4732. stereoó

Lexical Summary

stereoó: To make firm, to establish, to strengthen

Original Word: στερεόω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: stereoó
Pronunciation: ster-eh-OH-o
Phonetic Spelling: (ster-eh-o'-o)
KJV: establish, receive strength, make strong
NASB: strengthened
Word Origin: [from G4731 (στερεός - firm)]

1. to solidify, i.e. confirm
{literally or figuratively}

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

establish, receive strength, make strong.

From stereos; to solidify, i.e. Confirm (literally or figuratively) -- establish, receive strength, make strong.

see GREEK stereos

HELPS Word-studies

Cognate: 4732 stereóō – make stable (solid, immoveable). See 4731 (stereos).

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from stereos
Definition
to make firm, strengthen
NASB Translation
strengthened (3).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 4732: στερεόω

στερεόω, στερέω: 1 aorist ἐστερέωσα; imperfect 3 person plural ἐστερεοῦντο; 1 aorist passive ἐστερεωθην; (στερεός); to make solid, make firm, strengthen, make strong: τινα, the body of anyone, Acts 3:16; τάς βάσεις, passive, Acts 3:7; passive, τῇ πίστει, as respects faith (see στερεός, at the end), Acts 16:5. (The Sept.; Xenophon, Diodorus.)

Topical Lexicon

Foundational Concept

Strong’s 4732 depicts an act of making firm, stable, or vigorous so that something or someone can fulfill its intended function. In Scripture the term is always linked to divine power operating through human agency, underscoring the truth that genuine stability—whether physical, spiritual, or communal—comes from God.

Occurrences in the New Testament

1. Acts 3:7 – Luke records that Peter “helped him up, and at once the man’s feet and ankles were made strong”.
2. Acts 3:16 – Peter explains the miracle: “By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know has been made strong.”
3. Acts 16:5 – During Paul’s second missionary journey, “the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.”

Each text moves from individual restoration to corporate edification, tracing a progression of divine strengthening that begins with a crippled beggar and culminates in robust congregations.

Christological Significance

In Acts 3 the risen Jesus is explicitly identified as the source of strength. The healing is not merely a display of apostolic power but a public testimony that Jesus continues His ministry from heaven. The verb therefore functions christologically: the same authority that made the lame walk is now making the church stand firm.

Apostolic Ministry and Ecclesial Growth

Acts portrays apostolic service as an instrument through which God fortifies His people. The strengthening of churches in Acts 16:5 follows Paul’s deliberate return to previously evangelized cities. Sound teaching, pastoral visitation, and orderly church practice become means by which divine strength is imparted. Modern ministry finds its pattern here: doctrinal clarity and personal shepherding are essential to a church’s stability.

Faith as the Conduit of Strength

Acts 3:16 places “faith in the name of Jesus” at the heart of the strengthening process. Faith is neither abstract optimism nor mere mental assent; it is the trusting embrace of Christ’s authority. Where such faith exists, divine power flows. The episode warns against attributing power to personalities or techniques and directs all glory to Christ alone.

Historical Resonances

The Old Testament repeatedly links God’s presence with strengthening His servants (for example, Deuteronomy 31:6; Isaiah 41:10). Acts consciously situates the church within that redemptive trajectory. What God promised to Israel He fulfills universally through the exalted Messiah, demonstrating the unity of Scripture.

Pastoral and Practical Application

• Encourage believers to seek strength in Christ rather than in self-effort.
• Use sound doctrine and personal encouragement to stabilize congregations.
• Recognize that visible demonstrations of God’s power are evangelistic, pointing observers to the gospel.
• Employ intentional follow-up, as Paul did, to reinforce fledgling believers.

Missional Outlook

The spread of the gospel in Acts is accompanied by the strengthening of existing believers. Evangelism and edification are not competing goals but complementary aspects of the Great Commission. A church that is firm in faith becomes a launchpad for further outreach, just as “the churches were strengthened … and grew daily” (Acts 16:5).

Devotional Reflection

The same Lord who lifted a lame man and undergirded early congregations still offers steadfastness to His people. Believers may therefore approach every trial with the confidence that “He who calls you is faithful, and He will do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:24).

Forms and Transliterations

εστερεουντο εστερεούντο ἐστερεοῦντο εστερεώθη εστερεωθησαν εστερεώθησαν ἐστερεώθησαν εστερεωμένης εστερέωσα εστερέωσαν εστερέωσε εστερεωσεν ἐστερέωσεν εστερήθησαν εστέρησας εστέρησέ στερεών στερεώσαντι στερεώσας στερεώσεις στερήσει estereosen estereōsen esteréosen esteréōsen estereothesan estereōthēsan estereṓthesan estereṓthēsan estereounto estereoûnto

Englishman's Concordance

Acts 3:7 V-AIP-3P
GRK: παραχρῆμα δὲ ἐστερεώθησαν αἱ βάσεις
NAS: and his ankles were strengthened.
KJV: and ankle bones received strength.
INT: immediately moreover were strengthened the feet

Acts 3:16 V-AIA-3S
GRK: καὶ οἴδατε ἐστερέωσεν τὸ ὄνομα
NAS: [it is] the name of Jesus which has strengthened this
KJV: hath made this man strong, whom ye see
INT: and know is made strong the name

Acts 16:5 V-IIM/P-3P
GRK: οὖν ἐκκλησίαι ἐστερεοῦντο τῇ πίστει
NAS: the churches were being strengthened in the faith,
KJV: the churches established in the faith,
INT: Therefore churches were strengthened in the faith

Strong's Greek 4732
3 Occurrences

ἐστερέωσεν — 1 Occ.
ἐστερεώθησαν — 1 Occ.
ἐστερεοῦντο — 1 Occ.