Lexical Summary hupotithémi: To lay down, to suggest, to propose, to set before Original Word: ὑποτίθημι Strong's Exhaustive Concordance lay down, make knownFrom hupo and tithemi; to place underneath, i.e. (figuratively) to hazard, (reflexively) to suggest -- lay down, put in remembrance. see GREEK hupo see GREEK tithemi HELPS Word-studies 5294 hypotíthēmi (from 5259 /hypó, "under" and 5087 /títhēmi, "place, set") – properly, place under, like sketching over an underlying pattern to make an outline ("paradigm"); (figuratively) leaving a positive pattern (model) for others to follow in the life of faith (LS). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom hupo and tithémi Definition to place under, lay down, mid. to suggest NASB Translation pointing (1), risked (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 5294: ὑποτίθημιὑποτίθημι: 1 aorist ὑπέθηκα; present middle participle ὑποτιθέμενος; from Homer down; to place under (cf. ὑπό, III. 1): τί, Romans 16:4 (on which see τράχηλος). Metaphorically, the middle voice, to supply, suggest (middle from one's own resources); with a dative of the person and accusative of the thing: ταῦτα, these instructions, 1 Timothy 4:6. (Often so in secular authors from Homer down.) Topical Lexicon Essential conceptStrong’s 5294 portrays the deliberate act of placing something “under” or “before.” Within that picture lie two complementary ideas: (1) personal exposure to danger for another’s benefit and (2) thoughtful setting forth of truth for another’s growth. The term therefore serves both sacrificial and didactic purposes in the New Testament record. Occurrences in Scripture Romans 16:4 – Exemplary courage of Aquila and Priscilla Paul closes his letter to the Romans with a long list of co-workers, singling out the husband-wife team who “risked their lives for me” (Romans 16:4). The verb pictures them laying their own necks beneath the sword so that Paul might live and continue his mission. Such devotion mirrors David’s mighty men (2 Samuel 23:15-17) and anticipates the martyr-spirit celebrated in Revelation 12:11. The apostle’s gratitude—shared “by all the churches of the Gentiles”—shows how one courageous decision can bless the wider body of Christ. Historical note: Acts 18:2-3 introduces Aquila and Priscilla as tent-makers exiled from Rome, now serving in Corinth. Their trade placed them close to Paul, and their home repeatedly became a meeting-place for believers (1 Corinthians 16:19). When the couple later returned to Rome, their past readiness to “place their necks beneath” danger would have carried special weight among Christians worshiping in the shadow of Nero. Ministry lesson: Gospel advance often depends on believers who quietly accept hidden hazards—legal, financial, social, even physical—for the sake of God’s servants and message. 1 Timothy 4:6 – Faithful instruction in the pastorate “By pointing out these things to the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 4:6). Here the verb depicts Timothy methodically setting vital truths before the congregation—warnings against false asceticism (4:1-5) and exhortations to gratefully receive the Creator’s gifts. The same root that described Priscilla and Aquila’s self-sacrifice now stresses the pastor-teacher’s duty to lay doctrinal nourishment before the flock. Ministry lesson: Just as courageous believers place their own lives on the line, so shepherds place life-giving instruction within reach. Both acts demand humility: the first lowers personal safety, the second lowers personal opinions under revealed truth. Unified biblical theme: placing self below for the sake of others Whether risking one’s neck or presenting sound doctrine, the common denominator is loving service. The Savior Himself “laid down His life for us” (1 John 3:16), and teachers must “entrust to faithful men” what they have received (2 Timothy 2:2). Philippians 2:4-5 binds the two settings together: “Let each of you look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” Intertextual connections John 15:13 – Supreme pattern of sacrificial love. Acts 20:20, 27 – Paul “did not shrink from declaring” all truth, paralleling Timothy’s charge. Hebrews 10:24 – Believers spur one another on to love and good works, sometimes at personal cost. Historical setting AD 57 (approx.) – Romans greeted Aquila and Priscilla soon after the couple’s perilous intervention. AD 63-65 – Pastoral Letters urge Timothy to continue teaching amid rising heresy and political pressure in Ephesus. Both contexts remind readers that truth and risk cannot be separated in authentic Christian witness. Ministry applications • Cultivate a readiness to hazard comfort, reputation or even life when gospel work or workers are threatened. Christological and ecclesiological reflections Jesus’ atoning death stands as the ultimate “placing under.” Every subsequent act of risk or instruction derives its meaning from the cross and serves the building up of Christ’s body. The fellowship of churches is therefore indebted to both those who face danger and those who feed truth, for each expresses the same cruciform love. Early church reception Patristic writers highlight both facets. Clement of Rome praises believers who “offered themselves as a ransom for others.” Ignatius exhorts teachers to “present nothing beside Christ.” The dual application of Strong’s 5294 thus shaped early Christian understanding of discipleship and oversight. Summary In the New Testament, Strong’s 5294 paints a vivid portrait of believers who willingly lower themselves—either by embracing peril or by carefully laying out instruction—so that others might live and flourish in the gospel. The term calls every generation to courageous sacrifice and faithful teaching, joined together under the lordship of Jesus Christ. Forms and Transliterations υπέθεντο υπεθηκαν υπέθηκαν ὑπέθηκαν υπέθηκε υπέθηκεν υπόθες υποθήσεις υποτιθεμενος ὑποτιθέμενος υποτίτθια hypethekan hypethēkan hypéthekan hypéthēkan hypotithemenos hypotithémenos upethekan upethēkan upotithemenosLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Romans 16:4 V-AIA-3PGRK: ἑαυτῶν τράχηλον ὑπέθηκαν οἷς οὐκ NAS: for my life risked their own KJV: my life laid down their own necks: INT: of them neck laid down whom not 1 Timothy 4:6 V-PPM-NMS Strong's Greek 5294 |
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