Lexical Summary meletaó: To meditate, to care for, to practice, to study Original Word: μελετάω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance imagine, premeditate. From a presumed derivative of melo; to take care of, i.e. (by implication) revolve in the mind -- imagine, (pre-)meditate. see GREEK melo HELPS Word-studies Cognate: 3191 meletáō – properly, to care for, attend to; hence be diligent, especially to ponder (study). See 3199 (melei). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom meleté (care) Definition to care for, practice, study NASB Translation devise (1), take pains (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 3191: μελετάωμελετάω, μελέτω; 1 aorist ἐμελέτησα; (from μελέτη care, practice); especially frequent in Greek writings from Sophocles and Thucydides down; the Sept. chiefly for הָגָה; to care for, attend to carefully, practise: τί, 1 Timothy 4:15 (R. V. be diligent in); to meditate equivalent to to devise, contrive: Acts 4:25 from Psalm 2:1; used by the Greeks of the meditative pondering and the practice of orators and rhetoricians, as μελετᾶν τήν ἀπολογίαν ὑπέρ ἑαυτῶν, Demosthenes, p. 1129, 9 (cf. Passow, under the word, d. (Liddell and Scott, under the word, II. 2 and III. 4 b.)), which usage seems to have been in the writer's mind in Mark 13:11 (R L brackets Compare: προμελετάω). Strong’s Greek 3191 moves along two closely-related tracks: sustained inward contemplation and deliberate outward practice. As Scripture employs the verb, it gathers up both strands into a single movement of the heart—what the mind settles on, the life works out. Old Testament Background The Septuagint repeatedly renders Hebrew roots for “ponder,” “murmur,” or “devise” with this verb. Most notable is Psalm 2:1, “Why do the peoples devise empty things?” (LXX). The verse portrays restless nations sitting in counsel, turning plans over and over. The idea is neither a passing thought nor a casual glance; it is planning that shapes behavior. Joshua 1:8 supplies the positive counterpart: the Book of the Law is to be “meditated upon” day and night so that Israel may “do” all that is written. From the start, biblical meditation demands obedience. Usage in the New Testament Acts 4:25—In the Church’s first recorded prayer after Pentecost, believers quote Psalm 2:1: “Why do the nations rage, and the peoples plot in vain?”. Here the verb describes hostile strategic deliberation. The early Church measures its own opposition against God’s sovereign plan; even calculated rebellion is foreknown and overruled. 1 Timothy 4:15—Paul exhorts Timothy: “Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress”. The term is shifted from rebellious scheming to disciplined pastoral formation. Timothy is to turn the gospel, his gifting, and the public reading of Scripture over in his mind until they overflow in visible growth. Theological and Devotional Significance Meditation and the Heart Scripture never divorces meditation from revelation. The mind does not drift inward to find truth; it anchors itself in what God has spoken. Christian meditation is therefore verbal (rooted in the Word), intentional (repeated), and worshipful (directed to God). Practice and Progress in Ministry In 1 Timothy, the verb moves from thought to habit. Ministers are to rehearse gospel truths until they become second nature, just as athletes run drills until muscle memory takes over (compare 1 Corinthians 9:24-27). The promise is “progress” that can be witnessed by the flock—evidence that attentive reflection issues in transformed service. Implications for Contemporary Discipleship 1. Scripture-Saturated Planning—Every strategy, whether personal or congregational, must be forged in the furnace of God’s Word, lest it mirror the futile plotting of Psalm 2. Related Concepts and References Meditate: Psalm 1:2; Psalm 119:97 Ponder/Consider: Proverbs 4:26; Hebrews 3:1 Practice: Philippians 4:9; 2 Peter 1:10 Planning under Providence: Proverbs 16:3; James 4:13-15 Summary Strong’s Greek 3191 binds thought and action. From the conspiratorial councils of Psalm 2 to the disciplined ministry of Timothy, Scripture shows that whatever the heart continually turns over will soon guide the hands. Christian meditation therefore refuses vain plotting and commits itself to the Word, confident that such focused practice will display tangible progress and advance the gospel. Englishman's Concordance Acts 4:25 V-AIA-3PGRK: καὶ λαοὶ ἐμελέτησαν κενά NAS: AND THE PEOPLES DEVISE FUTILE THINGS? KJV: and the people imagine vain things? INT: and peoples did devise vain things 1 Timothy 4:15 V-PMA-2S Strong's Greek 3191 |
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