παραθεωρέω (paratheōreō)
paratheōreō
to neglect
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb paratheōreō literally means to look at something while standing beside it, suggesting a side-by-side examination or comparison. However, in the New Testament, its meaning shifts significantly to describe overlooking or neglecting someone who is present. This semantic movement from careful observation to passive indifference captures a specific kind of inattention.
Its sole biblical occurrence appears in Acts 6:1, where Hellenistic Jews complain that their widows are being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. The complaint highlights not malice, but a failure of attention; the leaders had failed to notice those on the periphery. The word implies a casual disregard rather than active hostility.
Etymologically, it combines para ("beside") and theōreō ("to see"). While one might expect this to mean "watching closely," the context in Acts shows how proximity can lead to taking people for granted. Translators often render it as "overlooked" or "neglected," preserving the sense that those who are close at hand can still slip from view if care is not taken.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word paratheōreō describes a quiet failure of attention rather than active malice. It suggests standing beside someone yet failing to truly see them. In Acts 6:1, this term reveals how quickly care can slip away when a community grows too large for its leaders to manage personally. The Hellenistic widows were not attacked; they were simply overlooked.
This word invites us to examine our own circles of attention. Who stands beside us that we have ceased to notice? It is easy to assume that those who are always present do not need looking after. Yet true care requires deliberate effort to include the quiet ones in our daily rhythms.
May you find grace in noticing those who often fade into the background. Let your attention be a gift that affirms their worth and keeps them from feeling invisible.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- were being overlooked1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- παρεθεωροῦντο1×
Key Verses
-
Acts 6:1
Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, a complaint arose from the Hellenists against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily service.
This verse uses the word to describe widows who were passively overlooked during food distribution, highlighting a failure of administrative care rather than intentional harm.