Word Study for G4060 (περιτίθημι)

peritíthēmi /per-ee-tith'-ay-mee/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom περί and τίθημι

Meaningto place around; by implication, to present

KJV usagebestow upon, hedge round about, put about (on, upon), set about.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of peritíthēmi — 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 peritíthēmi, represented by G4060, means to place around or, by implication, to present. It appears 8 times in 8 unique verses, describing the action of putting something on or around an object or person, with its meaning defined by the context of the action.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the Bible, G4060 is used in several distinct contexts. It describes the physical act of protection and preparation, as when a householder hedged his vineyard round about Matthew 21:33 and set a hedge about it Mark 12:1. The word is also central to the events of the crucifixion, where it details acts of both service and mockery. A sponge with vinegar was put it on a reed (Matthew 27:48, Mark 15:36) and put it upon hyssop to be offered to Jesus John 19:29. In contrast, soldiers put on him a scarlet robe Matthew 27:28 and put it about his head a crown of thorns as a form of derision Mark 15:17.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the meaning of G4060 through direct association or contrast:

G5418 phragmós (a fence, or inclosing barrier): This is the object that is placed around the vineyard in the parables. The action of G4060 is performed upon the G5418 to create a boundary Matthew 21:33.
G1562 ekdýō (to divest): This word is used for stripping or taking off clothing, acting as an opposite to G4060. In Matthew 27:28, soldiers first stripped G1562 Jesus before they put on G4060 him a scarlet robe.
G1746 endýō (to invest with clothing): While similar, this word is used for general clothing. In Mark 15:17, they first clothed G1746 him with purple, and then specifically put about G4060 his head the crown of thorns, showing a distinction between general clothing and placing a specific item.

Theological Significance

The conceptual weight of G4060 is revealed in its varied applications, which carry significant implications.

Protection and Delineation: In the parable of the vineyard, the act of placing a hedge around the property signifies careful preparation, protection from the outside, and setting it apart for a special purpose (Matthew 21:33, Mark 12:1).
Mockery and Humiliation: During the passion narrative, the same action of "placing around" is used to inflict shame. The scarlet robe and crown of thorns are put on Jesus to mock his kingship (Matthew 27:28, Mark 15:17).
Conferring Honor: The word takes on a figurative meaning when used to describe the function of the church body. We are to bestow G4060 more abundant honor upon the parts we deem less honorable, intentionally placing value and dignity upon them 1 Corinthians 12:23.

Summary

In summary, G4060 is a versatile word whose meaning is heavily shaped by intent. Whether describing the physical act of placing a fence, a robe, or a crown, or the figurative act of bestowing honor, peritíthēmi highlights that the significance of an action is found in its purpose. The same act of "placing around" can serve to protect, to humiliate, or to honor.

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

2nd Aorist Active Participle Nominative Singular Masculine 2×
Aorist Active Indicative 3rd Singular 2×
2nd Aorist Active Participle Nominative Plural Masculine 1×
Aorist Active Indicative 3rd Plural 1×
Present Active Indicative 1st Plural 1×
Present Active Indicative 3rd Plural 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.
Active: The subject performs the action.
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 8 verses across 4 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Matthew and Mark (3 verses each); never once in the other 23.

Matthew

Mark

John

1 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.