μετακινέω (metakineō)
metakineō
to shift
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb metakineō means to shift or remove something from its place. It combines a prefix indicating change with a root meaning to move or shake. In the Old Testament Greek translations, it describes physical acts like removing boundary stones (Deuteronomy 19:14) or the shaking of God’s steadfast love (Isaiah 54:10). This suggests a tangible displacement rather than a subtle adjustment.
In the New Testament, this concrete sense becomes spiritual. Paul uses it in Colossians 1:23 to describe believers being transferred from the domain of darkness. The word implies a decisive removal from one sphere and placement into another. It is not merely a change of opinion but a fundamental shift in location and allegiance.
Translators often render this as "removed" or "transferred." The term carries weight because it suggests that the original position was fixed, and leaving it required significant action. Paul uses it to reassure Colossian Christians that their faith is not static; they have been actively moved by God’s power into the kingdom of His Son.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word metakineō describes a decisive shift from one place to another. It is not a small adjustment but a fundamental transfer of location and allegiance. In Colossians 1:23, Paul uses this term to remind believers that they have been moved out of darkness into the kingdom of God’s Son. This movement was initiated by God, yet it requires our continued standing firm in the faith.
For your daily life, this offers a stable foundation. You are not drifting aimlessly; you have been placed in a new position of grace. The call to remain grounded and steadfast is an invitation to rest in that secure transfer. When doubts arise or circumstances shift around you, remember that your spiritual home has already been established by divine action.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- being moved away1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- μετακινούμενοι1×
Key Verses
-
Colossians 1:23
if it is so that you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the Good News which you heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, of which I, Paul, was made a servant.
Paul uses this term to emphasize that believers have been decisively transferred from the domain of darkness into the kingdom of Christ, highlighting a permanent change in spiritual allegiance rather than a temporary adjustment.