συστοιχέω (sustoicheō)
sustoicheō
to correspond to
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb sustoicheō describes a precise alignment, meaning to stand in the same rank or line as something else. Its roots combine a prefix for "together" with a word for "row" or "file," evoking the image of soldiers marching in formation or structures standing parallel to one another. In Scripture, this physical sense is applied metaphorically to show how an Old Testament reality corresponds directly to its New Testament fulfillment.
This correspondence is not merely similar but structurally matching. The word appears only once in the New Testament, in Galatians 4:25, where Paul explains that the covenant from Mount Sinai "corresponds" to the present Jerusalem. By using this term, he highlights a deliberate parallel between the historical situation of slavery and the spiritual reality of bondage, showing how the older pattern answers to the current experience.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When Paul writes that Hagar corresponds to the present Jerusalem, he is using a word that evokes soldiers standing in exact formation. It suggests a precise alignment, where one reality stands directly parallel to another. This is not a vague similarity but a structural match designed by God. The Old Testament pattern was never random; it was set up to mirror what was coming.
For your faith, this offers deep comfort. It means that the struggles and histories recorded in Scripture are not disconnected events. They align perfectly with the truth of Christ. When you read the Bible, you can trust that every detail has a purpose. The ancient stories correspond directly to the spiritual realities we experience today, showing God’s consistent plan.
This alignment invites us to see the unity of Scripture. The past does not fade away but points forward to the fulfillment in Jesus. You are part of this grand design. The same God who ordered the ranks of Israel is ordering your life with intention and care.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- she corresponds1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- συστοιχεῖ1×
Key Verses
-
Galatians 4:25
For this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and answers to the Jerusalem that exists now, for she is in bondage with her children.
This verse uses the word to show that the covenant from Sinai stands in direct parallel to the current spiritual state of bondage, revealing a deliberate structural match rather than a mere historical coincidence.