Word Study for G4369 (προστίθημι)

prostíthēmi /pros-tith'-ay-mee/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom πρός and τίθημι

Meaningto place additionally, i.e. lay beside, annex, repeat

KJV usageadd, again, give more, increase, lay unto, proceed further, speak to any more.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of prostíthēmi — 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 prostíthēmi, represented by G4369, means to place additionally, annex, or repeat. It appears 20 times across 18 unique verses, conveying concepts of adding to something, increasing a quality, or proceeding to do something again. Its core idea is that of addition, whether it be people, possessions, or actions.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, G4369 is used to describe both divine and human actions of addition. A significant usage is found in the book of Acts, where the Lord G2962 sovereignly added believers to the early church Acts 2:47. This growth is detailed as thousands were added on a single day Acts 2:41, and later, multitudes of both men G435 and women G1135 were added to the Lord Acts 5:14. Jesus uses the word to make a point about earthly anxieties, asking who by worrying can add a single cubit to their stature (Matthew 6:27, Luke 12:25). The apostles also use it in a plea for spiritual growth, asking the Lord, "Increase our faith" Luke 17:5.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the context in which things are added or increased:

G2962 kýrios (Lord): This term for one who is "supreme in authority" is crucial, as it is the Lord who is repeatedly identified as the one who added believers to the church (Acts 2:47, Acts 11:24).
G932 basileía (kingdom): This word for "rule" or "realm" establishes a divine priority. Believers are told to first seek the kingdom of God, and then all other necessary things will be added to them (Matthew 6:33, Luke 12:31).
G4102 pístis (faith): Defined as "moral conviction" or "reliance upon Christ," faith is the specific quality the apostles G652 asked the Lord to increase in them Luke 17:5.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G4369 is evident in several key areas.

Divine Sovereignty in Salvation: The use of the word in Acts underscores that the growth of the church is a divine work. It is the Lord who added to the church daily those who were being saved G4982, highlighting God's active role in drawing people to Himself Acts 2:47.
God's Provision: The promise that things "shall be added" to those who seek God's kingdom G932 first establishes a principle of divine care and provision, moving the focus from earthly worry to spiritual priority Matthew 6:33.
Redemptive-Historical Purpose: In Galatians, the Law is described as having been added because of transgressions until the promised seed would come G2064. This places the Law as a temporary, additional component in God's plan, subordinate to the promise made to Abraham Galatians 3:19.

Summary

In summary, G4369 moves beyond a simple mathematical function. It describes the dynamic action of God in building His church, providing for His followers, and unfolding His historical purposes. Whether it is believers being added to the Lord, provisions being added to the faithful, or the Law being added for a time, the word consistently points to an action that builds upon, and is often initiated by, a divine plan.

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 18 occurrences, inflected in 11 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

2nd Aorist Middle Indicative 3rd Singular 3×
Aorist Passive Indicative 3rd Singular 3×
Future Passive Indicative 3rd Singular 3×
2nd Aorist Active Infinitive 2×
2nd Aorist Active Imperative 2nd Singular 1×
2nd Aorist Active Indicative 3rd Singular 1×
2nd Aorist Active Participle Nominative Singular Masculine 1×
Aorist Passive Indicative 3rd Plural 1×
Aorist Passive Infinitive 1×
Imperfect Active Indicative 3rd Singular 1×
Imperfect Passive Indicative 3rd Plural 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").
Imperfect: Ongoing or repeated action in the past — "was doing".
Future: Action yet to take place.
Aorist: Action viewed as a single whole — usually a simple past event.
Active: The subject performs the action.
Middle: The subject acts on or for itself.
Passive: The subject is acted upon.
Indicative: A plain statement of fact.
Imperative: A command or entreaty.
Infinitive: The verb as a noun — "to do".
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.

Related Words

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

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 18 verses across 6 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Luke (7 verses); never once in the other 21.

Matthew

Mark

Luke

Acts

Galatians

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.