Word Study for G3348 (μετέχω)

metéchō /met-ekh'-o/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom μετά and ἔχω

Meaningto share or participate; by implication, belong to, eat (or drink)

KJV usagebe partaker, pertain, take part, use.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of metéchō — 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 metéchō, represented by G3348, means to share or participate. It appears 10 times across 8 unique verses in the Bible. By implication, its meaning extends to the concepts of belonging to something, or to eat or drink as an act of participation.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In Scripture, G3348 is used to convey several types of participation. It can signify a fundamental identification, as when Christ took part of flesh and blood to be like the children he came to save Hebrews 2:14. It is used to describe a state of spiritual immaturity, where one who useth milk is considered an unskilled babe Hebrews 5:13. The word also defines association and belonging, as when a priest pertaineth to a particular tribe Hebrews 7:13. In a critical warning, it emphasizes exclusive loyalty, stating that believers cannot be partakers of the Lord's table and also the table of devils 1 Corinthians 10:21.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the concept of participation:

G2841 koinōnéō (to share with others): This term, also translated as "be partaker," emphasizes sharing in a common experience or resource. It is used to describe being partakers of Christ's sufferings 1 Peter 4:13 and distributing to the needs of the saints Romans 12:13.
G4095 pínō (to drink): This word relates to the literal act of partaking mentioned in the definition of G3348. It is used both literally and figuratively, from the warning not to be anxious about what to drink Matthew 6:25 to Jesus' invitation for the thirsty to come to him and drink John 7:37.
G5485 cháris (graciousness): This word is connected to participation in 1 Corinthians 10:30, where Paul asks why he is judged if he is a partaker by grace. Cháris is the divine influence on the heart, and believers are called to the "throne of grace" Hebrews 4:16.

Theological Significance

The theological significance of G3348 is substantial, illustrating key spiritual truths.

Incarnational Solidarity: The word is crucial to understanding the incarnation, as Christ took part in flesh and blood, fully identifying with humanity's condition Hebrews 2:14.
Corporate Unity: It establishes the nature of the church as a single body, for believers are all partakers of that one bread, signifying a shared life in Christ 1 Corinthians 10:17.
Exclusive Allegiance: The act of partaking implies loyalty. To be partakers of the Lord's table is a declaration of allegiance that is incompatible with partaking at the "table of devils" 1 Corinthians 10:21.
Hope and Reward: The word is tied to the believer's hope, as the one who threshes should do so in hope that he will be partaker of his hope 1 Corinthians 9:10.

Summary

In summary, G3348 moves beyond a simple definition of sharing. It is a word that defines identity, spiritual state, and allegiance. From the physical act of partaking in food to the profound mystery of Christ taking on human flesh, and from belonging to a tribe to being united in the body of Christ, metéchō illustrates how the act of participation defines one's relationship to a community, whether it be earthly or divine.

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 8 occurrences, inflected in 7 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Present Active Infinitive 2×
2nd Aorist Active Indicative 3rd Singular 1×
Perfect Active Indicative 3rd Singular 1×
Present Active Indicative 1st Plural 1×
Present Active Indicative 1st Singular 1×
Present Active Indicative 3rd Plural 1×
Present Active Participle Nominative Singular Masculine 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.
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.
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 8 verses across 2 of the 27 books. Most frequent in 1 Corinthians (5 verses); never once in the other 25.

1 Corinthians

Hebrews

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.