μετρ-έω G3354
To measure or mete out a quantity or standard; in passive voice, to have measure dealt back to oneself.
Metreō is the act of measuring — whether grain, distance, or, most memorably in Scripture, moral judgments. Jesus' saying 'with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you' (Matt 7:2, Mark 4:24) forms the heart of this word's NT usage, playing on both the active and passive voices in a single proverb. The active sense covers all instances of measuring and meting out, including the angel measuring the temple in Rev 11:1-2 and Paul's refusal to 'measure themselves by themselves' in 2 Cor 10:12. The passive appears in the reciprocal half of Jesus' proverb. Spanish captures the voice distinction nicely: medís (active 'you measure') versus os será medido (passive 'it will be measured to you').
Senses
1. to measure (active) — To measure, mete out, or determine quantity or extent in the active voice. Covers Jesus' teaching on reciprocal judgment — 'with the measure you measure, it will be measured to you' (Matt 7:2, Mark 4:24, Luke 6:38) — where the active voice carries the human act of judging others. Also used for literal measurement: the angel measuring the temple of God in Rev 11:1, and Paul's critique of those who 'measure themselves by themselves' (2 Cor 10:12). Spanish medís and German messen consistently render the active dimension. 9×
AR["تَقِسها", "تَكيلونَ", "قائِسينَ", "قاسَ", "قِس", "يَقيسَ"]·ben["মাপ", "মাপছ", "মাপছে", "মাপলেন", "মাপে", "মাপো"]·DE["messen", "μετρεῖτε"]·EN["he-measured", "he-might-measure", "measure", "measuring", "you-measure"]·FR["mesurer"]·heb["לִמְדֹד", "מָדַד", "מוֹד", "מוֹדְדִים", "תִּמְדֹד", "תָּמֹדּוּ"]·HI["नाप", "नापते-हुए", "नापते-हो", "नापा", "नापा-जाएगा", "नापे"]·ID["ia-mengukur", "kamu-mengukur", "kamu-ukur;", "mengukur", "ukurlah", "yang-kalian-pakai"]·IT["misurare"]·jav["ngukur", "panjenengan-sedaya-ngukur", "piyambakipun-ngukur", "ukur", "ukuren"]·KO["그가-측량하도록", "그가-측량하였다", "재면", "측량하는", "측량하라", "측량하면", "측정하며"]·PT["mede", "medindo", "medis", "medisse", "mediu", "meças"]·RU["измерил", "измерить", "измерь", "измеряй;", "измеряющие", "мерите"]·ES["con-que-medís", "medís", "mida", "midas", "mide", "midiéndose", "midió"]·SW["akaupima", "aupime", "mna-pima,", "mnapimia", "ulipime", "usilipime;", "wakijipima,"]·TR["ölç", "ölçerler", "ölçerseniz", "ölçersiniz,", "ölçsün", "ölçtü", "ölçüyorsunuz"]·urd["اُسی-سے", "ناپ", "ناپا-اُس-نے", "ناپتے-ہو", "ناپتے-ہوئے", "ناپے"]
2. to be measured (passive) — To be measured, to have measure meted out to oneself — the passive voice of metreō expressing divine or reciprocal recompense. Attested in the future passive metréthēsetai ('it will be measured') in Matt 7:2 and Mark 4:24. This passive completes Jesus' proverb of reciprocity: the standard you apply to others will be applied back to you. The passive transforms measurement from a human act into a divine response. Spanish os será medido ('it will be measured to you') preserves the passive voice distinctly from the active medís. 2×
AR["يُكالُ"]·ben["মাপা-হবে"]·DE["messen", "μετρηθήσεται"]·EN["it-will-be-measured"]·FR["mesurer"]·heb["יִמָּד"]·HI["तुम्हें", "नापा-जाएगा"]·ID["akan-diukur", "akan-diukurkan"]·IT["misurare"]·jav["badhe-dipun-ukur", "bakal-diukur"]·KO["측량-받으리라", "측량될-것이다"]·PT["será-medido"]·RU["отмерено-будет", "отмерится"]·ES["os-será-medido", "os‒será‒medido"]·SW["mta-pimiwa", "mtapimwa"]·TR["ölçülecek", "ölçülecektir"]·urd["ناپا-جائے-گا"]
Related Senses
H8033 1. There (locative adverb) (835×)H7760a 1. put, place, set physically (444×)H8064 1. heavens / sky (329×)H5439 1. around, all around (spatial) (319×)H4057b 1. wilderness, desert region (270×)H3220 1. sea, body of water (269×)H0520a 1. cubit (unit of length) (246×)H0127 1. ground, land (territory) (210×)H3383 1. Jordan River (proper noun) (183×)G1093 1. earth, the world (176×)H5800a 1. forsake, abandon (Qal active) (166×)H8121 1. sun (celestial body) (133×)H7126 1. offer, present sacrificially (122×)H6828 1. north, cardinal direction (120×)H2351 1. outside, exterior space (119×)H5104 1. river, stream (119×)H7341 1. width, breadth (101×)G1563 1. there (95×)H7126 2. draw near, approach (95×)G2281 1. sea, large body of water (91×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
μετρ-έω, Heraclean I plural imperfect ἐμετρίωμες Refspresent participle passive μετριώμεναιRefs 4th c.BC+: (μέτρον):—measure: __I of Space, measure, i. e. pass over, traverse, πέλαγος μέγα μετρήσαντες Refs 8th c.BC+; προτέρω μετρεῖν (i.e. θάλασσαν) to sail farther, Refs 3rd c.BC+:—in middle, ἅλα μετρήσασθαι Refs 2nd c.BC+; μετρούμενον ἴχνη τὰ κείνου measuring them with the eyes, Refs 5th…