19, cf. 2 Timothy 2:20 and 1 Timothy 3:15. (the Sept. several times also for אַרְמון, a palace, Isaiah 25:2; Jeremiah 6:5; Amos 1:4, etc.)

Topical Lexicon
The Motif of Foundation in Scripture

In biblical thought a foundation is the decisive structural element upon which everything else rests. Its stability determines the integrity of the superstructure, whether a physical building, a life, a ministry, or the people of God as a whole. Whenever Strong’s 2310 appears, the context stresses durability, reliability, and ordered design.

Physical Foundations as a Window to Spiritual Reality

Acts 16:26 records that “a strong earthquake shook the foundations of the prison.” When even stone footings tremble, human security is exposed as fragile and contingent upon God. Likewise, Luke 14:29 pictures a half-built tower that becomes a public monument to folly because its “foundation” was laid without resources to finish the project. Such narrative uses remind the reader that successful construction—and by extension successful living—demands foresight, sacrifice, and a secure base.

Christ the Irreplaceable Foundation

“For no one can lay a foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11). The incarnate Son is not merely one component of the Church’s footing; He is the sole acceptable ground. Building on any rival—law, tradition, human wisdom—invites eventual collapse. The New Testament consistently insists that all saving, sanctifying, and eschatological purposes of God converge in Him.

The Apostolic and Prophetic Foundation of the Church

Ephesians 2:20 locates believers “on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone.” The proclamation of inspired witnesses provides the authoritative, Spirit-breathed strata upon which local congregations and global mission advance. Revelation 21:14 envisions the consummation: “The wall of the city had twelve foundations, bearing the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.” Thus the same historical eyewitnesses who once laid doctrinal groundwork will, in the New Jerusalem, be honored forever for that role.

Moral and Doctrinal Foundations for the Individual Disciple

Hebrews 6:1 urges maturing Christians to move beyond “laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith in God.” Foundational truths are indispensable, yet the writer warns against perpetual infancy. At the same time, “God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: ‘The Lord knows those who are His,’ and, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord must turn away from iniquity’” (2 Timothy 2:19). Orthodoxy (right belief) and orthopraxy (right conduct) remain united components of the one footing God has established.

Missional Foundations and Pioneering Work

Paul’s church-planting strategy avoided “building on someone else’s foundation” (Romans 15:20). Fresh gospel witness, when possible, should plant Christ where His name is not yet cherished. That apostolic instinct continues to inform global missions: advance without rivalry, respect existing labor, and ensure every new work rests directly on Christ and His word.

Eschatological and Heavenly Foundations

Hebrews 11:10 says Abraham looked “for the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” The patriarch’s faith anticipated a permanent homeland, fulfilled in the New Jerusalem whose “foundations of the wall … were adorned with every kind of precious stone” (Revelation 21:19). Earthly structures pass; the eternal city’s footings, engineered by God Himself, guarantee unshakeable hope for the redeemed.

Pastoral and Discipleship Implications

• Teach converts to “dig deep” and lay their lives on rock, echoing Luke 6:48.
• Guard the local church from doctrinal novelty, remembering that only Christ and the apostolic gospel constitute true groundwork.
• Encourage generosity that “treasures up … a firm foundation for the future” (1 Timothy 6:19), linking stewardship now with eternal reward.
• Promote holiness, for the divine foundation carries the seal of separation from wickedness (2 Timothy 2:19).

Historical and Ministry Significance

Early catechisms organized instruction around foundational doctrines—Trinity, incarnation, resurrection—mirroring Hebrews 6:1. Church fathers such as Irenaeus defended apostolic foundations against Gnostic reinterpretations, while Reformers appealed to Scripture alone as the immovable footing beneath the Church. Contemporary ministry maintains this lineage whenever it submits strategy, counseling, and worship to the bedrock of Christ’s person and the prophetic-apostolic word.

Summary

Strong’s 2310 underscores that the success of every endeavor—architectural, ecclesial, personal, or eschatological—depends upon the quality and placement of its foundation. Scripture presents one solution: Christ Himself, confessed by the apostles, embraced in repentance and faith, and consummated in the eternal city whose foundations can never be shaken.

Forms and Transliterations
θεμελια θεμέλια θεμέλιά θεμελιοι θεμέλιοι θεμελιον θεμέλιον θεμελιος θεμέλιος θεμελιου θεμελίου θεμελιους θεμελίους θεμελιω θεμελιώ θεμελίῳ θεμελίων themelia themélia themelio themeliō themelioi themelíoi themelíōi themélioi themelion themélion themelios themélios themeliou themelíou themelious themelíous
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Luke 6:48 N-AMS
GRK: καὶ ἔθηκεν θεμέλιον ἐπὶ τὴν
NAS: and laid a foundation on the rock;
KJV: and laid the foundation on a rock:
INT: and laid a foundation on the

Luke 6:49 N-GMS
GRK: γῆν χωρὶς θεμελίου ᾗ προσέρηξεν
NAS: without any foundation; and the torrent
KJV: that without a foundation built
INT: earth without a foundation on which burst

Luke 14:29 N-AMS
GRK: θέντος αὐτοῦ θεμέλιον καὶ μὴ
NAS: he has laid a foundation and is not able
KJV: hath laid the foundation, and
INT: having laid of it a foundation and not

Acts 16:26 N-ANP
GRK: σαλευθῆναι τὰ θεμέλια τοῦ δεσμωτηρίου
NAS: so that the foundations of the prison house
KJV: so that the foundations of the prison
INT: were shaken the foundations of the prison

Romans 15:20 N-AMS
GRK: ἐπ' ἀλλότριον θεμέλιον οἰκοδομῶ
NAS: on another man's foundation;
KJV: upon another man's foundation:
INT: upon another's foundation I might build

1 Corinthians 3:10 N-AMS
GRK: σοφὸς ἀρχιτέκτων θεμέλιον ἔθηκα ἄλλος
NAS: I laid a foundation, and another
KJV: I have laid the foundation, and
INT: a wise builder [the] foundation I have laid another

1 Corinthians 3:11 N-AMS
GRK: θεμέλιον γὰρ ἄλλον
NAS: can lay a foundation other than
KJV: For other foundation can no man
INT: foundation indeed other

1 Corinthians 3:12 N-AMS
GRK: ἐπὶ τὸν θεμέλιον χρυσόν ἄργυρον
NAS: builds on the foundation with gold,
KJV: upon this foundation gold, silver,
INT: upon the foundation gold silver

Ephesians 2:20 N-DMS
GRK: ἐπὶ τῷ θεμελίῳ τῶν ἀποστόλων
NAS: having been built on the foundation of the apostles
KJV: upon the foundation of the apostles
INT: on the foundation of the apostles

1 Timothy 6:19 N-AMS
GRK: ἀποθησαυρίζοντας ἑαυτοῖς θεμέλιον καλὸν εἰς
NAS: of a good foundation for the future,
KJV: a good foundation against
INT: treasuring up for themselves a foundation good for

2 Timothy 2:19 N-NMS
GRK: μέντοι στερεὸς θεμέλιος τοῦ θεοῦ
NAS: the firm foundation of God
KJV: Nevertheless the foundation of God
INT: Nevertheless [the] firm foundation of God

Hebrews 6:1 N-AMS
GRK: μὴ πάλιν θεμέλιον καταβαλλόμενοι μετανοίας
NAS: again a foundation of repentance
KJV: again the foundation of repentance
INT: not again a foundation laying of repentance

Hebrews 11:10 N-AMP
GRK: τὴν τοὺς θεμελίους ἔχουσαν πόλιν
NAS: which has foundations, whose architect
KJV: which hath foundations, whose
INT: the foundations having city

Revelation 21:14 N-AMP
GRK: πόλεως ἔχων θεμελίους δώδεκα καὶ
NAS: twelve foundation stones, and on them [were] the twelve
KJV: had twelve foundations, and in
INT: city having foundations twelve and

Revelation 21:19 N-NMP
GRK: οἱ θεμέλιοι τοῦ τείχους
NAS: The foundation stones of the city
KJV: And the foundations of the wall
INT: the foundations of the wall

Revelation 21:19 N-NMS
GRK: κεκοσμημένοι ὁ θεμέλιος ὁ πρῶτος
NAS: The foundation stones of the city wall
KJV: The first foundation [was] jasper;
INT: [were] adorned the foundation first

Strong's Greek 2310
16 Occurrences


θεμέλια — 1 Occ.
θεμελίῳ — 1 Occ.
θεμέλιοι — 1 Occ.
θεμέλιον — 8 Occ.
θεμέλιος — 2 Occ.
θεμελίου — 1 Occ.
θεμελίους — 2 Occ.

2309
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