Lexical Summary seió: To shake, to cause to tremble, to agitate Original Word: σειό Strong's Exhaustive Concordance move, quake, shake. Apparently a primary verb; to rock (vibrate, properly, sideways or to and fro), i.e. (generally) to agitate (in any direction; cause to tremble); figuratively, to throw into a tremor (of fear or concern) -- move, quake, shake. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. verb Definition to shake NASB Translation shake (1), shaken (1), shook (2), stirred (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4579: σείωσείω; future σείσω (Hebrews 12:26 L T Tr WH); passive, present participle σειόμενος; 1 aorist ἐσείσθην; from Homer down; the Sept. chiefly for רָעַשׁ; to shake, agitate, cause to tremble: Revelation 6:13; τήν γῆν, Hebrews 12:26 after Haggai 2:6; ἐσείσθη ἡ γῆ, Matthew 27:51 (Judges 5:4; 2 Samuel 22:8); σεισθῆναι ἀπό φοβοῦ, of men, to be thrown into a tremor, to quake for fear, Matthew 28:4; metaphorically, to agitate the mind: ἐσείσθη ἡ πόλις (R. V. was stirred) i. e. its inhabitants Matthew 21:10. (Compare: ἀνασείω, διασείω, κατασείω.) Topical Lexicon Root Meaning and Biblical Imagery Strong’s Greek word 4579 (σείω, seiō) paints a picture of violent motion that disturbs what once seemed immovable. In Scripture this shaking manifests physically (earthquakes), cosmically (falling stars), socially (a city in uproar), and spiritually (the removal of created things so that what is eternal may remain). Every occurrence underscores God’s sovereign ability to unsettle the created order for redemptive purposes. Old Testament Background The Septuagint uses seiō and related terms for the Sinai quaking (Exodus 19:18), the trembling of nations under divine judgment (Isaiah 13:13), and the messianic promise that the Lord will “shake all nations” (Haggai 2:6). This backdrop sets up the New Testament usage: when God moves toward climactic revelation, the earth and its institutions reverberate. Usage in the Gospels 1. Matthew 21:10 – “When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, ‘Who is this?’”. The verb pictures a civic earthquake of expectation as messianic hope collides with religious routine. In each scene, physical tremors mirror spiritual upheaval: the King’s arrival, the atoning sacrifice, and the vindicating resurrection. Eschatological Shaking in Revelation Revelation 6:13 links seiō with cosmic collapse: “and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its unripe figs when shaken by a strong wind”. The shaking here is not localized but universal, heralding the Day of the Lord when temporal securities disintegrate and the Lamb’s wrath is revealed. The imagery recalls Isaiah 34:4 and Joel 2:10, demonstrating prophetic continuity. Promise and Warning in Hebrews Hebrews 12:26 quotes Haggai, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but heaven as well.” The author applies seiō to the future consummation when God will remove “what can be shaken” so that “the things that cannot be shaken may remain” (Hebrews 12:27). Believers therefore “receive a kingdom that cannot be shaken” (Hebrews 12:28). The shaking motif thus offers both assurance and admonition: assurance of an unshakable inheritance and admonition to worship “with reverence and awe.” Theological Themes • Divine Sovereignty: God alone initiates each shaking, affirming His rule over nature, history, and redemption. Implications for Christian Ministry 1. Proclamation: Preaching should present Christ as the One who shakes complacency and calls for decisive faith. Application for Today Believers live amid societal and spiritual tremors. Scripture’s testimony of seiō invites confidence that no turmoil is random; every shaking serves God’s redemptive agenda. Standing on the foundation of Jesus Christ, the Church embodies the “kingdom that cannot be shaken,” bearing witness until the final cosmic tremor gives way to everlasting stability. Forms and Transliterations εσεισθη εσείσθη ἐσείσθη εσεισθησαν εσείσθησαν ἐσείσθησαν σείεται σείομαι σειομενη σειομένη σεισθήσεται σεισθήσονται σεισθώσιν σεισω σείσω σείω σείων eseisthe eseisthē eseísthe eseísthē eseisthesan eseisthēsan eseísthesan eseísthēsan seiomene seiomenē seioméne seioménē seiso seisō seíso seísōLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Matthew 21:10 V-AIP-3SGRK: εἰς Ἰεροσόλυμα ἐσείσθη πᾶσα ἡ NAS: all the city was stirred, saying, Who KJV: all the city was moved, saying, Who INT: into Jerusalem was moved all the Matthew 27:51 V-AIP-3S Matthew 28:4 V-AIP-3P Hebrews 12:26 V-FIA-1S Revelation 6:13 V-PPM/P-NFS Strong's Greek 4579 |
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