μεταλαμβάνω G3335
To partake of, receive a share of; to take food, eat
The verb μεταλαμβάνω — built from μετά ('with, after') and λαμβάνω ('take') — means to get a share of something, to participate in it. In the New Testament it splits neatly into two senses. The more abstract one covers receiving a portion of anything from divine discipline (Heb 12:10) to a farmer's share of the harvest (2 Tim 2:6). The concrete one narrows to eating food: the early believers shared meals with glad hearts (Acts 2:46), and Paul urged storm-tossed sailors to eat for survival (Acts 27:33-34). Both senses hold the same structural idea — receiving one's portion — but the food sense is distinct enough that multilingual glosses consistently mark it.
1. receive, partake of, share in — To receive a share of, partake in, or obtain something, typically abstract — an opportunity, a blessing, a harvest, or divine chastening. In Acts 24:25 Felix dismisses Paul, saying he will summon him at a convenient time (having 'obtained' an occasion); in 2 Tim 2:6 the hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops; in Heb 6:7 the ground receives blessing; and in Heb 12:10 God disciplines believers so they might share in his holiness. The French 'recevoir' and German 'empfangen' confirm a receiving-and-participating core distinct from physical eating. 4×
AR["تَنَالُ","مُسْتَغِلًّا","نَشْتَرِكَ-فِي","يَشْتَرِكَ"]·ben["অংশ-নেওয়ার","পাইয়া","পায়","ভাগ-পাওয়া।"]·DE["empfangen","μεταλαβὼν"]·EN["having-obtained","receives","to-partake","to-share"]·FR["recevoir"]·heb["לְ-קַבֵּל","מְקַבֵּל","מְקַבֶּלֶת","קַבֵּל"]·HI["पाकर","प्राप्त-करती-है","प्राप्त-करने","मेइन-भगि-होन."]·ID["mendapat,","menerima","mengambil-bagian"]·IT["metalabein","metalambanei","metalambanein","ricevere"]·jav["nampi","ngraosaken.","pikantuk","sampun-nampi,"]·KO["나누어-가지도록","받는다","얻으면","참여하기를."]·PT["participar","participarmos","recebe"]·RU["получает","получив","причаститься","причащаться"]·ES["habiendo-tomado","participar","recibe"]·SW["hupokea","kupokea","kushiriki","ukipata"]·TR["bulunca","pay-alması","paylaşmak","paylaşır"]·urd["حاصل-کرتی-ہے","حصہ-لینا","حصہ-لینے","پا-کر"]
▼ 1 more sense below
Senses
2. partake of food, eat — To partake of food, take nourishment, eat a meal. This concrete sense appears three times: in Acts 2:46 the early Jerusalem community shared food (μετελάμβανον τροφῆς) with gladness and simplicity of heart, and in Acts 27:33-34 Paul twice urges the shipwrecked passengers μεταλαβεῖν τροφῆς for their survival. Spanish 'participaban' and 'tomar,' alongside the repeated genitive τροφῆς ('of food'), mark this as a distinct usage where the object of participation is specifically physical sustenance. 3×
AR["أَنْ-تَتَنَاوَلُوا","أَنْ-يَتَنَاوَلُوا","تَنَاوَلُوا"]·ben["অংশগ্রহণ-করিতেছিলেন","গ্রহণ-করিতে"]·DE["μεταλαβεῖν","μετελάμβανον"]·EN["they-were-partaking","to-take"]·FR["recevoir"]·heb["אָכְלוּ","לֶאֱכֹל"]·HI["लेने","सरलता-से"]·ID["makan","mereka-makan"]·IT["ricevere"]·jav["dhahar","nedha"]·KO["나눠먹었다","먹기를"]·PT["a-tomar","tomar","tomavam"]·RU["принимали","принять"]·ES["participaban","tomar"]·SW["kula","walishiriki"]·TR["almak","içinde-"]·urd["کھاتے-تھے","کھانا"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
μεταλαμβάνω, future - λήψομαι Refs 5th c.BC+:—have or get a share of, partake of, with genitive of things, ληΐης, καμάτου, μιαρίας, NT+5th c.BC+middle, μεταλαμβάνεσθαί τινος lay claim to, τοῦ οὐνόματος Refs 5th c.BC+ __2 with the part received added in accusative, Ἄρεως μοῖραν μ. Refs 5th c.BC+ __3 with accusative of things, ἢν μὴ μεταλάβῃ τοὐπίπεμπτον Refs 5th c.BC+ __4 in Platonic Philos., with…