Word Study for G2311 (θεμελιόω)

themelióō /them-el-ee-o'-o/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom θεμέλιος

Meaningto lay a basis for, i.e. (literally) erect, or (figuratively) consolidate

KJV usage(lay the) found(- ation), ground, settle.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of themelióō — 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 themelióō, represented by G2311, is derived from θεμέλιος and means to lay a basis for, either by literally erecting a structure or figuratively consolidating something. It is used to convey concepts like to found, ground, or settle. It appears 6 times across 6 unique verses in the Bible, highlighting its use in both literal and spiritual contexts.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the scriptures, G2311 is used to describe both physical and spiritual foundations. Literally, it refers to the act of creation, as when the Lord laid the foundation of the earth Hebrews 1:10. It is also used in the parable of the wise builder, whose house stood firm because it was founded upon a rock (Matthew 7:25, Luke 6:48). Figuratively, the term is applied to the believer's spiritual life, describing a state of being grounded in faith and love (Colossians 1:23, Ephesians 3:17). Finally, it describes God's promise to settle his people after they have suffered 1 Peter 5:10.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the concept of being founded and settled:

G2310 themélios: The noun from which G2311 is derived, meaning a "foundation" or "substruction." In the parable of the wise builder, a man laid the foundation G2310 on a rock, and therefore the house was founded G2311 securely Luke 6:48.
G4492 rhizóō: This word means to "root" and become stable. It is used alongside G2311 to create a powerful image of spiritual stability, urging believers to be rooted and grounded in love Ephesians 3:17.
G1476 hedraîos: Meaning "settled" or "stedfast," this term reinforces the idea of immovability. It appears with G2311 in the command to continue in the faith grounded and settled Colossians 1:23.
G4531 saleúō: This word means to "shake" or "topple" and serves as a contrast to G2311. The house that was founded on a rock could not be shaken by the flood Luke 6:48.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G2311 is significant, emphasizing the need for a firm spiritual basis.

Creative Power: The term points to God's sovereign power as the one who laid the foundation of the earth itself, establishing the created order Hebrews 1:10.
Spiritual Stability: It is used to describe the secure position of a believer who is grounded in the faith and not moved away from the hope of the gospel Colossians 1:23. This stability is rooted in love Ephesians 3:17.
Divine Assurance: The word conveys God's promise to His people. After a period of suffering, God himself will settle them, along with making them perfect, stablishing, and strengthening them 1 Peter 5:10.

Summary

In summary, G2311 provides a crucial illustration of stability and permanence. It spans from the literal act of building a house on a rock to the cosmic act of God founding the earth. Most importantly, it serves as a powerful metaphor for the Christian life, which must be firmly grounded in faith and love to withstand trials, reflecting the steadfast nature of God who establishes His people.

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 6 occurrences, inflected in 5 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Perfect Passive Participle Nominative Plural Masculine 2×
Aorist Active Indicative 2nd Singular 1×
Future Active Indicative 3rd Singular 1×
Perfect Passive Infinitive 1×
Pluperfect Passive Indicative 3rd Singular 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
2nd: Second person — the one addressed ("you").
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Future: Action yet to take place.
Aorist: Action viewed as a single whole — usually a simple past event.
Perfect: A completed act whose results continue.
Pluperfect: An act completed before some past moment — "had done".
Active: The subject performs the action.
Passive: The subject is acted upon.
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 6 verses across 6 of the 27 books. 6 books tie for most frequent (1 verse each); never once in the other 21.

Matthew

Luke

Ephesians

Colossians

Hebrews

1 Peter

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.