Lexical Summary sunanakeimai: To recline together, to sit at table together Original Word: συνανακεῖμαι Strong's Exhaustive Concordance recline with at a meal From sun and anakeimai; to recline in company with (at a meal) -- sit (down, at the table, together) with (at meat). see GREEK sun see GREEK anakeimai NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom sun and anakeimai Definition to recline with (at table) NASB Translation dining (2), dinner guests (2), reclining (2), table (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4873: συνανάκειμαισυνανάκειμαι; 3 person plural imperfect συνανέκειντο; to recline together, feast together (A. V. 'sit down with', 'sit at meat with' (cf. ἀνάκειμαι)): τίνι, with one, Matthew 9:10; Mark 2:15; Luke 14:10; John 12:2 Rec.; οἱ συνανακείμενοι (`they that sat at meat with'), the guests, Matthew 14:9; Mark 6:22, 26 (R G L); Luke 7:49; Luke 14:15. ((3Macc. 5:39); ecclesiastical and Byzantine writings.) Topical Lexicon Shared Table Fellowship in the Gospel NarrativesStrong’s 4873 consistently appears in settings where people recline together for a meal. In the Synoptic Gospels this shared posture sets the scene for teaching, controversy, and revelation. Whether at a Pharisee’s house (Luke 7:49), a tax collector’s banquet (Matthew 9:10; Mark 2:15), a royal birthday feast (Matthew 14:9; Mark 6:22), or a Sabbath dinner (Luke 14:10-15), the verb highlights moments when physical proximity around food becomes a platform for spiritual truth. Second Temple Social Dynamics Dining customs in first-century Judaism reflected status, purity concerns, and covenant identity. To recline with someone signaled acceptance and social solidarity. Pharisees scrupulously guarded table fellowship to maintain ritual purity, while publicans and “sinners” were deemed unclean. By reclining with all strata of society, Jesus deliberately traversed these boundaries, embodying the coming kingdom in which “many will come from east and west and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 8:11). Representative Occurrences Matthew 9:10. “While Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with Him and His disciples.” The setting underscores grace extended to the marginalized and provokes debate about righteousness defined by association with Jesus rather than separation. Mark 2:15 parallels Matthew and confirms a pattern rather than an isolated incident. Jesus’ habitual presence at such tables demonstrates an intentional ministry strategy. Luke 7:49. After the sinful woman anoints Jesus, “those reclining with Him began to say to themselves, ‘Who is this who even forgives sins?’” The forgiving authority of Christ is revealed in a context that challenges social expectations. Luke 14:10. In the parable of the wedding feast Jesus counsels guests: “When you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that your host will come to you and say, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you.” The verb frames a lesson in humility grounded in Proverbs 25:6-7. Luke 14:15. A fellow diner exclaims, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” launching the Parable of the Great Banquet, which portrays divine hospitality and warns against presumption. Matthew 14:9 and Mark 6:22 record Herod Antipas reclining with courtiers when Salome’s dance leads to John the Baptist’s execution, illustrating how corrupted feasts can become arenas of sin and injustice, in stark contrast to Jesus’ redemptive meals. Theological Motifs 1. Grace that Transcends Social Barriers Reclining together signifies fellowship. Jesus’ willingness to share that posture with the unclean signals God’s initiative toward sinners (Romans 5:8). 2. Anticipation of the Eschatological Banquet Each earthly meal foreshadows the consummation when believers “will come and will recline at the table in the kingdom of God” (Luke 13:29). The posture becomes a prophetic gesture of future glory. 3. Humility and Exaltation Luke 14:10-11 links one’s place at the table with the principle: “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Kingdom greatness is measured not by seating prominence but by humble service. 4. Revelation of Christ’s Identity As guests question, “Who is this?” (Luke 7:49), meals become venues where Jesus’ authority, mission, and identity are disclosed, affirming both His humanity (sharing ordinary food) and His divinity (forgiving sins, teaching with authority). Historical Ministry Significance Early Christian communities adopted open table fellowship as a hallmark of gospel witness. Acts 2:46 records believers “breaking bread from house to house,” reflecting Jesus’ pattern. The Lord’s Supper, instituted in a reclining posture, memorializes deliverance and anticipates reunion at the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9). Patristic writers noted that Jesus’ table ministry dismantled ethnic and class divisions, a practice the church is called to continue (Galatians 3:28). Practical Application for Today • Practice Inclusive Hospitality: Inviting the marginalized mirrors Christ’s outreach and displays the gospel. Summary Occurrences of Strong’s 4873 illuminate the redemptive significance of table fellowship throughout the Gospel narratives. In these settings Jesus proclaims grace, confronts pride, and unveils the kingdom, offering a powerful paradigm for Christian ministry and hope. Forms and Transliterations συνανακειμενοι συνανακείμενοι συνανακειμενοις συνανακειμένοις συνανακειμενους συνανακειμένους συνανακειμενων συνανακειμένων συνανεκειντο συνανέκειντο sunanakeimenoi sunanakeimenois sunanakeimenon sunanakeimenōn sunanakeimenous sunanekeinto synanakeimenoi synanakeímenoi synanakeimenois synanakeiménois synanakeimenon synanakeimenōn synanakeiménon synanakeiménōn synanakeimenous synanakeiménous synanekeinto synanékeintoLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Matthew 9:10 V-IIM/P-3PGRK: ἁμαρτωλοὶ ἐλθόντες συνανέκειντο τῷ Ἰησοῦ NAS: came and were dining with Jesus KJV: sinners came and sat down with him and INT: sinners having come were reclining [at table] with Jesus Matthew 14:9 V-PPM/P-AMP Mark 2:15 V-IIM/P-3P Mark 6:22 V-PPM/P-DMP Luke 7:49 V-PPM/P-NMP Luke 14:10 V-PPM/P-GMP Luke 14:15 V-PPM/P-GMP Strong's Greek 4873 |
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