Word Study for G1839 (ἐξίστημι)

exístēmi /ex-is'-tay-mee/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom ἐκ and ἵστημι

Meaningto put (stand) out of wits, i.e. astound, or (reflexively) become astounded, insane

KJV usageamaze, be (make) astonished, be beside self (selves), bewitch, wonder.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of exístēmi — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Greek word exístēmi, represented by G1839, describes a state of being put out of one's normal state of mind. It appears 21 times across 17 unique verses in the Bible. Its base definition includes to astound, become astounded, or even insane, and is translated in various ways, such as to amaze, be astonished, be beside self, and to bewitch.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical narratives, G1839 often captures the human reaction to supernatural events. Following a miraculous healing, the people were all amazed and glorified God Mark 2:12. Similarly, when Jesus calmed the wind, his disciples were sore amazed Mark 6:51. The word is also used to describe astonishment at unexpected human behavior, such as when those in Jerusalem heard Saul preaching the name he once destroyed Acts 9:21. In another context, it describes a state of being mentally displaced; Jesus's friends believed He was beside himself Mark 3:21, and Paul used the same term to describe his intense focus on God 2 Corinthians 5:13.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words clarify the meaning of G1839:

G1611 ékstasis (a displacement of the mind, i.e. bewilderment, "ecstasy"): Derived from G1839, this noun form intensifies the meaning. After a girl was raised from the dead, those who saw it were astonished with a great astonishment Mark 5:42.
G2296 thaumázō (to wonder; by implication, to admire): This word often appears alongside G1839 to describe a response of awe. On the day of Pentecost, the crowd was amazed and marvelled at the disciples speaking Acts 2:7.
G3096 mageúō (to practice magic): This term provides a contrast, describing the source of false wonder. Simon used sorcery and bewitched the people of Samaria, a counterfeit of the true astonishment caused by God's power Acts 8:9.

Theological Significance

The theological significance of G1839 is demonstrated in its varied applications.

Response to Divine Revelation: The word frequently marks a moment when individuals encounter the power or truth of God in a way that overwhelms their normal senses. The believers of the circumcision were astonished that the gift of the Holy Ghost was poured out on the Gentiles Acts 10:45.
Distinguishing True and False Power: In Samaria, Simon bewitched the people with sorceries Acts 8:11. However, Simon himself later wondered when beholding the authentic miracles and signs performed by Philip, highlighting the superior nature of God's power over magical arts Acts 8:13.
A State of Divine Focus: The expression "to be beside oneself" is used to describe both perceived madness Mark 3:21 and radical devotion. Paul reclaims the term, stating that if he is beside himself, it is for God, suggesting a state of mind wholly dedicated to a divine purpose 2 Corinthians 5:13.

Summary

In summary, G1839 exístēmi is a powerful term that conveys more than mere surprise. It describes a profound displacement of the mind, whether through amazement at God's miracles, bewilderment at unexpected events, or being captivated by either divine truth or deceptive sorcery. From the crowds being amazed at Jesus's power to Paul being beside himself for God, the word captures a spectrum of intense human reactions to the extraordinary.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Greek New Testament, this word appears as a verb across 17 occurrences, inflected in 8 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Imperfect Middle Indicative 3rd Plural 6×
2nd Aorist Active Indicative 3rd Plural 5×
2nd Aorist Active Indicative 1st Plural 1×
2nd Aorist Active Indicative 3rd Singular 1×
Imperfect Middle Indicative 3rd Singular 1×
Perfect Active Infinitive 1×
Present Active Participle Nominative Singular Masculine 1×
Present Middle Infinitive 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
1st: First person — the speaker ("I"/"we").
2nd: Second person — the one addressed ("you").
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Present: Action in progress or repeated — happening now or continually.
Imperfect: Ongoing or repeated action in the past — "was doing".
Aorist: Action viewed as a single whole — usually a simple past event.
Perfect: A completed act whose results continue.
Active: The subject performs the action.
Middle: The subject acts on or for itself.
Indicative: A plain statement of fact.
Infinitive: The verb as a noun — "to do".
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 17 verses across 5 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Acts (8 verses); never once in the other 22.

Matthew

Mark

Luke

Acts

2 Corinthians

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.