μετατίθημι (metatithēmi)
metatithēmi
to transport
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 5 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb metatithēmi means to move something or someone from one place to another, or to shift allegiance from one side to another. In the New Testament, it appears in only five verses, often carrying a sense of displacement or change that is physical, legal, or spiritual. The word combines a prefix meaning "change" with a root meaning "to place," suggesting a deliberate act of relocation.
Its usage varies significantly by context. In Hebrews 11:5 and Acts 7:16, it describes the literal transfer of bodies, such as when Enoch was taken or Joseph’s remains were moved to Shechem. However, in Jude 4 and Galatians 1:6, the meaning shifts to a moral or spiritual transition. Here, it warns against those who subtly turn grace into license for immorality or urge believers to abandon their trust in Christ for a different gospel.
This dual nature highlights the word’s theological weight: it is not merely about movement, but about the consequences of that shift. Translators often render it as "translated" or "changed," depending on whether the context involves physical remains or doctrinal fidelity. The term underscores the seriousness of altering one’s foundational commitment.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word translated as 'changed' or 'translated' in these verses points to a decisive shift in position or allegiance. When Hebrews describes Enoch being 'translated,' it speaks of a direct removal from this life into God's presence, bypassing the grave entirely. This reminds us that our ultimate security lies not in earthly stability but in the One who holds us fast.
Conversely, Paul and Jude use this same concept to warn against shifting away from the truth. To 'change' the gospel or turn grace into a license for sin is to move from a place of life into spiritual danger. The word carries weight because it implies that your foundation matters; where you stand determines what you see.
Whether referring to physical relocation or doctrinal fidelity, this term invites us to examine our own commitments. Are we holding firmly to the grace of Christ, or have we drifted toward something less substantial? Let this word encourage you to remain rooted in the truth that saves.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 5 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- you are deserting1×
- was translated1×
- took up1×
- they were carried over1×
- changing1×
- When is being changed1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- μετέθηκεν1×
- μετετέθησαν1×
- μετετέθη1×
- μετατίθεσθε1×
- μετατιθέντες1×
- μετατιθεμένης1×
Key Verses
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Hebrews 11:5
By faith Enoch was taken away, so that he wouldn’t see death, and he was not found, because God translated him. For he has had testimony given to him that before his translation he had been well pleasing to God.
This verse uses the word to describe Enoch's unique removal from death into God's presence, highlighting divine intervention rather than natural decay.
-
Galatians 1:6
I marvel that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ to a different “good news”,
Paul employs the term metaphorically to express shock that believers are shifting their allegiance from Christ to a distorted message of grace.
-
Hebrews 7:12
For the priesthood being changed, there is of necessity a change made also in the law.
Here the word signifies the necessary legal and structural shift in priesthood that accompanies the change in covenant law.
-
Jude 1:4
For there are certain men who crept in secretly, even those who were long ago written about for this condemnation: ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into indecency, and denying our only Master, God, and Lord, Jesus Christ.
Jude uses this term to describe how false teachers subtly alter the meaning of God's grace, turning it into a pretext for immoral behavior.