βαστάζω G0941
To carry, bear, or endure; ranging from physical transport to figurative endurance of burdens, and even pilfering
A versatile verb whose core image is lifting and carrying a load. In the Synoptic Gospels it describes concrete actions — carrying a water jar (Mark 14:13), bearing sandals (Matt 3:11), lifting a bier (Luke 7:14). But Paul extends it powerfully into metaphor: bearing one another's weaknesses (Rom 15:1) and carrying the marks of Jesus on one's body (Gal 6:17). Spanish consistently uses 'llevar' and 'cargar,' while German 'tragen' covers both the physical and figurative senses, revealing how naturally the word bridges the literal and the metaphorical.
Senses
1. carry or transport physically — Physical carrying or transporting of objects or persons. This is the most frequent usage: picking up stones to throw (John 10:31 context), carrying a jar of water through Jerusalem (Mark 14:13), or bearing someone on a stretcher (Luke 7:14). Matthew 8:17 quotes Isaiah to say Christ 'bore' our sicknesses, where the physical image grounds the theological claim. Spanish 'cargó' and German 'tragen' both center on this concrete load-bearing act. 15×
AR["-","أَن-نَحمِلَ","أَنْ-يُحْمَلَ","الحامِلونَ","الحامِلِ","الَّذي-حَمَلَتْكَ","تَحْمِلوا","حامِلًا","حَامِلًا","حَمَلوا","حَمَلَ","كَانَ-يُحْمَلُ","يَحْمِلَ","يَحْمِلُ"]·ben["তুলে-নিল","বহন-কর","বহন-করছে","বহন-করতে","বহন-করতে।","বহন-করা-হচ্ছিল","বহন-করে","বহন-করেছিল","বহন-করেছিলেন","বহনকারীর","বহনকারীরা"]·DE["tragen","trägt"]·EN["Took-up","bearing","carried","carries","carry","carrying","having-carried","to-be-carried","to-bear","to-carry","was-being-carried"]·FR["porter"]·heb["אֲבָל","הַנּוֹשְׂאִים","הַנּוֹשְׂאֶת","לְהִנָּשֵׂא","לָשֵׂאת","נִשְׂא","נָשְׂאוּ","נוֹשְׂאַת","נוֹשֵׂא","סָבַל","תִּשְׂאוּ"]·HI["-पर","उठाए","उठाए-हुए","उठाता","उठाता-हुआ","उठाते-हुए","उठाना","उठाने-के-लिए","उठाने-को","उठाने-वाला","उठानेवाले","उठाया-जाना","लेकर-चलो"]·ID["Mengambil","diangkat","digendong,","membawa","membawa.","memikul","menanggung","yang-mengandung","yang-mengusung"]·IT["bastazontos","portare"]·jav["Mendhet","ambeta","dipun-gendhong","gendhong","ingkang-ngandhut","kagendhong,","manggul","mbekta","mbekta;","mbeta","nanggel","ngasta.","nggendong","nyanggi","pikul"]·KO["가지지","나르기-위해","나르는","들다","들려지기를","들어-올렸다","메고-있던-사람들이","이었다","지고","지고-가는","지고-있는","지기에","지지","짠어졌다","품었던"]·PT["Levantaram","carrega","carregando","carregar","carregou","era-carregado","levar","ser-carregado","suportar?"]·RU["Подняли","был-носим,","нести","несущие","несущий","неся","несёт","носившее","носите","носящего","понести","понёс"]·ES["Levantaron","cargando","cargó","era-llevado","lleva","llevando","llevar","llevéis","que-lleva","que-llevaban","que-te-llevó","ser-llevado"]·SW["Wakachukua","akibeba","alibeba.","alibebwa","anayembeba","bebea","chukue","kubeba","kubebwa","lililokubeba","waliobeba"]·TR["Taşıdılar","taşıdı","taşımak","taşımak?","taşınması","taşınıyordu","taşıyan","taşıyanlar","taşıyanın","taşıyarak","taşıyor","taşıyın"]·urd["اور","اُٹھاؤ","اُٹھائیں","اُٹھائے","اُٹھانا","اُٹھانے","اُٹھانے-والے","اُٹھانے-کے","اُٹھایا","اُٹھایا-جاتا-تھا","اُٹھایا-جانا","اٹھائے-ہوئے","اٹھاتا","اٹھاتے ہوئے"]
Matt 3:11, Matt 8:17, Mark 14:13, Luke 7:14, Luke 10:4, Luke 11:27, Luke 14:27, Luke 22:10, John 10:31, John 19:17, Acts 3:2, Acts 9:15 (+3 more)
2. bear or endure figuratively — Figurative bearing or enduring of hardships, burdens, and consequences. Paul urges the strong to 'bear the weaknesses of the weak' (Rom 15:1), and Jesus tells his disciples they cannot yet 'bear' certain truths (John 16:12). Galatians 5:10 warns that the troublemaker will 'bear his judgment.' The metaphor retains the weight of physical carrying — these burdens are real even when invisible. French 'porter' and Spanish 'llevar' serve both literal and figurative senses seamlessly. 9×
AR["أَنْ-تَحْتَمِلَ","أَنْ-نَحْمِلَ","احمِلوا","احْتَمَلْتَ","تَحْتَمِلُوا","تَحْمِلُ","حَمَلْنا","سَيَحمِلُ"]·ben["তোমরা-বহন-কর,","বহন-কর,","বহন-করতে","বহন-করতে,","বহন-করবে","বহন-করবে।","বহন-করলে","বহন-করেছে"]·DE["tragen","trägt"]·EN["bear","having-borne","support","to-bear","will-bear","you-bore"]·FR["porter"]·heb["יִשָּׂא","יִשָּׂא.","לָשֵׂאת","נָשָׂאתָ","נוֹשְׂאִים","נוֹשֵׂא","סִבְלוּ,"]·HI["उठाता-है","उथओ,","उथने-वलोन","उथयेग","उथयेग.","तूने-सहा","सहन-करना","सहना"]·ID["akan-menanggung","kamu-menanggung","menanggung","menanggung,","pikullah"]·IT["bastasai","bastasei","bastazete","ebastasas","portare"]·jav["baddhé-nanggung","baddhé-pikul.","nanggel","nyanggi","nyanggi,","panjenengan-nandhang","pikula,"]·KO["감당하고","감당하다","견디다","견떠다","떠받치는-자가","지라,","진-자들-에게","질-것이노라","질-것이노라."]·PT["levará","suportar","suportar,","suportaram","suportaste","sustentas,"]·RU["нести","но","носите","перенёс","перенёсшим","понесёт","себе"]·ES["llevad","llevará","que-soportaron","sobrellevar","soportar","soportaste","sostienes"]·SW["atabeba","bebeeni","kubeba,","kustahimili","kuyabeba","umestahimili","unauchukua,","uzito"]·TR["kötüleri","taşıdın","taşımaya","taşımayı","taşıyacak","taşıyanlara","taşıyorsun","taşıyın"]·urd["اُٹھاؤ","اُٹھائے-گا","اٹھاتا","اٹھانا","اٹھایا","برداشت کرنا","برداشت-کرنا","برداشت-کیا"]
3. carry away or pilfer — Carrying away with a connotation of pilfering or unauthorized removal. John 12:6 specifies that Judas 'was carrying away' from the money box — he was a thief. In John 20:15, Mary Magdalene fears someone has 'carried away' the Lord's body. The verb's neutral carrying sense shades into suspicion and theft, with context supplying the moral coloring. Spanish 'llevaba' preserves this ambiguity between innocent transport and illicit removal. 2×
AR["حَمَلْتَ","يَحْمِلُ"]·ben["বহন-করতেন","বহন-করেছ"]·DE["tragen"]·EN["carried-away","he-was-taking"]·FR["porter"]·heb["גָּנַב","נָשָׂאתָ"]·HI["उठा-ले-गया","उठा-लेता-था"]·ID["ia-mengambil","membawa"]·IT["portare"]·jav["manggul","piyambakipun-mendhet."]·KO["옮겨갔으면","훔쳤다"]·PT["levaste"]·RU["крал","унёс"]·ES["cargaste","llevaba"]·SW["alichukua","umembeba"]·TR["taşıdın","çalıyordu"]·urd["اُٹھا-لے-گیا","اُٹھاتا-تھا"]
4. bear marks on oneself — Bearing marks, brands, or distinguishing signs on one's own body. In Galatians 6:17, Paul declares 'I bear on my body the marks of Jesus' — scars from persecution that function as a brand of ownership and loyalty. This singular usage transforms the verb from transporting an external load to displaying an embodied identity. Spanish 'llevo' and English 'I bear' convey the permanence and personal significance of these marks. 1×
AR["أحمِلُ"]·ben["বহন-করি।"]·DE["tragen"]·EN["I-bear"]·FR["porter"]·heb["נוֹשֵׂא."]·HI["रखत-हुन."]·ID["menanggung"]·IT["bastazō"]·jav["makta."]·KO["지니노라."]·RU["ношу"]·ES["llevo"]·SW["ninazibeba"]·TR["taşıyorum"]·urd["اُٹھاتا-ہوں"]
Related Senses
H0935 1. come, arrive (Qal) (2413×)G1473 1. first person singular pronoun (2084×)H3318 1. Qal: go out, depart, come forth (891×)H7725 1. to return, come/go back (Qal) (874×)H5927 1. go up, ascend (Qal) (779×)H7971 1. to send, dispatch (Qal) (701×)G2064 1. come / arrive (physical movement toward) (588×)H5307 1. Qal: fall down physically (339×)H5375 1. Qal: to lift up, raise (330×)H5975 1. to stand, stand up (310×)H5674a 1. Qal: pass by, pass through (256×)H3381 1. Qal: to go down, descend (physical movement) (242×)G1831 1. go/come out physically (193×)H5337 1. deliver, rescue, save (Hifil) (188×)H7901 1. lie down, rest, sleep (183×)G1525 1. enter a place physically (179×)H7812 1. prostrate oneself, bow down, worship (173×)H3318 2. Hifil: bring out, lead out, take out (persons) (172×)H7725 2. to bring back, restore (Hifil) (151×)H5674a 2. Qal: cross over (134×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
βαστάζω, Refs 8th c.BC+: future -άσωRefs 5th c.BC+; late -άξω Refs 3rd c.AD+: aorist ἐβάστασα LXX+8th c.BC+:—passive, future βασταχθήσομαι Refs 3rd c.AD+aorist ἐβαστάχθηνRefs 2nd c.AD+: aorist 2 βασταγῆναι Refs 2nd c.AD+perfect βεβάσταγμαι (ἐμ-) Refs 2nd c.AD+:—lift up, raise, λᾶαν βαστάζοντα.. ἀμφοτέρῃσι Refs 8th c.BC+; lift a veil, Refs:—passive, of sluice-gates, Refs 2nd c.AD+ __2…