verb
stērizamō
Strong’sG4741
I fix firmly, strengthen
stem stēriz-13 times in the New Testamentin 9 of 27 books10 forms occur
What it means
A plain-English reading of the word, with the lexicons it draws on — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, and Liddell-Scott-Jones — right below it, in full.
AI Summary
Στηρίζω means to fix something firmly in place, make fast or set fast 1234. In this literal sense it can describe a physical object being made fast, such as the great gulf described as fixed in place 13, and it is also used of resolutely turning or setting one's face toward a direction, as in journeying with firm resolve toward a destination 12.
From this literal sense comes a figurative use, to confirm, establish, or strengthen a person or thing, such as strengthening someone's heart, faith, or resolve 1234.
Sources: 1 Abbott-Smith 2 Strong's 3 LSJ 4 Dodson. Condensed by anthropic/claude-sonnet-5 on 2026-09-23 — it may still misstate what these say; check them yourself if it matters to you.
The lexicons it was drawn from, in full:
Abbott-Smith — the 1922 lexicon entry, in full
στηρίζω
[in LXX for סמך, שׂוּם (שׂים), etc.;]
G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1922 — public domain. References open in the reader.
Strong’s G4741 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from
Saidstay-rid'-zo
to set fast, i.e. (literally) to turn resolutely in a certain direction, or (figuratively) to confirm
Fromfrom a presumed derivative of G2476 (like G4731);
King Jamesfix, (e-)stablish, stedfastly set, strengthen.
James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, 1890 — public domain. The numbers in it link to the entries here.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — the classical dictionary this word appears in
Refs 5th c.BC+: future -ίξωNT+5th c.BC+, -ίσω LXX: aorist ἐστήριξα Refs 8th c.BC+, Epic dialect στήριξα Refs 8th c.BC+; infinitive στηρίξαι Refs 8th c.BC+; participle στηρίξας LXX+5th c.BC+:—middle, aorist ἐστηριξάμην Refs 8th c.BC+ later -ισάμην LXX+1st c.AD+: future στηρίξομαι Refs 2nd c.AD+:—passive, future στηριχθήσομαι Refs 2nd c.AD+: aorist ἐστηρίχθην Refs 7th c.BC+: perfect ἐστήριγμαι Refs 8th c.BC+; infinitive ἐστηρίσθαι LXX: pluperfect ἐστήρικτο Refs 8th c.BC+:—make fast, prop, fix, [ἴριδας] ἐν νέφεϊ στήριξε sets rainbows in the cloud, Refs 8th c.BC+; στηρίζειν αὐτὸ αὑτό φησι τὸ ἄπειρον (i.e. Anaxagoras) Refs 4th c.BC+; so probably, [λίθον] Ζεὺς στήριξε κατὰ χθονός he set the stone fast in the ground, Refs 8th c.BC+
2 support, σίτῳ τινά LXX; feed up a patient, Refs 2nd c.AD+: metaphorically, confirm, establish, τὴν ἀρχήν NT+2nd c.AD+; corroborate, Refs 2nd c.AD+
3 middle, ground, establish for oneself, κόσμον ἑαῖς στηρίξατο βουλαῖς Refs 5th c.AD+; πόντος στηρίξατο κῦμα νήνεμον settled its wave into a calm, Refs 1st c.AD+
B passive and middle, to be firmly set or fixed, stand fast, οὐδὲ πόδεσσιν εἶχε στηρίξασθαι he could not get a firm footing, Refs 8th c.BC+; [δώματα] κίοσιν ἀργυρέοισι πρὸς οὐρανὸν ἐστήρικται the house is lifted up to heaven on pillars, Refs 7th c.BC+; ὅσοι ἐστηρίξαντο τῇ πτέρνῃ ἰσχυρῶς πηδήσαντες light heavily on it, Refs 5th c.BC+; ὕβον, ἐφ᾽ οὗ ἐστήρικται τὸ ἄλλο σῶμα is steadied, Refs 4th c.BC+; ἐστηριγμένα [ἔχειν] τὰ σπλάγχνα supported, opposed to κρεμάμενα, Refs 2nd c.AD+; ἄμπελος κάμακι σ. Refs 1st c.AD+; of the fixed stars, Refs 4th c.BC+; opposed to ἀκοντίζεσθαι, Refs 4th c.BC+; χάσμα μέγα ἐστ. NT; of places, merely to be situated, Refs 2nd c.AD+
B.2 metaphorically, κακὸν κακῷ ἐστήρικτο evil was set upon evil, Refs 8th c.BC+; τί τοι χόλος ἐστήρικτα; Refs 3rd c.BC+; δέκατος μεὶς οὐρανῷ ἐστήρικτο the tenth month was set in heaven, Refs; of a person, ὅπου.. στηρίζει ποτέ wheresoever thou art tarrying, art settled, Refs 5th c.BC+; ὅροι ἐστηριγμένοι fixed principles, Refs 2nd c.BC+ “*Geometry texts” 3.25; ἀνάγκη στηριχθῆναι τὸ ν ¯ must be firmly pronounced, Refs 1st c.BC+
B.3 of diseases,Refs 2nd c.AD+
B.II active intransitive in same sense, οὐδέ πῃ εἶχον.. στηρίξαι ποσὶν ἔμπεδον.. Refs 8th c.BC+; κῦμ᾽ οὐρανῷ στηρίζον a wave rising up to heaven, Refs 5th c.BC+; πρὸς οὐρανὸν καὶ γαῖαν ἐστήριξε φῶςRefs 1st c.AD+
B.II.2 of diseases, fix, settle, determine to a particular part, ὁπότε εἰς τὴν καρδίαν στηρίξειεν (i.e. ἡ νόσος) Refs 5th c.BC+
B.II.3 of planetary phases, pause, stand still, Refs 1st c.BC+
B.II.4 metaphorically, ἐπὶ δόγματος σ. hold fast to an opinion, Refs 3rd c.AD+
H. G. Liddell, R. Scott, H. S. Jones, A Greek-English Lexicon (9th ed., 1925–1940) — digitised by the Perseus Digital Library and corrected and expanded by Tyndale House, Cambridge, via STEPBible-Data's TFLSJ table, CC BY 4.0. Covers all of Greek literature, not just the Bible.
Translated as
Every occurrence, sorted by the English it was actually given — the evidence for what the word means, not a gloss of it.
Berean Standard Bible (BSB), dedicated to the public domain — berean.bible.
Biblang forms
What the New Testament actually uses, first — the whole system this verb is built from is one click further down.
| Form and the Greek behind it | What it is | Usually | Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| stērizatiστηρίξει | will happen · he/she/itfuture active indicative 3rd person singular | confirm | 2× |
| stērizataἐστήρισεν | happened · he/she/itaorist active indicative 3rd person singular | set | 1× |
| stērizotēἐστήρικται | has happened · he/she/itperfect middle or passive indicative 3rd person singular | fixed | 1× |
| stērizasarστήρισον | happened · youaorist active imperative 2nd person singular | strengthen | 2× |
| stērizavarστηρίξατε | happened · yeaorist active imperative 2nd person plural | strengthen | 1× |
| stērizatoiaστηρίξαι | happened · he/she/itaorist active optative 3rd person singular | strengthen | 1× |
| stērizaraστηρίξαι | happened · the “to …” formaorist active infinitive | establish | 2× |
| stēriziraστηριχθῆναι | happened · the “to …” formaorist passive infinitive | strengthen | 1× |
| stērizarōntosστηρίζων | happening now · subjectpresent active participle nominative singular masculine | strengthening | 1× |
| stērizorēntoinἐστηριγμένους | has happened · objectperfect middle or passive participle accusative plural masculine | established | 1× |
Every form the New Testament uses, in paradigm order. What the system can build beyond them — the whole of this verb, whether the text happens to use it or not — is in the tables below.
Every form the system can build — all 172, by mood, including the ones the New Testament never uses
Statements — indicative mood, 4 occurrences
the subject acts active voice
| Who person | happening now present | was happening imperfect | will happen future | happened aorist | has happened perfect | had happened pluperfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I 1st person singular | stērizamō | stērizame | stērizami | stērizama | stērizamē | stērizamelē |
| you 2nd person singular | stērizasō | stērizase | stērizasi | stērizasa | stērizasē | stērizaselē |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | stērizatō | stērizate | stērizati2×στηρίξει | stērizata1×ἐστήρισεν | stērizatē | stērizatelē |
| we 1st person plural | stērizanō | stērizane | stērizani | stērizana | stērizanē | stērizanelē |
| ye 2nd person plural | stērizavō | stērizave | stērizavi | stērizava | stērizavē | stērizavelē |
| they 3rd person plural | stērizalō | stērizale | stērizali | stērizala | stērizalē | stērizalelē |
acts on itself, or is acted on middle or passive voice
| Who person | happening now present | was happening imperfect | has happened perfect | had happened pluperfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I 1st person singular | stērizomō | stērizome | stērizomē | stērizomelē |
| you 2nd person singular | stērizosō | stērizose | stērizosē | stērizoselē |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | stērizotō | stērizote | stērizotē1×ἐστήρικται | stērizotelē |
| we 1st person plural | stērizonō | stērizone | stērizonē | stērizonelē |
| ye 2nd person plural | stērizovō | stērizove | stērizovē | stērizovelē |
| they 3rd person plural | stērizolō | stērizole | stērizolē | stērizolelē |
acted on passive voice
| Who person | will happen future | happened aorist |
|---|---|---|
| I 1st person singular | stērizimi | stērizima |
| you 2nd person singular | stērizisi | stērizisa |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | stēriziti | stērizita |
| we 1st person plural | stērizini | stērizina |
| ye 2nd person plural | stērizivi | stēriziva |
| they 3rd person plural | stērizili | stērizila |
May, might — subjunctive mood, no occurrences
the subject acts active voice
| Who person | happening now present | happened aorist | has happened perfect |
|---|---|---|---|
| I 1st person singular | stērizameiō | stērizameia | stērizameiē |
| you 2nd person singular | stērizaseiō | stērizaseia | stērizaseiē |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | stērizateiō | stērizateia | stērizateiē |
| we 1st person plural | stērizaneiō | stērizaneia | stērizaneiē |
| ye 2nd person plural | stērizaveiō | stērizaveia | stērizaveiē |
| they 3rd person plural | stērizaleiō | stērizaleia | stērizaleiē |
acts on itself, or is acted on middle or passive voice
| Who person | happening now present | has happened perfect |
|---|---|---|
| I 1st person singular | stērizomeiō | stērizomeiē |
| you 2nd person singular | stērizoseiō | stērizoseiē |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | stērizoteiō | stērizoteiē |
| we 1st person plural | stērizoneiō | stērizoneiē |
| ye 2nd person plural | stērizoveiō | stērizoveiē |
| they 3rd person plural | stērizoleiō | stērizoleiē |
acted on passive voice
| Who person | happened aorist |
|---|---|
| I 1st person singular | stērizimeia |
| you 2nd person singular | stēriziseia |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | stēriziteia |
| we 1st person plural | stērizineia |
| ye 2nd person plural | stēriziveia |
| they 3rd person plural | stērizileia |
Commands — imperative mood, 3 occurrences
the subject acts active voice
| Who person | happening now present | happened aorist | has happened perfect |
|---|---|---|---|
| you 2nd person singular | stērizasōr | stērizasar2×στήρισον | stērizasēr |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | stērizatōr | stērizatar | stērizatēr |
| ye 2nd person plural | stērizavōr | stērizavar1×στηρίξατε | stērizavēr |
| they 3rd person plural | stērizalōr | stērizalar | stērizalēr |
acts on itself, or is acted on middle or passive voice
| Who person | happening now present | has happened perfect |
|---|---|---|
| you 2nd person singular | stērizosōr | stērizosēr |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | stērizotōr | stērizotēr |
| ye 2nd person plural | stērizovōr | stērizovēr |
| they 3rd person plural | stērizolōr | stērizolēr |
acted on passive voice
| Who person | happened aorist |
|---|---|
| you 2nd person singular | stērizisar |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | stērizitar |
| ye 2nd person plural | stērizivar |
| they 3rd person plural | stērizilar |
Wishes — optative mood, 1 occurrence
the subject acts active voice
| Who person | happening now present | happened aorist |
|---|---|---|
| I 1st person singular | stērizamoiō | stērizamoia |
| you 2nd person singular | stērizasoiō | stērizasoia |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | stērizatoiō | stērizatoia1×στηρίξαι |
| we 1st person plural | stērizanoiō | stērizanoia |
| ye 2nd person plural | stērizavoiō | stērizavoia |
| they 3rd person plural | stērizaloiō | stērizaloia |
acts on itself, or is acted on middle or passive voice
| Who person | happening now present |
|---|---|
| I 1st person singular | stērizomoiō |
| you 2nd person singular | stērizosoiō |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | stērizotoiō |
| we 1st person plural | stērizonoiō |
| ye 2nd person plural | stērizovoiō |
| they 3rd person plural | stērizoloiō |
acted on passive voice
| Who person | happened aorist |
|---|---|
| I 1st person singular | stērizimoia |
| you 2nd person singular | stērizisoia |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | stērizitoia |
| we 1st person plural | stērizinoia |
| ye 2nd person plural | stērizivoia |
| they 3rd person plural | stēriziloia |
The “to …” form — infinitive, 3 occurrences
| Who is acting voice | happening now present | will happen future | happened aorist | has happened perfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| the subject acts active voice | stērizarō | stērizari | stērizara2×στηρίξαι | stērizarē |
| acts on itself, or is acted on middle or passive voice | stērizorō | stērizorē | ||
| acted on passive voice | stēriziri | stērizira1×στηριχθῆναι |
Used as an adjective — participle, 2 occurrences
| Who is acting voice | happening now present | will happen future | happened aorist | has happened perfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| the subject acts active voice | stērizarōntos1×στηρίζων | stērizarintos | stērizarantos | stērizarēntos |
| acts on itself, or is acted on middle or passive voice | stērizorōntos | stērizorēntos1× | ||
| acted on passive voice | stērizirintos | stērizirantos |
Each is given in the form it takes as a subject. From there a participle carries the ordinary noun endings, in every case, number and gender — so these four columns are the whole of what the verb contributes.
How every form is built — the slots that make them
stēriz is this word in every one of its forms. The slots after it make all the rest.
same in every form varies — every value shown
Where it appears
Every verse the word appears in, filed under the form it takes there.
13 occurrences, every one of them listed
stērizati“confirm”will happen · he/she/itfuture active indicative 3rd person singular2×
2 Thessalonians 3:3pistos de atō tos kurios, hos stērizati vin kai fulassati apo tou ponērou.… Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you and guard you from the …
1 Peter 5:10“confirm”… en Christo, oligem pascharantoin autos katartizati, stērizati, sthenati, themeliati.… you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore you, secure you, strengthen you, and establish you.
stērizata“set”happened · he/she/itaorist active indicative 3rd person singular1×
Luke 9:51… analēmpsiau autou kai autos tem prosōpem stērizata teu poreuorō eis Ierousalēm,… of His ascension approached, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.
stērizotē“fixed”has happened · he/she/itperfect middle or passive indicative 3rd person singular1×
Luke 16:26… metaxu nu kai vu chasmem megem stērizotē, hopōs tois thelarōntois diabainara enthen pros …… this, a great chasm has been fixed between us and you, so that …
stērizasar“strengthen”happened · youaorist active imperative 2nd person singular2×
Luke 22:32… pistias su; kai sis pote epistrefarantos stērizasar toin adelfoin su.… And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
Revelation 3:2genosōr grēgorarōntos, kai stērizasar teim loipeim heim mellale apothnēskara, ouk …Wake up and strengthen what remains, which is about to …
stērizavar“strengthen”happened · yeaorist active imperative 2nd person plural1×
James 5:8makrothumavar kai vis, stērizavar tain kardiain vu, hoti tas parousias …You, too, be patient and strengthen your hearts, because the Lord’s coming …
stērizatoia“strengthen”happened · he/she/itaorist active optative 3rd person singular1×
2 Thessalonians 2:17parakalatoia vu tain kardiain kai stērizatoia en pante erge kai logo agatho.encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good word and …
stērizara“establish”happened · the “to …” formaorist active infinitive2×
1 Thessalonians 3:2… te euangelie tou Christou, eis tem stērizara vin kai parakalara huper tau pistiau …… in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith,
1 Thessalonians 3:13eis tem stērizara vu tain kardiain amemptain en hagiōsuna …so that He may establish your hearts in blamelessness and holiness …
stērizira“strengthen”happened · the “to …” formaorist passive infinitive1×
Romans 1:11… metadōameia charismem vi pneumatikem eis tem stērizira vin,… to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you,
stērizarōntos“strengthening”happening now · subjectpresent active participle nominative singular masculine1×
Acts 18:23… kathexēs tan Galatikan chōran kai Frugian, stērizarōntos pantoin toin mathētoin.… the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.
stērizorēntoin“established”has happened · objectperfect middle or passive participle accusative plural masculine1×
2 Peter 1:12… hupomimnēskarō peri houteiu, kaiper horarēntoin kai stērizorēntoin en ta pareiarōnta alētheia.… though you know them and are established in the truth you now have.