5500. cheirotoneó

Strong's Lexicon

cheirotoneó: To appoint, to elect, to choose by raising hands

Original Word: χειροτονέω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: cheirotoneó
Pronunciation: khay-rot-on-eh'-o
Phonetic Spelling: (khi-rot-on-eh'-o)
Definition: To appoint, to elect, to choose by raising hands
Meaning: I elect by show of hands, choose by vote, appoint.

Word Origin: From the Greek words "cheir" (hand) and "teino" (to stretch or extend)

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: While there is no direct Hebrew equivalent for "cheirotoneó," the concept of appointing leaders can be seen in Hebrew terms like "nasa" (to lift up) and "paqad" (to appoint or oversee).

Usage: The verb "cheirotoneó" primarily means to appoint or elect someone to a position or office, often through a show of hands or some form of public affirmation. In the New Testament, it is used in the context of appointing leaders or elders within the early Christian church.

Cultural and Historical Background: In ancient Greek culture, "cheirotoneó" was a common term used in civic assemblies where decisions were made by a show of hands. This democratic process was adapted by the early Christian church for the selection and appointment of leaders, reflecting both a communal decision-making process and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The practice underscored the importance of community consensus and divine guidance in leadership roles.

HELPS Word-studies

5500 xeirotonéō – properly, stretch out the hands to commission (send forth).

[5500 (xeirotonéō) literally means, "'I stretch out the hand,' thus expressing agreement with a motion, then, 'I elect by show of hands' [of popular vote]), 'I elect' " (Souter); properly, 'to vote by stretching out the hand' (practised in the assembly, so Athenian, Lucian, Plutarch)" (Abbott-Smith).]

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from cheir and teinó (to stretch)
Definition
to vote by stretching out the hand, to appoint
NASB Translation
appointed (2).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 5500: χειροτονέω

χειροτονέω, χειροτόνω: 1 aorist participle χειροτονησας; 1 aorist passive preposition χειροτονηθείς; (from χειρότονος extending the hand, and this from χείρ and τείνω); from (Aristophanes), Xenophon, Plato, Isocrates down;

a. properly, to vote by stretching out the hand (cf. Xenophon, an. 3, 2, 33 ὅτῳ δοκεῖ ταῦτα, ἀνατεινάτω τήν χεῖρα. ἀνετειναν ἅπαντες).

b. to create or appoint by vote: τινα, one to have charge of some office or duty, passive, 2 Corinthians 8:19, and in the spurious subscriptions in ; Titus 3:15.

c. with the loss of the notion of extending the hand, to elect, appoint, create: τινα, Acts 14:23 (see examples from the Greek writings in Passow, under the word, p. 2440{a}; χειροτονεῖσθαι ὑπό Θεοῦ βασιλέα, Philo de praem. et poen. § 9; (βασιλέως ὕπαρχος ἐχειροτονειτο, de Josephus, § 41); Josephus, Antiquities 6, 4, 2; (7, 11, 1; of the choice of Jonah as high priest, 13, 2, 2; cf. Hatch in Dict. of Chris. Antiq., under the word, Ordination, p. 1501{b}; Harnack on 'Teaching' etc. 15, 1 [ET]).). (Compare: προχειροτονέω.)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

choose, ordain.

From a comparative of cheir and teino (to stretch); to be a hand-reacher or voter (by raising the hand), i.e. (generally) to select or appoint -- choose, ordain.

see GREEK cheir

Forms and Transliterations

χειροτονηθεις χειροτονηθείς χειροτονηθεὶς χειροτονησαντες χειροτονήσαντες χειροτονίαν χειρώσηται cheirotonesantes cheirotonēsantes cheirotonḗsantes cheirotonetheis cheirotonetheìs cheirotonētheis cheirotonētheìs

Englishman's Concordance

Acts 14:23 V-APA-NMP
GRK: χειροτονήσαντες δὲ αὐτοῖς
NAS: When they had appointed elders
KJV: And when they had ordained them elders
INT: having chosen moreover for them

2 Corinthians 8:19 V-APP-NMS
GRK: ἀλλὰ καὶ χειροτονηθεὶς ὑπὸ τῶν
NAS: [this], but he has also been appointed by the churches
KJV: who was also chosen of the churches
INT: but also having been chosen by the

Strong's Greek 5500
2 Occurrences

χειροτονήσαντες — 1 Occ.
χειροτονηθεὶς — 1 Occ.