παρατηρέω (paratēreō)
paratēreō
to observe
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 6 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb paratēreō describes watching something with intense, close attention. It combines a prefix meaning "beside" with a root for "watching," suggesting someone standing right next to an event or person to observe every detail. In the New Testament, this careful observation is rarely neutral; it often carries a sense of scrutiny that can be either malicious or rigidly legalistic.
Jesus’ opponents frequently use this word when they watch him to find grounds for accusation. In Mark 3:2 and Luke 6:7, religious leaders watch closely to see if he will heal on the Sabbath, hoping to trap him. Similarly, in Luke 20:20, spies pretend to be honest while watching Jesus’ words carefully to hand him over to Roman authority. The focus is always on catching a mistake.
Paul uses the term differently in Galatians 4:10 when he worries that new believers are observing special days and months. Here, the meaning shifts from malicious spying to scrupulous adherence to religious calendars. Translators usually render it as "watch" or "observe," capturing the idea of monitoring behavior against a strict standard rather than casual looking.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word paratēreō describes watching with intense, close attention. It is not a casual glance but a scrutiny that looks for every detail. In the New Testament, this careful observation is rarely neutral. Often, it carries a sense of rigid legalism or malicious intent, as when religious leaders watched Jesus to find grounds for accusation.
Jesus’ opponents used this word when they watched him to trap him in his words or actions. They stood by, waiting for a mistake on the Sabbath or a controversial statement. Their focus was always on catching a flaw rather than understanding who he was. This kind of watching creates distance and fear instead of relationship.
Paul uses the term differently in Galatians when he worries that believers are observing special days and months. Here, the meaning shifts from malicious spying to scrupulous adherence to religious calendars. We are invited to look at our own hearts: do we watch others to judge them, or do we observe God’s grace with thankfulness? May we learn to see people as Jesus does—with compassion rather than scrutiny.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 6 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- you observe1×
- watching1×
- they were watching1×
- having watched [Him]1×
- Were closely watching1×
- They were themselves watching1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- παρετηροῦντο2×
- παρετήρουν1×
- παρατηρήσαντες1×
- παρατηρούμενοι1×
- παρατηρεῖσθε1×
Key Verses
-
Mark 3:2
They watched him, whether he would heal him on the Sabbath day, that they might accuse him.
This verse shows the word used in a hostile context where religious leaders watch Jesus to find legal grounds for accusation.
-
Luke 6:7
The scribes and the Pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against him.
Here the scribes and Pharisees observe Jesus’ actions on the Sabbath specifically to trap him, highlighting the word’s association with malicious intent.
-
Galatians 4:10
You observe days, months, seasons, and years.
Paul uses this term to describe a scrupulous adherence to religious calendars, shifting the focus from spying on people to legalistic observance of time.