προστίθημι G4369
To add or increase; also a Hebraic idiom meaning to proceed or do something further.
Prostithemi is a versatile verb whose primary sense is simply to add, whether adding something to a group, a quantity, or a situation. The Lord 'added' to the church daily those being saved (Acts 2:47), and Jesus teaches that seeking God's kingdom results in all things being 'added' to you (Matt 6:33; Luke 12:31). A distinctive secondary sense reflects the Hebrew idiom of yasap, meaning 'to proceed' or 'to do again,' where the verb signals continuation rather than numerical increase. Luke preserves this Semitism in Acts 12:3, where Herod 'proceeded to arrest Peter also,' a construction that feels foreign in Greek but perfectly natural in Hebrew narrative style.
Senses
1. add or increase — To add something to an existing quantity, group, or entity, or to increase and grant something further. Spanish 'añadir/añadiendo' and French 'ajouter' both straightforwardly convey addition. This sense covers the vast majority of NT uses: God adds believers to the church (Acts 2:41, 47; 5:14; 11:24), Jesus promises that all necessities will be added to those who seek the kingdom (Matt 6:33; Luke 12:31), no one can add a cubit to his stature by worrying (Matt 6:27; Luke 12:25), and Herod added yet another crime to all his others by imprisoning John (Luke 3:20). The disciples' plea 'Increase our faith!' (Luke 17:5) uses the same verb, framing faith as something that can be added to or augmented. 17×
AR["أَضافَ", "أَضَافَ", "أَنْ-يَزِيدَ", "أُضيفَ", "أُضِيفَ", "انضَمَّ", "تُزادُ", "زِدْ", "سَتُزَادُ", "كَانَ-يَضِيفُ", "كَانُوا-يُضَافُونَ", "يُزادُ", "يُضيفَ", "يُضَافَ"]·ben["বাড়াও", "যোগ-করতে", "যোগ-করল", "যোগ-করা-হতে", "যোগ-করা-হবে", "যোগ-করা-হয়েছিল,", "যোগ-করিতেছিলেন", "যোগ-করে", "যোগ-হইলেন", "যোগ-হচ্ছিল", "যোগ-হবে", "যোগ-হল", "সংযুক্ত-হলেন"]·DE["fügt-hinzu", "hinzufuegen"]·EN["Add", "added", "having-added", "he-added", "it-was-added", "to-add", "to-be-added", "was-added", "was-adding", "were-added", "were-being-added", "will-be-added"]·FR["ajouter"]·heb["הוֹסִיף", "הוֹסֶף", "יִתְוָסֵף", "יֻוֹסַף", "לְהוֹסִיף", "נֶאֱסַף", "נוֹסְפָה", "נוֹסְפוּ", "נוֹסַף", "תִּוָּסֵפְנָה"]·HI["-दिन", "जोड़ते-हुए", "जोड़ने", "जोड़ा", "जोड़ा-गया", "जोड़ा-जाए", "जोड़ी-गई", "जोड़ी-जाएंगी", "जोदि-गयि,", "तुम्हें", "फिर-किया", "बढ़ा-दे", "बढ़ाना", "मिल-जाएँगी", "विश्वास-करने-वाले"]·ID["Tambahkanlah", "akan-ditambahkan", "dikuburkan-bersama", "ditambahkan", "ia-menambah", "menambahkan"]·IT["aggiungere"]·jav["Panjenenganipun-nglajengaken,", "Tambahna", "badhe-dipun-tambahi", "badhé-katambahaken", "bakal-ditambahi", "dipun-tambahaken,", "dipuntambah", "kasarekaken", "katambahan", "nambahaken", "nambahi", "piyambakipun-nglajengaken"]·KO["더하기라", "더하기를", "더하셨으니", "더하여", "더해-주소서", "더해졌노라,", "더해졌다", "더해졌으니", "더해지리라", "더해지지", "더해질-것이다", "더했다"]·PT["Aumenta", "acrescentando", "acrescentar", "acrescentava", "acrescentou", "foi-acrescentada", "foi-reunido", "foram-acrescentadas", "lhes-ser-acrescentada", "será-acrescentado", "vos-serão-acrescentadas"]·RU["Прибавь", "добавлен", "прибавив", "прибавил", "прибавится", "прибавить", "прибавлено-было-бы", "прибавлял", "прибавлялись", "приложился", "приложится", "присоединились", "присоединилось", "продолжил"]·ES["Auméntanos", "añadiendo", "añadir", "añadió", "añadía", "eran-añadidos", "fue-añadida", "fue-añadido", "fueron-añadidos", "os-será-añadido", "os-serán-añadidas", "ser-añadida"]·SW["Tuongezee", "akaongeza", "akaongezwa", "akiongeza", "aliongeza", "aliwaongeza", "iliongezwa", "kuongeza", "mtaongezewa", "ongezwe", "wakaongezwa", "waliongezwa"]·TR["Artır", "ekledi", "eklemek", "eklendi", "eklenecek", "ekleniyordu", "eklenmesi", "ekleyip", "ekliyordu", "içinde-"]·urd["آگے-بھیجا", "بڑھا", "بڑھانا", "بڑھایا-جائے-گا", "دیا-جائے-گا", "دیے-جائیں-گے", "شامل-کرتا-تھا", "شامل-کرکے", "شامل-کی-گئی", "شامل-کیا", "شامل-کیا-جائے", "شامل-ہوئی", "شامل-ہوئے", "شامل-ہوتے-رہے", "ملایا-گیا"]
Matt 6:27, Matt 6:33, Mark 4:24, Luke 3:20, Luke 12:25, Luke 12:31, Luke 17:5, Luke 19:11, Luke 20:11, Luke 20:12, Acts 2:41, Acts 2:47 (+5 more)
2. proceed or do further — A Hebraic idiom meaning to proceed, go on, or do something further, reflecting the Hebrew construction with yasap where the verb signals continuation or repetition rather than literal addition. In Acts 12:3, Luke writes that Herod 'proceeded to arrest Peter also' (Spanish 'procedió,' English 'proceeded'), a Septuagintal construction where prostithemi functions as an auxiliary verb modifying the main action. This usage, while rare in the NT (only one clear instance), reveals Luke's deep familiarity with Septuagintal Greek and Hebrew narrative conventions. 1×
AR["أَضَافَ"]·ben["এগিয়ে-গেলেন"]·DE["fügt-hinzu"]·EN["proceeded"]·FR["ajouter"]·heb["הוֹסִיף"]·HI["आगे-बढ़ा"]·ID["melanjutkan"]·IT["aggiungere"]·jav["nambahi"]·KO["더했다"]·RU["прибавил"]·ES["procedió"]·SW["akaongeza"]·TR["devam-etti"]·urd["بڑھایا"]
Related Senses
H3605 1. all, every, whole (5352×)H0259 1. one (cardinal numeral) (940×)H8147 1. cardinal number two (666×)G3956 1. all (collective plural) (616×)H3967 1. cardinal numeral hundred (550×)H1419a 1. great, large (general quality) (486×)H7969 1. cardinal number three (431×)H0505 1. cardinal number thousand (427×)H7651 1. seven (cardinal number) (393×)G1520 1. cardinal number one (339×)H6240 1. ten (cardinal number) (334×)H6242 1. twenty (cardinal number) (315×)H2568 1. cardinal number five (309×)H0702 1. four (cardinal number) (277×)G3956 2. every, each (distributive) (227×)H8337 1. six (cardinal number) (215×)G3956 3. all things, everything (substantive) (211×)G3956 4. (187×)H6235 1. ten (177×)G3173 1. great in size or extent (176×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
προστίθημι, Doric dialect ποτι-, also aorist infinitive ποιθέμεν Refs; ποτθέμειν probably in Refs 5th c.BC+: late present προστιθῶ Ps.- Refs 4th c.BC+future προσθήσω: aorist προσέθηκα, plural -έθεμεν, subjunctive προσθῶ Refs 5th c.BC+, Ionic dialect προσθέω Refs 5th c.BC+:— middle, future προσθήσομαι LXX: aorist 1 προσεθηκάμην Refs 5th c.BC+aorist 2 προσεθέμην, subjunctive προσθῶμαι (not…