παρατίθημι G3908
Set before, serve food at table; entrust or commit to someone's care; set forth, present or explain a teaching.
Paratithemi literally means 'to place alongside' — and from this simple spatial act three distinct functions emerge. Its most frequent New Testament use is setting food before people: Jesus breaks bread and gives it to the disciples to 'set before' the crowd (Mark 6:41; 8:6), and Paul instructs believers to eat whatever is 'set before' them (1 Cor 10:27). Spanish poner delante and German vorsetzen both preserve the spatial metaphor of placing something in front of a person. But the middle voice transforms the word into an act of entrusting: Jesus committing his spirit into the Father's hands (Luke 23:46), Paul commending elders to the word of God's grace (Acts 20:32). A third use appears in Acts 17:3, where Paul 'sets forth' evidence that the Christ had to suffer — presenting arguments as one presents a meal.
Senses
1. set before, serve food — Setting food or provisions before someone, serving at table. This primary sense (11 occurrences) dominates the feeding narratives: Jesus breaks loaves and gives them to the disciples to set before the multitude (Mark 6:41; 8:6-7), Martha's household serves a meal (Luke 10:8), and Paul advises 'eat whatever is set before you' (1 Cor 10:27). Spanish poner delante, French présenter, and German vorsetzen all capture the hospitable act of placing food within someone's reach. The parables of Matt 13:24 and 13:31 extend this: Jesus 'sets before' the crowd a parable as one sets a dish on the table. 11×
AR["أُقَدِّمُ", "الْمُقَدَّمَ", "تُقَدَّمُ", "قَدَّمَ", "قَدَّمُوا", "لِيُقَدِّموا", "يُقَدَّمُ", "يُقَدِّموا", "يُقَدِّمُوا"]·ben["দিল", "দিলেন", "দেওয়া", "পরিবেশন-করতে", "পরিবেশন-করল", "পরিবেশন-করে", "পরিবেশিত", "রাখব"]·DE["setzt-vor", "vorsetzen"]·EN["I-will-set-before", "being-set-before", "he-set", "he-set-before", "set-before", "they-might-set-before", "they-set-before", "to-set-before"]·FR["offrir", "présenter"]·heb["אָשִׂים", "הִצִּיג", "הֶעֱרִיךְ", "יְשִׂימוּ", "יָגִישׁוּ", "לָשִׂים", "מֻגָּשׁ", "מוּגָּשׁ", "שָׂמוּ"]·HI["उनके-सामने", "परोसना", "परोसने", "परोसा", "परोसी-गई-वस्तुएँ", "परोसूँ", "परोसें", "रखअ", "रखा", "रखा-हुआ"]·ID["dihidangkan", "disampaikan", "menghidangkan", "mereka-menghidangkan", "untuk-kuhidangkan", "untuk-menghidangkan", "yang-dihidangkan"]·IT["affidare", "mettere-davanti"]·jav["dipun-suguhaken", "ingkang-kasuguhaken", "kula-badhé-nyaosaken", "nyariosaken", "nyawisaken", "nyuguhaken", "nyuguhaken.", "nyukakaken", "sami-nyuguhaken", "sami-nyuguhaken."]·KO["나누게-하려고", "나누라", "나누었다", "내가-내어놓을", "놓게", "놓아-주도록", "제시하셨다", "차려놓는-것을", "차려주는-것을", "차려주었다"]·PT["distribuíram", "distribuírem", "distribuíssem", "para-pôr-diante", "posto-diante", "propôs", "pôs-diante"]·RU["предлагаемое", "предложил", "предложу", "раздавали", "раздавать", "раздали", "раздать"]·ES["para-poner", "poneré-delante", "puesto-delante", "pusieran-delante", "puso", "servir", "siendo-puesto-delante", "sirvieran", "sirvieron"]·SW["aliweka", "aliweka-mbele-yao", "kuwawekea", "mbele-yenu", "nitakachomwekea", "vinavyowekwa-mbele-yenu", "wakawawekea", "waweke-mbele", "waweke-mbele-yao"]·TR["koyayım", "koydu", "koydular", "koymalarını", "koysunlar", "o-", "sunmak-için", "önlerine-koydu", "önünüze-konulanları"]·urd["رکھا", "رکھا-جائے", "رکھا-ہوا", "رکھنا", "رکھوں", "رکھیں", "پروسنے", "پیش-کی"]
2. entrust, commit, commend — Entrusting, committing, or commending someone or something to another's care and protection. With 7 occurrences, this middle-voice sense carries deep relational weight: Jesus cries 'Father, into your hands I commit my spirit' (Luke 23:46), Paul and Barnabas commit new believers to the Lord (Acts 14:23), Paul commends the Ephesian elders to God and the word of his grace (Acts 20:32), and the faithful steward is one to whom much has been entrusted (Luke 12:48). Spanish encomendar, French confier, and German anvertrauen all shift from table service to sacred trust. The progression from placing food to placing souls in God's hands is one of the New Testament's quiet semantic dramas. 7×
AR["أَسْتَوْدِعُ", "أَسْتَوْدِعُكَ", "أَسْتَوْدِعُكُمْ", "أَودَعاهُم", "أَوْدِعْهُ", "أُودِعَ", "لِيَستَودِعوا"]·ben["παρατίθεμαι-আমি-সমর্পণ-করি", "অর্পণ-কর", "আমি-সমর্পণ-করছি", "গচ্ছিত-রেখেছিল", "তারা-সমর্পণ-করুক", "সমর্পণ-করলেন"]·DE["setzt-vor", "vorsetzen"]·EN["I-commit", "I-entrust", "entrust", "let-entrust", "they-committed", "they-entrusted"]·FR["offrir", "présenter"]·heb["הִפְקִידוּ", "הַפְקֵד", "יַפְקִידוּ", "מַפְקִיד", "מַפְקִיד-אֲנִי"]·HI["सौंप-दें", "सौंपता-हूँ", "सौंपा", "सौंपा-गया", "सौनप", "सौनप्त-होओन"]·ID["Aku-serahkan", "aku-menyerahkan", "aku-percayakan", "biarlah-menyerahkan", "dipercayakan", "menyerahkan", "percayakanlah"]·IT["affidare", "mettere-davanti", "parathou", "paratithemai", "paratithesthōsan"]·jav["Kula-masrahaken", "dipunpitadosaken", "kula-masrahaken", "masrahaken", "masrahna", "pasrahaken"]·KO["내가-맡기노라", "맡겨라", "맡겨졌다", "맡겼다", "맡기노라", "맡기라", "맡긴다"]·PT["confia", "confio", "encomendaram", "entreguem", "vos-encomendo"]·RU["вверили", "передай", "поручаю", "предали", "предаю", "пусть-предают"]·ES["encomendaron", "encomienda", "encomienden", "encomiendo", "os-encomiendo"]·SW["ninakukabidhi", "ninawakabidhi", "wakabidhi", "walikabidhiwa", "waliwakabidhi", "waziache", "yako"]·TR["emanet-ediyorum", "emanet-et", "emanet-etsinler", "emanet-ettiler"]·urd["سونپ-دے", "سونپا", "سونپا-گیا", "سونپتا-ہوں", "سونپیں", "سپرد-کرتا-ہوں", "میں-سپرد-کرتا-ہوں"]
3. set forth, present, explain — Setting forth, presenting, or expounding an argument or teaching before an audience — the intellectual counterpart of serving a meal. Only 1 clear occurrence: in Acts 17:3 Paul is in the synagogue at Thessalonica 'setting forth and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead.' Spanish exponiendo and German darlegend capture the explanatory force. The metaphor is apt: just as a host arranges dishes for guests, a teacher arranges evidence and reasoning for hearers. 1×
AR["يُوضِحُ"]·ben["উপস্থাপন-করে"]·DE["setzt-vor"]·EN["setting-forth"]·FR["présenter"]·heb["מֵרִיחַ"]·HI["प्रस्तुत-करते-हुए"]·ID["menerangkan"]·IT["affidare"]·jav["nedahaken"]·KO["제시하며"]·RU["доказывая"]·ES["exponiendo"]·SW["akiweka-mbele"]·TR["ortaya-koyarak"]·urd["پیش-کرتے-ہوئے"]
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
παρατίθημι, Doric dialect and poetry παρτίθημι (late forms from παρατίθω Refs; 3rd.pers. singular παρτιθεῖ, παρατιθεῖ, Refs 8th c.BC+: imperfect -ετίθειRefs 5th c.BC+aorist active παρέθηκα, middle παρεθέμην: perfect παρατέθεικα: in Attic dialect παράκειμαι generally serves as the passive:—place beside, πὰρ δὲ τίθει δίφρον Refs 8th c.BC+, etc.; [εἰκόσι] κόσμον Refs 2nd c.BC+ __b. frequently of…