Lexical Summary téreó: To keep, to guard, to observe, to watch over Original Word: τηρέω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance hold fast, keepFrom teros (a watch; perhaps akin to theoreo); to guard (from loss or injury, properly, by keeping the eye upon; and thus differing from phulasso, which is properly to prevent escaping; and from koustodia, which implies a fortress or full military lines of apparatus), i.e. To note (a prophecy; figuratively, to fulfil a command); by implication, to detain (in custody; figuratively, to maintain); by extension, to withhold (for personal ends; figuratively, to keep unmarried); by extension, to withhold (for personal ends; figuratively, to keep unmarried) -- hold fast, keep(- er), (pre-, re-)serve, watch. see GREEK theoreo see GREEK phulasso see GREEK koustodia HELPS Word-studies 5083 tēréō (from tēros, "a guard") – properly, maintain (preserve); (figuratively) spiritually guard (watch), keep intact. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom a prim. word téros (a guard) Definition to watch over, to guard NASB Translation continue (1), guard (1), guards (1), heed (2), heeds (1), held in custody (1), keep (27), keep watch over (1), keeping (1), keeping guard over (1), keeps (9), kept (12), kept in custody (3), observe (3), preserve (1), preserved (1), reserved (4), watching over (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 5083: τηρέωτηρέω, τηρῶ; imperfect ἐτήρουν; future τηρήσω; 1 aorist ἐτήρησα; perfect τετήρηκα, 3 person plural τετηρήκασιν (John 17:6 R G) and τετήρηκαν (ibid. L T Tr WH (see γίνομαι, at the beginning)); passive, present τηροῦμαι; imperfect ἐτηρουμην; perfect τετήρημαι; 1 aorist ἐτηρήθην; (τηρός, found only once, Aeschylus suppl. 248, where it is doubtful whether it means 'guarding' or 'watching'), from Pindar, Sophocles, Thucydides down; the Sept. several times for שָׁמַר, נָצַר, etc.; to attend to carefully, take care of; i. e. a. properly, to guard: τινα, a prisoner, Matthew 27:36, 54; Acts 16:23; passive, Acts 12:5; ( b. metaphorically, to keep: τινα, one in that state in which he is, τήν ἑαυτοῦ παρθένον, his own virgin daughter, namely, as a virgin i. e. unmarried, 1 Corinthians 7:37; ἑαυτόν, himself such as he is, i. e. begotten of God, 1 John 5:18 (but here T Tr WH αὐτόν); with a predicate accusative added: ἁγνόν, 1 Timothy 5:22; ἄσπιλον ἀπό τοῦ κόσμου, James 1:27; ἀβαρῆ τίνι, 2 Corinthians 11:9 (ἁπλουν, Antoninus 6, 30; τινα ἄμεμπτον τῷ Θεῷ, Wis. 10:5); τί with a predicate accusative 1 Timothy 6:14 (but see in c. below); passive, τηροῦμαι, with an adverb, ἀμέμπτως, 1 Thessalonians 5:23; with a dative of the person, Χριστῷ, devoted to Christ (Winer's Grammar, 421 (392)), Jude 1:1; τηρεῖν τινα ἐν τίνι: to keep in i. e. cause one to persevere or stand firm in a thing: ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Θεοῦ (see p. 447b bottom), John 17:11f; ἐν ἀγάπη Θεοῦ, Jude 1:21; τινα ἐκ τίνος, by guarding to cause one to escape in safety out of etc.: ἐκ τοῦ πονηροῦ, out of the power and assaults of Satan, John 17:15 (cf. Buttmann, 327 (281); Winer's Grammar, 410 (383)); ἐκ τῆς ὥρας τοῦ πειρασμοῦ, Revelation 3:10. to keep: i. e. not to leave, τήν ἀρχήν, Jude 1:6; not to throw away, τά ἱμάτια, Revelation 16:15. to hold firmly: τήν ἑνότητα τοῦ πνεύματος, Ephesians 4:3; anything as a mental deposit, τήν πίστιν, 2 Timothy 4:7; Revelation 14:12 (cf. Winers Grammar, 536 (499); Buttmann, 78 (68)). to show oneself to be actually holding a thing fast, i. e. c. to observe: namely, πῶς κτλ., Revelation 3:3; τί Matthew 23:3; Acts 21:25 (Rec.); τήν παράδοσιν, Mark 7:9 (WH (rejected) marginal reading στήσητε) (τά ἐκ παραδοσεως τῶν πατέρων, Josephus, Antiquities 13, 10, 6); τόν νόμον, Acts 15:5 and Rec. in Acts 15:24; James 2:10; τό σάββατον, the command respecting sabbath-keeping, John 9:16; τάς ἐντολάς (of either God or Christ), Matthew 19:17; John 14:15, 21; John 15:10; 1 John 2:3; 1 John 3:22, 24; 1 John 5:2 (where L T Tr WH ποιῶμεν); b. at the end); τήν ἐντολήν, 1 Timothy 6:14 (see in b. above; πάντα ὅσα ἐνετειλάμην, Matthew 28:20); τόν λόγον, either of Christ or of God, John 8:51f, 55; John 14:23; John 15:20; John 17:6; 1 John 2:5; Revelation 3:8; τούς λόγους, of Christ, John 14:24; τόν λόγον τῆς ὑπομονῆς μου (i. e. Ἰησοῦ), Revelation 3:10; τά ἔργα μου, the works that I command, Revelation 2:26; τούς λόγους τῆς προφητείας, Revelation 22:7; τοῦ βιβλίου τούτου, Revelation 22:9; τά ἐν τῇ προφητεία γεγραμμένα, Revelation 1:3; cf. Lipsius, Paulin. Rechtfertigungsl., p. 194f, d. to reserve: τινα εἰς τί, to undergo something, 2 Peter 2:4 (cf. Winer's Grammar, 342 (321); εἰς τήν τοῦ Σεβαστοῦ διάγνωσιν, Acts 25:21a); Jude 1:6; τινα εἰς ἡμέραν κρίσεως, 2 Peter 2:9; τούς οὐρανούς πυρί; (to be burned with fire) εἰς ἡμέραν κρίσεως, 2 Peter 3:7; τί εἰς τινα, a thing for one's advantage, 1 Peter 1:4; τί εἰς ἡμέραν τινα, to be used some day for some purpose, John 12:7; τί ἕως ἄρτι, John 2:10; τί with the dative of the person, for rewarding or punishing one, passive, 2 Peter 2:17; Jude 1:13. (Compare: διατηρέω, παρατηρέω, συντηρέω.) Strong’s Greek 5083 appears seventy-one times, weaving together two main spheres: (1) active loyalty—believers “keep” what God has revealed; (2) protective custody—God or human authorities “keep” persons or things under guard. The contexts range from intimate discipleship in the Gospels and Epistles to cosmic judgment scenes in Revelation, showing a seamless biblical theology of covenant faithfulness and divine preservation. Keeping the Commandments as Proof of Love Jesus binds love and obedience in unmistakable terms: “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). He repeats the theme in John 14:23 and John 15:10, grounding Christian ethics in personal devotion. 1 John echoes the same test: “By this we know that we have come to know Him: if we keep His commandments” (1 John 2:3). Failure to keep reveals self-deception (1 John 2:4), whereas keeping brings perfected love (1 John 2:5). Thus 5083 frames obedience not as legalistic compliance but as relational fidelity. Guarding the Word Entrusted The verb regularly governs what is entrusted—teachings, prophecies, or even a flask of costly perfume (John 12:7). Jesus commends the Philadelphian church: “You have kept My word and have not denied My name” (Revelation 3:8). The promised reward—“Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of testing” (Revelation 3:10)—shows a reciprocal keeping: believers guard the word; Christ guards the believers. Revelation ends with a blessing on those “who keep the words of the prophecy of this book” (Revelation 22:7). Apostolic ministry follows the same pattern. Paul directs Timothy “to keep this command without fault or reproach” (1 Timothy 6:14), and James describes pure religion as “to keep oneself unstained by the world” (James 1:27). Divine Preservation of Believers God’s own keeping secures the salvation He grants. Jesus prays for His disciples: “Holy Father, keep them in Your name” (John 17:11) and adds, “I do not ask that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from the evil one” (John 17:15). Jude opens with the comfort of being “kept for Jesus Christ” (Jude 1:1) and closes with the assurance that God “is able to keep you from stumbling” (Jude 1:24, implied). Peter highlights a heavenly inheritance “kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:4). These texts ground the doctrine of perseverance: the same God who calls also guards His own. Custodial Confinement and Civil Authority In a secondary but significant strand, 5083 describes literal imprisonment or surveillance. Peter “was kept in prison” (Acts 12:5), and the guard “was keeping watch over the prisoners” (Acts 12:6). Paul requests to be “kept under guard” for Caesar’s decision (Acts 25:21). Even fallen angels are “kept in eternal chains under darkness” (Jude 1:6; 2 Peter 2:4). The verb therefore spans both physical and spiritual custody, reminding readers that God’s sovereignty extends over human justice systems and unseen realms alike. Eschatological Vigilance End-time passages employ 5083 to exhort steadfastness amid tribulation. “Here is a call for the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus” (Revelation 14:12). The ascended Christ warns, “Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not go naked” (Revelation 16:15), picturing moral alertness. Those who keep Christ’s works “to the end” will receive authority over the nations (Revelation 2:26). Eschatology therefore intensifies, rather than replaces, the daily call to obedience. Christ’s Own Example of Keeping Jesus not only commands but models keeping: “I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love” (John 15:10). His fidelity undergirds Paul’s testimony, “I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7), showing how apostolic perseverance mirrors the Lord’s perfect obedience. Pastoral and Discipleship Implications 1 Thessalonians 5:23 prays that the whole person be “kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,” linking sanctification with eschatological hope. Elders and believers alike must “keep” themselves from partiality (1 Timothy 5:22) and impurity (James 1:27). The term therefore shapes personal holiness, church governance, and missionary endurance (2 Corinthians 11:9). Historical and Theological Reflection Early Christian writers absorbed the New Testament’s dual emphasis on guarding doctrine and living in holiness. The Didache echoes the call to “keep” the Lord’s commands, while patristic theologians saw in the term a safeguard against both heresy and moral laxity. Throughout church history, revivals of orthodoxy and piety have been marked by renewed commitment to “keep” the faith once for all delivered to the saints. By uniting watchful obedience with divinely secured preservation, Strong’s 5083 provides a vital lens through which to view the Christian life: guarded by God, believers guard the treasure entrusted to them, demonstrating love for Christ until He comes. Englishman's Concordance Matthew 19:17 V-PMA-2SGRK: ζωὴν εἰσελθεῖν τήρησον τὰς ἐντολάς NAS: into life, keep the commandments. KJV: into life, keep the commandments. INT: life to enter keep the commandments Matthew 23:3 V-PMA-2P Matthew 27:36 V-IIA-3P Matthew 27:54 V-PPA-NMP Matthew 28:4 V-PPA-NMP Matthew 28:20 V-PNA John 2:10 V-RIA-2S John 8:51 V-ASA-3S John 8:52 V-ASA-3S John 8:55 V-PIA-1S John 9:16 V-PIA-3S John 12:7 V-ASA-3S John 14:15 V-FIA-2P John 14:21 V-PPA-NMS John 14:23 V-FIA-3S John 14:24 V-PIA-3S John 15:10 V-ASA-2P John 15:10 V-RIA-1S John 15:20 V-AIA-3P John 15:20 V-FIA-3P John 17:6 V-RIA-3P John 17:11 V-AMA-2S John 17:12 V-IIA-1S John 17:15 V-ASA-2S Acts 12:5 V-IIM/P-3S Strong's Greek 5083 |
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