Featured TITHEMI Translation choices

“Tithemi” has three basic meanings, to set something somewhere; (2)to change the status of someone for a purpose; and (3) to present or set forth an idea or account, such as set forth the gospel.

The first basic meaning is to put, place, set, or lay something somewhere. This meaning is by far the most common meaning found in scripture.

The second basic meaning, to change the status of someone for a purpose, either by designating a person for a task or office, or by establishing needed characteristics of a person such that they can complete a task or fulfill the requirements of the office.

The third basic meaning is to present or set forth something, such as to set forth the gospel.

The second and third basic meaning can be translated into English using designate or assign, establish, and set forth.

Lets look at the verses where the second or third basic meaning appears to be the intended meaning:

Matthew 24:51, and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

I think designate is a little better than assign because it can be viewed as dismissal or at least to be set apart. In baseball, players cut from the team are designated for assignment, but either choice is fine.

Luke 12:46, the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers.

Designate again implies putting a person away from oneself, i.e. set apart.

John 15:16, You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.

Here, I think “established or equipped” better presents the intended message. In order to bear fruit, we must abide in Christ and Christ in us; therefore we are a new creation. We have been established and indwelt, in Christ.

Acts 1:7, He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority;

Designated conveys the message more concordantly, using the same word to convey the same meaning.

Acts 5:4, While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”

Here I think set forth captures the idea better, the evil plan was not just conceived, it was developed, arranged and set forth in his heart as a plan of action.

Acts 13:47, For so the Lord has commanded us, ‘I HAVE PLACED YOU AS A LIGHT FOR THE GENTILES, THAT YOU MAY BRING SALVATION TO THE END OF THE EARTH.’

Here, I think, “established” you as a light better reflects the gifting of Paul by the Holy Spirit.

Acts 20:28, Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood.

Here, “established” you as overseers provides the implication of a changed (converted) status, i.e. gifted in administration.

Acts 27:12, Because the harbor was not suitable for wintering, the majority reached a decision to put out to sea from there, if somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete, facing southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there.

The majority set forth the decision to put out to sea. Again, the idea is not just a conceived idea, but a developed plan, involving not only to leave, but where to go and why.

Romans 4:17, (as it is written, “A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS HAVE I MADE YOU”) in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist.

Here, if we stick with a literal translation of “tithemi” we would go with “established.” However, that would obscure the linkage to Genesis 17:5 where we find “made.” While the Hebrew word in Genesis also means to put or set, it is translated as “made” over 100 times. So I think a footnote is required, i.e. “made or established”

1 Corinthians 9:18, “What then is my reward? That, when I preach the gospel, I may offer the gospel without charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.

Here, set forth the gospel points to a full presentation, and not an abbreviated feel good alteration.

1 Corinthians 12:18 But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired.

Established points to the act of the Holy Spirit gifting members to build up the body.

1 Corinthians 12:28, And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues.

For the same reason, “established” is better here, pointing to the gifting of the Holy Spirit rather than putting someone not specially equipped in a position.

2 Corinthians 5:19, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

Set forth better captures the idea of reconciliation being provided through the whole gospel.

1 Thessalonians 5:9, For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Designated works best here, i.e. God has set us apart for salvation.

1 Timothy 2:7, For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying) as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

“Established as” seems better, conveying the gifting of Paul by the Holy Spirit.

2 Timothy 1:11, for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher.

Again, “established as” seems a better choice.

Hebrews 1:2, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.

“Established as” seems better, because of Christ’s authenticating miracles.

1 Peter 2:8, and, “A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE”; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed.

Again, they were designated because of their stumbling over salvation through faith and not works.

2 Peter 2:6, and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly lives thereafter;

Here, I think, “set them forth as” is better than “made” because the purpose was to provide an illustration.

In summary, G5087, tithemi, is used about 19 times where the meaning is designate (5 times), establish (9 times), and set forth (5 times.)

One of the key insights arising from this word study is that God did not just assign a person to an office or task, many times He equipped the person,i.e. gifts of the Holy Spirit, so as to establish the person for that task or office.

Tithemi is one of the words that means "appoint unilaterally" and thus can be translated as designate, assign, or establish. This avoids overlap with another Greek word that is translated "appointed" and refers to an appointment made by mutual consent.

 

Romans 4:17, (as it is written, “A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS HAVE I MADE YOU”) in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist.

The actual meaning of placing and equipping Abraham might be better convey by "I have established you as the forefather of many nations.

 

Thanks, I think.

 

Hi JOJ, you have now made three posts. In the first you seem to have applauded by study efforts, but perhaps with tongue in cheek, you were attempting to belittle my efforts. I do not know.

In the second post, you asked for my source for the three meanings I provided for Tithemi. I derived them from my study of the Biblical usages, and from on line lexicons. Hopefully, you are not engaged in an effort to disparage my study results.

In your third post, you provided a snippet of scripture, but without any reference to the verse or verses where we find the idiom. Again, this smacks of a less than useful agenda.

If we look at Luke 1:66, (CSB) we find "took it to heart."
If we look at Luke 22:41 (CSB) we find "knelt down."

 

Designate or assign? We have at least 5 verses where either word fits, so which word fits best in each verse? To designate is to select a person or thing for a purpose, whereas to assign is to put a person in a position.

Therefore:

Matthew 24:51, and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Luke 12:46, the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers.

Acts of the Apostles 1:7, He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has designated by His own authority;

1 Thessalonians 5:9, For God has not designated us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

1 Peter 2:8, and, “A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE”; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also assigned.

 

Every once in a while, while looking at a verse for one purpose, I come across another issue that sparks my interest. Here we have the NASB version of 1 Peter 2:8, and the last clause - to this doom they were also assigned. The word "doom" is not in the Greek text, but many versions seem to believe it is implied. So to what or for what were they assigned? What happens to people who die in unbelief, who rejected God's word?

All of us start out as having been condemned for unbelief (John 3:18). So if a person stumbles over the cornerstone of our faith, they have been assigned to the place where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

 

What a mindless piece of self serving twaddle. The behavior is not like that of a fellow sibling in Christ, but of a dictatorial elitist.
You make the same claim to disparage the on line lexicons, but never, not once, give an example of a problem. Again, you simply behave like someone afraid of actual discussion.
And please do not claim I am defensive, your the one blathering about me, and not the topic.

If you had provided the references, your post might have been useful, as it was it was simply to find a way to belittle my efforts. Mark 15:19 and Luke 22:41 seem similar, as does Luke 21:14 and Luke 1:66. And both pairs seem to present two different, rather than the same idiom. And I did not see where you presented the best way to translate any of the four verses you introduced to find fault where none exists.

Once again, our translator has not provided one single insight into the best translation choices for Tithemi. But boy has my behavior been addressed.

 

Did I say his study and practical application is "dictatorial elitism?" Nope so a false charge

What did JOJ say: 1) you (Van) must source; 2) may I ask you what you think, 3) you are attempting, 4) you've learned, 5) your verses have the same idiom.

Did my verses have the same idiom? Nope, so yet another smear. "place it in their heart" is not the same as knelt down.

Take a look at Luke 22:41, Acts of the Apostles 7:60, Acts of the Apostles 9:40 and Acts of the Apostles 20:36
where the KJV has kneeled down, and the CSB has knelt down. Are these examples of translating the same construction consistently? But then look at the NASB and Acts of the Apostles 7:60. Here we have falling on their knees. Why translate the same construction or similar construction in different ways?

 

Continuing our search for the best translation choices for Tithemi, let's look again at 2 Peter 2:6:

2 Peter 2:6, and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly lives thereafter;

Here, I think, “set them forth as” is better than “made” because the purpose was to provide an illustration.

Nearly every translation version I looked at had "made them" or something very similar. A few had "set them" or something similar, and two had "appointed them." Since the account of Sodom and Gomorrah is presented in scripture, I think the account as set forth in scripture is in view, rather than the historical destruction. That is why we find "tithemi" rather than "poieo" or other Greek meaning make.