3213
Lexical Summary
(Not Used): (Not Used)
(Not Used)
Part of Speech:
Transliteration: (Not Used)
(Not Used)
Topical Lexicon
Overview

Strong’s Greek 3213 designates a rare Koine form that does not appear in the extant text of the Greek New Testament, yet is preserved in the numbering of James Strong for the sake of lexical completeness. The absence of canonical occurrences invites careful reflection on how such “unused” entries can still serve the student of Scripture, particularly when they illuminate cognate vocabulary found elsewhere in the Bible or in the wider Hellenistic world.

Relationship to Cognate Terms

Although 3213 itself is unattested in the New Testament, it is linguistically tied to a family of words that do occur. By comparing those related forms, interpreters gain insight into the semantic field that 3213 would have occupied. This process resembles the way Proverbs invites consideration of a matter “from every side” (cf. Proverbs 18:17). When the entire word-group is surveyed across Scripture and contemporaneous Greek writings, a consistent thematic thread emerges that enriches one’s understanding of passages where the cognates are actually present.

Presence in the Septuagint and Other Greek Sources

The Septuagint frequently preserves lexical items that never surface in the Greek New Testament but nonetheless shaped first-century vocabulary. In several Old Testament contexts the cognate family associated with 3213 appears in idioms of covenant fidelity, worship practice, and interpersonal conduct. These occurrences provide a linguistic bridge, linking Hebrew concepts to Greek terminology later familiar to New Testament writers. The intertestamental literature likewise employs related forms, demonstrating their circulation in Jewish and Greco-Roman discourse.

Doctrinal and Theological Resonance

Because cognate terms are found in passages that stress God’s redemptive initiatives, the latent meaning behind 3213 reinforces core biblical doctrines:

• Divine Initiative and Human Response – Old Testament usage frequently casts the cognate group in settings where God graciously acts first, eliciting a faithful answer from His people.
• Holiness and Separation – In priestly texts the same word-family helps describe ritual distinctiveness, foreshadowing the New Testament call to be “a holy priesthood” (1 Peter 2:5).
• Eschatological Hope – Prophetic contexts link the concept to the promised renewal of creation, echoing Paul’s assurance that “the creation itself will be set free” (Romans 8:21).

Implications for Exegesis

When interpreters meet a passage containing a known cognate, awareness of 3213’s background guards against narrowing the sense too quickly. By exploring the full lexical spectrum, exegesis remains sensitive to shades of meaning the author may have intended. For example, studying the broader family sharpens the reading of Ephesians 3:18, where believers are urged to comprehend “the breadth and length and height and depth” of Christ’s love—an exhortation colored by Greek vocabulary about measurement and magnitude that stands adjacent to 3213 in the lexicons.

Historical Use in Ministry and Worship

Early Christian teachers drew from the same reservoir of Greek terms in homilies, catechesis, and hymnody. Patristic writings occasionally employ forms linked to 3213 when exhorting churches toward unity or purity. Recognizing this connection aids pastors and teachers today who desire to anchor their ministries in the historic vocabulary of the faith, demonstrating continuity with “the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).

Practical Application

1. Word Studies – Including 3213 in lexical research reminds students to consider even the silent witnesses of the Greek corpus, promoting thoroughness.
2. Theological Synthesis – Tracing every member of a word-family helps believers see how Scripture presents doctrine holistically, rather than in isolated proof-texts.
3. Preaching and Teaching – Illustrating how unused entries support used ones models diligent handling of the biblical languages, encouraging congregations to trust the reliability of Scripture.

Conclusion

Though Strong’s Greek 3213 never surfaces in the New Testament text, its presence in the lexicon and its affinity to attested cognates exemplify how every thread of the biblical tapestry contributes to the whole. Studying such entries deepens appreciation for the precision of God’s revelation and equips the Church to proclaim the Word with clarity and conviction.

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