μετεωρίζω (meteōrizō)
meteōrizō
to worry
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb meteo rizō describes a state of being lifted into the air, but in Scripture it carries a heavy psychological weight. It appears only once in the New Testament, where Jesus uses it to describe anxiety. Rather than simple worry, the word evokes the image of a ship tossed on high seas or a person suspended in mid-air, unable to find solid ground. This vivid metaphor captures the feeling of being unsettled and tossed about by external forces.
Its root relates to "meteor," suggesting something elevated or aloft. While the literal meaning can imply rising up or being buoyed up, the biblical usage focuses on the instability that comes with this elevation. To be meteo rizō is to have one’s mind agitated and harassed by cares, much like a vessel struggling against waves. It conveys a sense of suspense and lack of peace, where the soul is lifted out of its stable center and left hovering in uncertainty.
Translators typically render this word as "anxious" or "worry," but these English terms often feel too mild for the Greek intensity. The image is not just mental concern but a physical sensation of being unmoored. By using this nautical metaphor, Jesus highlights how anxiety lifts us away from the stability of trust and leaves us vulnerable to the storms of life.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word Jesus uses here paints a picture of being tossed like a ship on high seas, lifted into the air without solid ground beneath your feet. It is not just a mild concern about tomorrow; it is a deep agitation that leaves your soul hovering in uncertainty. When cares lift you away from stability, they leave you vulnerable to the storms of life.
Jesus invites you to rest in this moment. You do not need to carry the weight of every future outcome alone. By releasing these heavy burdens, you can find a peace that anchors your heart, even when the winds of circumstance are strong.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- do worry yourself.1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- μετεωρίζεσθε.1×
Key Verses
-
Luke 12:29
“Don’t seek what you will eat or what you will drink; neither be anxious.
This verse captures the nautical intensity of the word, describing the soul as tossed and unsettled by cares rather than simply feeling mild concern.