Lexical Summary bastazó: To bear, carry, endure, support Original Word: βαστάζω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance bear, carry, take up. Perhaps remotely derived from the base of basis (through the idea of removal); to lift, literally or figuratively (endure, declare, sustain, receive, etc.) -- bear, carry, take up. see GREEK basis NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof uncertain origin Definition to take up, carry NASB Translation bear (8), bearers (1), bearing (1), bore (1), borne (1), carried (2), carried...away (1), carried away (1), carries (1), carry (2), carrying (2), endured (1), picked (1), pilfer (1), remove (1), supports (1), tolerate (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 941: βαστάζωβαστάζω; future βαστάσω; 1 aorist ἐβάστασα; 1. to take up with the hands: λίθους, John 10:31 (λααν, Homer, Odyssey 11, 594; τήν μάχαιραν ἀπό τῆς γῆς, Josephus, Antiquities 7, 11, 7). 2. to take up in order to carry or bear; to put upon oneself (something) to be carried; to bear what is burdensome: τόν σταυρόν, John 19:17; Luke 14:27 (see σταυρός 2 a. and b.); Metaphorically: βαστάζειν τί, to be equal to understanding a matter and receiving it calmly, John 16:12 (Epictetus ench. 29, 5); φορτίον, Galatians 6:5; βαστάσει τό κρίμα, must take upon himself the condemnation of the judge, Galatians 5:10 (מִשְׁפָּט נָשָׂא, Micah 7:9). Hence, to bear, endure: Matthew 20:12; Acts 15:10 (ζυγόν); Romans 15:1; Galatians 6:2; Revelation 2:2f (Epictetus diss. 1, 3, 2; Anthol. 5, 9, 3; in this sense the Greeks more commonly use φέρειν.) 3. simply to bear, carry: Matthew 3:11; Mark 14:13; Luke 7:14; Luke 22:10; Revelation 17:7; passive, Acts 3:2; Acts 21:35. τό ὄνομα μου ἐνώπιον ἐθνῶν, so to bear it that it may be in the presence of Gentiles, i. e. by preaching to carry the knowledge of my name to the Gentiles, Acts 9:15. to carry on one's person: Luke 10:4; Galatians 6:17 (cf. Ellicott at the passage); of the womb carrying the foetus, Luke 11:27; to sustain, i. e., uphold, support: Romans 11:18. 4. by a use unknown to Attic writers, to bear away, carry off: νόσους, to take away or remove by curing them, Matthew 8:17 (Galen de compos. medicam. per gen. 2, 14 (339, Bas. edition) ψωρας τέ θεραπεύει καί ὑπώπια βαστάζει) (others refer the use in Matthew, the passage cited to 2; cf. Meyer). John 12:6 (ἐβασταζε used to pilfer (R. V. text took away; cf. our 'shoplifting', though path. this lift is a different word, see Skeat, under the word)); John 20:15 (Polybius 1, 48, 2 ὁ ἄνεμος τούς πύργους τῇ βία βαστάζει, Apollod. Bibl. 2, 6, 2; 3, 4, 3; Athen. 2, 26, p. 46 f.; 15, 48, p. 693{e}; very many instances from Josephus are given by Krebs, Observations, p. 152ff). (Synonyms: cf. Schmidt, chapter 105.) The verb carries a spectrum of senses, all clustered around the idea of “bearing.” At times it depicts the literal lifting or transportation of an object, at other times the figurative endurance of responsibility, suffering, or sin. The contexts fall naturally into five thematic spheres: physical carrying, discipleship, mutual care within the body of Christ, apostolic commission, and the unique sin-bearing work of the Messiah. Physical Carrying of Objects and Persons Several texts employ the word in its most concrete sense. Mark 14:13 and Luke 22:10 picture a man “carrying a jar of water,” an everyday scene that nevertheless guides the disciples to the Upper Room. Luke 7:14 shows pallbearers “carrying” a dead man, highlighting the compassion of Jesus as He touches the bier. In Acts 3:2 a lame man “was being carried” daily to the Beautiful Gate, setting the stage for his healing and the proclamation of the risen Christ. These snapshots of ordinary movement prepare readers to grasp the heavier, metaphorical loads found elsewhere. Discipleship and Self-Denial The Lord sharpens the term when He declares, “Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:27). The cross is not incidental baggage but the instrument of execution—embraced willingly by those who follow Jesus. John 19:17 records that Jesus Himself “went out bearing His own cross,” underwriting His call with personal example. Thus, βαστάζω becomes a discipleship watchword: to follow Christ is to shoulder the demands and reproach of obedience, whatever form they take. Mutual Burden-Bearing in the Church Paul’s pastoral theology draws directly from his Lord’s teaching. “Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). Yet balance is maintained: “For each one will bear his own load” (Galatians 6:5). The community is obliged to rally around the overwhelmed, while individuals remain responsible for the stewardship God assigns them. Romans 15:1 widens the circle: “We who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of the weak, and not to please ourselves.” Here βαστάζω functions as a charter for patient, sacrificial fellowship. Apostolic Commission and Gospel Witness The word also marks out chosen vessels for ministry. When Saul’s blindness unsettles the believers, the Lord assures Ananias, “He is My chosen instrument to carry My name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel” (Acts 9:15). To “carry the Name” is to transport the gospel into unreached realms, enduring hardship en route. Similarly, Acts 15:10 warns against placing a yoke the disciples “are not able to bear,” insisting that gospel liberty remain unencumbered by man-made regulations. Endurance under Testing and Persecution The risen Christ commends the Ephesian church: “I know your deeds… you have persevered and endured for My name” (Revelation 2:2-3). Their steadfastness models the robust endurance the word can convey. Galatians 5:10 adds a sober note: “The one who is troubling you will bear the judgment, whoever he may be.” Here βαστάζω implies shouldering the consequences of false teaching—an inevitable, divine reckoning. Sin-Bearing and Prophetic Fulfillment Matthew 8:17 links Jesus’ healing ministry to Isaiah’s Servant Song: “He Himself took our infirmities and bore our diseases.” The evangelist selects the aorist form ἐβάστασεν to certify prophetic fulfillment. By absorbing human brokenness, Christ foreshadows the climactic sin-bearing of the cross. John 1:29 will later announce, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,” employing a cognate verb with identical weight. The vocabulary signals substitution: what men could never bear, the Son shoulders fully. Eschatological Overtones In Revelation 17:7 the angel interprets the mystery of the beast “bearing” the woman, an apocalyptic tableau of oppressive power structures that carry Babylonian rebellion toward its doom. The final book thus extends the word into cosmic dimensions: evil systems tote their own judgment even as the saints bear testimony. Practical Ministry Implications 1. Personal discipleship requires deliberate acceptance of the cross, reflecting Luke 14:27. Conclusion From carrying water jars to carrying the gospel, from cross-bearing discipleship to Christ’s atoning work, the verb threads through the New Testament as a call to active participation in God’s redemptive plan. Each occurrence—whether mundane or majestic—invites believers to trust the Savior who has borne the heaviest weight, and to follow Him by bearing whatever He assigns until faith becomes sight. Englishman's Concordance Matthew 3:11 V-ANAGRK: τὰ ὑποδήματα βαστάσαι αὐτὸς ὑμᾶς NAS: not fit to remove His sandals; KJV: not worthy to bear: he shall baptize INT: the sandals to carry he you Matthew 8:17 V-AIA-3S Matthew 20:12 V-APA-DMP Mark 14:13 V-PPA-NMS Luke 7:14 V-PPA-NMP Luke 10:4 V-PMA-2P Luke 11:27 V-APA-NFS Luke 14:27 V-PIA-3S Luke 22:10 V-PPA-NMS John 10:31 V-AIA-3P John 12:6 V-IIA-3S John 16:12 V-PNA John 19:17 V-PPA-NMS John 20:15 V-AIA-2S Acts 3:2 V-IIM/P-3S Acts 9:15 V-ANA Acts 15:10 V-ANA Acts 21:35 V-PNM/P Romans 11:18 V-PIA-2S Romans 15:1 V-PNA Galatians 5:10 V-FIA-3S Galatians 6:2 V-PMA-2P Galatians 6:5 V-FIA-3S Galatians 6:17 V-PIA-1S Revelation 2:2 V-ANA Strong's Greek 941 |
    |