μετάληψις (metalēpsis)
metalēpsis
partaking of
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun metalēpsis denotes the act of taking part in or receiving something from another source. In the New Testament, it appears only once, in 1 Timothy 4:3, where it describes the physical act of eating food.
Its meaning is grounded in its verb root, which implies a sharing or participation. Here, it refers simply to the reception of nourishment, highlighting that abstaining from certain foods is presented as a distortion of God’s good gifts. The word carries no complex theological weight beyond this literal sense of partaking.
Translators typically render it "eating" or "participation in food," keeping the focus on the bodily act rather than abstract ritual. This usage underscores the practical nature of the passage, which addresses concrete dietary practices rather than symbolic theology.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word metalēpsis simply means partaking or eating. In 1 Timothy 4:3, it refers to the physical act of receiving food. This straightforward usage reminds us that God created the material world and its provisions for our good.
When we share in a meal with thanksgiving, we acknowledge the Creator behind the gift. This simple act of partaking connects our daily needs to our spiritual gratitude. It is not about complex rituals but about receiving what is given with a grateful heart.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- reception1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- μετάλημψιν1×
Key Verses
-
I Timothy 4:3
forbidding marriage and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
This single occurrence uses the word to describe the physical reception of food, grounding the theological argument in everyday bodily practice.