Word Study for G394 (ἀνατίθεμαι)

anatíthemai /an-at-ith'-em-ahee/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom ἀνά and the middle voice of τίθημι

Meaningto set forth (for oneself), i.e propound

KJV usagecommunicate, declare.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of anatíthemai — 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 anatíthemai, represented by G394, means to set forth (for oneself) or to propound a matter. It is translated as communicate or declare. It appears only 2 times across 2 unique verses in the Bible, indicating a specific application for presenting information in a formal or strategic manner.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

The two uses of G394 show its application in both religious and civil contexts. In Galatians 2:2, Paul explains that he went to Jerusalem by revelation G602 and communicated the gospel he preaches among the Gentiles. He presented this message privately to those "of reputation" to ensure his ministry was not in vain. In Acts 25:14, the governor Festus declared Paul's case to the king, formally setting forth the facts of his imprisonment for official consideration.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the context in which G394 is used:

G602 apokálypsis (disclosure): The catalyst for Paul's action in Galatians 2:2 was a revelation, linking the act of communicating with a divine disclosure. This term is used for the revelation of Jesus Christ 1 Peter 1:13.
G2098 euangélion (gospel): This is the specific message Paul communicated. It refers to the good message, which is to be preached throughout the world Matthew 24:14.
G2784 kērýssō (to herald...preach): This describes the action associated with the gospel Paul communicated in Galatians 2:2. It means to proclaim or publish, as when the apostles were commanded to go and preach the gospel Mark 16:15.
G3004 légō (to "lay" forth...relate): This action follows Festus's declaration in Acts 25:14, where he declared Paul's cause, saying that he was left in bonds. It denotes a systematic relation of words.

Theological Significance

The significance of G394 lies in its emphasis on the method and purpose of communication.

Strategic Communication: Its use in Galatians 2:2 illustrates that setting forth the gospel can be a strategic act, tailored to a specific audience—in this case, privately to leaders—to achieve a specific goal.
Formal Declaration: The context of Acts 25:14 gives the word a legal and official tone. Festus formally declares Paul's case, presenting it for judgment, which is distinct from casual conversation.
Setting Forth Divine Truth: When used by Paul, the act of communicating is directly tied to a revelation G602, showing that the information being set forth is of divine origin and importance.

Summary

In summary, G394 is a specific term for deliberately setting forth information. Whether used to communicate the gospel to influential leaders or to declare a legal case to a king, it conveys a sense of purpose and formality. Its limited use highlights key moments where a message's careful and intentional presentation was crucial to its outcome.

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 and a noun across 3 occurrences, inflected in 3 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

2nd Aorist Middle Indicative 1st Singular 1×
2nd Aorist Middle Indicative 3rd Singular 1×
Dative Plural Neuter 1×

Dative: The indirect object — often "to" or "for".
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Neuter: Neuter 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").
Aorist: Action viewed as a single whole — usually a simple past event.
Middle: The subject acts on or for itself.
Indicative: A plain statement of fact.

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 2 verses across 2 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Acts and Galatians (1 verse each); never once in the other 25.

Acts

Galatians

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.