συστενάζω (sustenazō)
sustenazō
to groan with
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb sustenazō describes a shared experience of deep distress, literally meaning to groan together or with others. It combines a prefix indicating accompaniment with a root word for sighing or groaning under weight. This rare term appears only once in the New Testament, located in Romans 8:22.
Paul uses it to depict creation itself as participating in human suffering. The text states that creation groans together, implying a collective burden rather than isolated pain. The dative case following the verb identifies those with whom creation shares this anguish, highlighting a profound solidarity between the natural world and humanity in its current state of brokenness.
Its scarcity underscores the intensity of the image. By choosing a word that emphasizes joint suffering, the author conveys that the hope for redemption is not an individual escape but a communal restoration. The term captures a moment where all things are bound together in a shared cry for relief.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word sustenazō paints a picture of shared burden, describing a deep groaning that happens together with others. It appears only once in the New Testament, found in Romans 8:22. Here, Paul uses this rare term to show that creation itself is not indifferent to our struggles. Instead, it participates in our pain, groaning alongside us as we wait for redemption.
This image offers a quiet comfort when you feel isolated in your suffering. You are not bearing the weight of the world alone. The very fabric of reality is aligned with your longing for relief and restoration. It reminds us that hope is communal; we are sustained by the knowledge that others, even creation itself, share this deep desire for healing.
When life feels heavy, remember that your pain has a place in the larger story of redemption. You are part of a collective cry that God hears. This shared experience points toward a future where all things are made new, binding us together in hope rather than leaving us to suffer in silence.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- groans together1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- συστενάζει1×
Key Verses
-
Romans 8:22
For we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now.
This is the only occurrence of sustenazō, where Paul uses it to depict creation's collective participation in human suffering and longing for redemption.