Word Study for G3346 (μετατίθημι)

metatíthēmi /met-at-ith'-ay-mee/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom μετά and τίθημι

Meaningto transfer, i.e. (literally) transport, (by implication) exchange, (reflexively) change sides, or (figuratively) pervert

KJV usagecarry over, change, remove, translate, turn.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of metatíthēmi — 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 metatíthēmi, represented by G3346, means to transfer, transport, exchange, or pervert. It is derived from μετά and τίθημι. This word appears 7 times across 5 unique verses, illustrating its use in describing significant changes, both literal and figurative.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical usage, G3346 covers a range of actions. It is used literally to describe a physical transfer, as when the patriarchs were carried over to be buried in Sychem Acts 7:16. Figuratively, it can describe a negative shift in allegiance, such as the Galatians being removed from the grace of Christ to another gospel Galatians 1:6. The word also signifies a divine act of relocation, seen when Enoch was translated by God so that he would not see death Hebrews 11:5. Finally, it can mean to alter or pervert a concept, as when ungodly men are condemned for turning the grace of God into lasciviousness Jude 1:4.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the meaning of G3346:

G3331 metáthesis (transposition, i.e. transferral (to heaven), disestablishment (of a law):--change, removing, translation.): This noun form is directly linked to the verb. It is used to describe Enoch's translation Hebrews 11:5 and the change of the law that accompanies the changing of the priesthood Hebrews 7:12.
G5087 títhēmi (to place): As a root of G3346, this word signifies the act of placing or setting something down. It appears in the same verse where the patriarchs are carried over, noting they were laid in the sepulchre Acts 7:16.
G3921 pareisdýnō (to settle in alongside, i.e. lodge stealthily:--creep in unawares.): This word describes the method of those who pervert grace, as they have crept in unawares to turn God's grace into something it is not Jude 1:4.
G2564 kaléō (to "call"): This term provides context for the change of allegiance in Galatians, where believers are being removed from Him who called them into grace Galatians 1:6.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G3346 is significant, highlighting moments of critical transition.

Soteriological Change: The word is used to describe the monumental shift in the divine order when the priesthood is changed from the Levitical line, which necessitates a change also of the law Hebrews 7:12.
Doctrinal Perversion: It serves as a stark warning against apostasy, where false teachers are identified by their act of turning the grace of God into a license for immorality, a deed connected to denying Jesus Christ Jude 1:4.
Spiritual Instability: The danger of being quickly removed from one's calling in Christ illustrates the potential for believers to abandon the true gospel for a false one Galatians 1:6.
Divine Deliverance: In the case of Enoch, being translated represents a unique form of salvation, where God physically removes a faithful person from earthly death Hebrews 11:5.

Summary

In summary, G3346 is a powerful word that signifies transformation. While it can denote a simple physical act of being carried over, its primary impact is seen in its figurative applications. It marks pivotal changes in God's redemptive plan, the ultimate deliverance from death for the faithful, and the grave danger of perverting divine grace or being removed from a genuine calling in Christ.

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

Aorist Active Indicative 3rd Singular 1×
Aorist Passive Indicative 3rd Plural 1×
Aorist Passive Indicative 3rd Singular 1×
Present Active Participle Nominative Plural Masculine 1×
Present Middle Or Passive Indicative 2nd Plural 1×
Present Passive Participle Genitive Singular Feminine 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Genitive: Possession or source — often "of".
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
Feminine: Feminine grammatical gender.
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.
Aorist: Action viewed as a single whole — usually a simple past event.
Active: The subject performs the action.
Passive: The subject is acted upon.
Middle Or Passive: Can be read as middle or passive; context decides.
Indicative: A plain statement of fact.
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 5 verses across 4 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Hebrews (2 verses); never once in the other 23.

Acts

Galatians

Hebrews

Jude

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.