στέγω G4722
To bear up under, endure, put up with; to cover over or contain patiently
From the root stege ('roof, covering'), this verb originally meant to keep water out — to be watertight. That concrete image of covering and containing developed into a powerful metaphor for patient endurance. Paul uses it to describe his willingness to 'endure anything' rather than hinder the gospel (1 Cor 9:12), and in the great love hymn of 1 Corinthians 13:7, love 'bears all things' — stegei panta — covering faults and absorbing hardship. In 1 Thessalonians 3:1 and 3:5, Paul says he 'could bear it no longer,' revealing the verb's emotional intensity: a container finally overflowing.
Senses
1. sense 1 — To bear, endure, put up with patiently; originally 'to cover so as to keep out,' hence to contain or withstand pressure. Spanish 'soportar' and German 'ertragen' both emphasize the endurance dimension. In 1 Cor 9:12 Paul endures all things for the gospel's sake. In the love chapter (1 Cor 13:7), love 'bears all things' — covering and absorbing what would otherwise break through. In 1 Thess 3:1, 5, the verb expresses reaching a breaking point: 'when we could bear it no longer.' 4×
AR["أحْتَمِلْ", "تَحتَمِلُ", "نَحْتَمِلُ", "نَحْتَمِلْ"]·ben["আমরা-সহ্য-করি,", "সহ্য-করে", "সহ্য-করে,"]·DE["ertragen"]·EN["bearing", "bears", "we-endure"]·FR["supporter", "στέγοντες", "στέγων"]·heb["נוֹשְׂאִים", "נוֹשֵׂא", "סוֹבְלִים", "סוֹבֶלֶת"]·HI["सह-सक्ते-हुए", "सहता-है", "सहते-हैं"]·ID["itu-menutupi", "kami-tanggung", "tahan"]·IT["sopportare", "stegontes", "stegōn"]·jav["kita-tanggel,", "nampani", "nandhang,"]·KO["감당한다", "덮고", "참지-못하여"]·PT["suporta,", "suportamos,", "suportando"]·RU["выдержав", "переносим,", "покрывает"]·ES["soporta", "soportamos", "soportando"]·SW["kustahimili", "tunavumilia,", "unastahimili"]·TR["dayanamayarak", "her şeye", "örter"]·urd["برداشت-کرتا-ہوا", "برداشت-کرتی-ہے", "برداشت-کرتے-ہوئے", "برداشت-کرتے-ہیں"]
Related Senses
G2309 1. want, desire (166×)G0025 1. to love actively (133×)H0157 1. love (verb, active Qal) (129×)H8055 1. Qal: rejoice, be glad (123×)H7453 1. neighbor, fellow man (120×)G0026 1. of love (115×)H1058 1. Qal: to weep, cry (112×)H0954 1. to be ashamed, feel shame (Qal) (95×)H8057 1. joy, gladness, delight (90×)H2781 1. disgrace, shame, dishonor (68×)G2307 1. will, desire, purpose (63×)G5463 1. rejoice, be glad (63×)G0027 1. beloved (61×)H8130 1. Qal: to hate, detest (60×)G5479 1. (59×)G1680 1. (53×)H8130 2. Qal ptcp: hater, enemy (53×)H0014 1. be willing, want (51×)H0157 2. lover, friend (Qal participle substantive) (51×)H1945 1. woe (50×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
στέγω, used by early writers mainly in present and imperfect: future στέξω uncertain conjecture in Refs 1st c.BC+: aorist ἔστεξα Refs 2nd c.BC+ —middle, aorist ἐστέξατο conjecture for ἐδέξατο in Refs 3rd c.BC+:— passive, aorist ἐστέχθην Refs 4th c.BC+:—cover closely, so as to keep a fluid either out or in, Refs 5th c.BC+ __A keep out water, δόμος ἅλα στέγων a house that keeps out the sea, i.e. a…