τίθημι G5087
To place, put, or lay something down; by extension, to appoint to a role, lay down one's life sacrificially, or resolve in one's heart.
At its core, τίθημι means to place or put something in a position — a lamp on a stand, a body in a tomb, enemies under one's feet. Yet this physical action branches into rich metaphorical territory. When God 'places' someone in a role, the word becomes 'appoint' or 'establish' (Acts 20:28; 1 Tim 1:12). Arabic shifts from waḍaʿa (to place) to jaʿala (to make/appoint), showing the semantic leap. Most strikingly, Jesus uses τίθημι τὴν ψυχήν — literally 'I place my life' — for the voluntary laying down of his life (John 10:11–18), a phrase so distinctive that Korean switches from the ordinary 놓다 to 내놓다 (to put out, release), capturing the sacrificial nuance.
Senses
1. place, put, lay — The core physical meaning: to place, put, or lay an object or person in a location. Arabic consistently renders this with waḍaʿa (to place), Korean with 놓다/두다 (to put/place), and Swahili with -weka (to place). This covers setting a lamp on a stand (Mark 4:21), laying a body in a tomb (Matt 27:60), and placing enemies under one's feet (Matt 22:44). The physicality is always concrete — something moves to a new position. 79×
AR["أَضَعَ", "جَثَا", "وَضَعوهُ", "وَضَعَ", "وَضَعَهُ", "وَضَعُوا", "يَضَعْ"]·ben["-শত্রুদের", "আমি-রাখি", "তিনি-রাখলেন", "রাখল", "রাখলেন", "রাখি", "রাখেছিলেন", "রেখে", "রেখেছে", "ἔθηκεν-রাখলেন"]·DE["legen", "legt"]·EN["I-place", "I-put", "appointed", "having-placed", "he-placed", "laid", "placed", "they-laid", "they-placed"]·FR["legen", "mettre", "poser"]·heb["אֶת-", "אָשִׂים", "כָּרַע", "שָׂם", "שָׂמוּ"]·HI["उसने-रखा", "कब्र", "रख", "रख-दूँ", "रख-दूं", "रखकर", "रखा", "रखा-था", "रखूँ", "रखूं"]·ID["Aku-menaruh", "Aku-menempatkan", "Berlutut", "Dia-meletakkan", "dia-meletakkan", "ia-meletakkan", "meletakkan", "menaruh", "menetapkan", "menyimpan", "mereka-meletakkan"]·IT["mettere", "porre"]·jav["Kawula-ndadosaken", "Kula-masangaken", "Kula-ndadosaken", "Panjenenganipun-nyelèhaken", "mapanaken", "masang", "masangaken", "netepaken", "nyarèkaken", "nyèlèhaken", "sami-masang", "sami-nyimpen", "tiyang-tiyang-nyarèkaken"]·KO["내가-놓을-때까지", "놓고", "놓았다", "놓았으니", "놓으셨다", "놓을-때에", "누였는지", "누였다", "두기까지", "두는다", "두셨다", "두었다"]·PT["colocou", "designou", "eu-ponha", "ponha", "puseram", "pôs", "tendo-posto"]·RU["положивший", "положил", "положили", "положу", "поставил", "преклонив"]·ES["habiendo-puesto", "ponga", "poniendo", "pusieron", "puso"]·SW["-", "akaliweka", "akamweka", "akaweka", "akipiga-magoti", "aliuweka", "kuweka", "na", "nitawaweka", "niweke", "wakamlaza", "wakaweka", "wakayaweka", "walimweka", "wamemlaza"]·TR["diz-çökerek", "diz-çöküp", "koyana", "koyayım", "koydu", "koydular"]·urd["بنیاد", "رکھ-کر", "رکھا", "رکھوں", "لگایا", "میں-رکھوں"]
Matt 22:44, Matt 24:51, Matt 27:60, Mark 4:21, Mark 4:21, Mark 6:29, Mark 10:16, Mark 12:36, Mark 15:19, Mark 15:46, Mark 16:6, Luke 1:66 (+38 more)
2. appoint, establish, set — Metaphorical extension to appointment or establishment in a role or position of authority. Arabic shifts from waḍaʿa to jaʿala (to make/appoint) or aqāma (to raise up/establish), signaling a clear semantic departure from physical placement. Jesus tells the disciples 'I have appointed you' to bear fruit (John 15:16); God 'set' Paul as a light to the Gentiles (Acts 13:47); the Holy Spirit 'made' the Ephesian elders overseers (Acts 20:28). 10×
AR["أَقَامَكُمْ", "أُقِمْتُ", "جَعَلتُكَ", "واضِعاً", "واضِعًا", "وَضَعَهُ", "وَضَعْتُ", "وُضِعوا"]·ben["আমি-স্থাপন-করেছি", "আমি-স্থাপিত-হয়েছি", "তারা-নিযুক্ত-হয়েছিল", "নিযুক্ত-হয়েছি", "রেখে", "রেখেছি", "স্থাপন-করলেন", "স্থাপন-করে", "স্থাপন-করেছেন"]·DE["legen", "legt"]·EN["I-have-made", "I-have-set", "appointed", "having-appointed", "having-set", "he-appointed", "placed", "they-were-appointed", "was-appointed"]·FR["legen", "mettre", "poser"]·heb["הֻצַּבְתִּי", "הוּשְׂמוּ", "שַׂמְתִּי", "שַׂמְתִּיךָ", "שָׂם"]·HI["ठहराए-गए-थे", "ठहराकर", "ठहराया", "ठहराया-है", "नियुक्त-किय-गय", "रख-कर", "रख-गय", "रखा-है"]·ID["Aku-telah-menempatkan", "Ia-tetapkan", "aku-ditetapkan", "menempatkan", "menetapkan", "menetapkan;", "mereka-ditetapkan", "telah-Kujadikan"]·IT["mettere", "porre"]·jav["Kawula-netepaken", "Kawula-sampun-masangaken", "Kula-netepaken", "dipuntetepaken", "kang-dipuntemtokaken.", "kula-dipun-tetepaken", "kula-tinanggenaken", "masang;", "netepaken"]·KO["놓아", "놓았다;", "세우셨다", "세우셨으니", "세워졌다", "세웠노라", "세웠다", "정해졌느니라"]·PT["Pus", "constituiu", "foram-postos.", "fui-designado", "pondo", "pus", "te-constituí", "tendo-posto"]·RU["Поставил", "были-положены.", "поставив", "поставил", "поставлен-был"]·ES["Te-he-puesto", "fueron-puestos", "fui-puesto", "habiendo-puesto", "poniendo", "puse", "puso", "te-he-puesto"]·SW["Nimekuweka", "akiniweka", "akiweka", "amemweka", "amewaweka", "niliwaweka", "niliwekwa", "nimekuweka", "waliwekwa"]·TR["atadı", "atadım", "atandılar", "atandım", "koyarak", "koydum"]·urd["اُس-نے-ٹھہرایا", "بناتے-ہوئے؛", "رکھا-ہے", "رکھتے-ہوئے", "مقرر-کیا-گیا", "مقرّر-کیا", "میں-نے-بنایا-ہے", "ٹھہرائے-گئے۔", "ٹھہرایا"]
3. lay down one's life — A specialized idiomatic expression, τίθημι τὴν ψυχήν ('to place/lay down one's life'), denoting voluntary sacrificial death. Nearly all nine occurrences cluster in John 10:11–18 and 1 John 3:16. Korean distinguishes this from ordinary placement by using 내놓다 (to put out, release) rather than 놓다; Swahili shifts from -weka to -toa (to give out). The idiom is Johannine and christological, centering on the Good Shepherd's willing self-giving. 9×
AR["أَضَع", "أَضَعَ", "أَن-أَضَع", "سَـ-أَضَعُ", "سَـ-تَضَعُ", "يَضَع", "يَضَعَ"]·ben["আমি-দিই", "আমি-রাখব", "দিই", "দেয়", "রাখতে", "রাখব", "রাখবে", "রাখে"]·DE["legen"]·EN["I-lay-down", "I-may-offer", "I-will-lay-down", "lay-down", "lays-down", "to-lay-down", "you-will-lay-down"]·FR["mettre", "poser"]·heb["אֶתֵּן", "אָשִׂים", "יִתֵּן", "לָ-שִׂים", "נוֹתֵן", "תִּתֵּן"]·HI["देता-हूँ", "देता-है", "देने-का", "रखूँ", "रखूँगा", "रखे", "रखेगा"]·ID["Ku-serahkan", "aku-akan-berikan", "aku-menyediakan", "engkau-akan-berikan", "menyerahkan", "untuk-menyerahkan"]·IT["mettere", "porre"]·jav["kula-badh醮asrahaken.", "kula-damel", "maringi", "masrahaken", "panjenengan-badh醮asrahaken?"]·KO["내놓겠느냐", "내놓겠다", "내놓기", "내놓는-것", "내놓는다", "내놓을", "놓으리라"]·PT["coloque", "darei", "darás", "de-pôr", "ponha", "ponho", "põe"]·RU["полагает", "полагаю", "положил", "положить", "положишь", "положу"]·ES["pondrás", "pondré", "pone", "poner", "ponga", "pongo"]·SW["aitoe", "anatoa", "kuutoa", "niitoe", "ninatoa", "ninautoa", "nitaitoa", "utaitoa"]·TR["koyayım", "koymaya", "koysun", "koyuyor", "koyuyorum", "vereceksin", "vereceğim"]·urd["دیتا-ہوں", "دیتا-ہے", "دینا", "دے", "رکھوں-گا", "رکھے-گا", "پیش-کروں"]
4. decide, purpose, resolve — An idiom of mental resolve: to set something in one's heart or to purpose a course of action (τίθημι ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ or τίθημι βουλήν). Paul 'purposed in the Spirit' to go to Jerusalem (Acts 19:21); the sailors 'decided' to run the ship aground (Acts 27:12). Arabic uses ʿazama (to resolve/determine), showing that the physical 'placing' has become entirely internalized — one places a decision within oneself. 2×
AR["أَعْطَوْا", "عَزَمَ"]·ben["সিদ্ধান্ত-করিল", "স্থির-করলেন"]·DE["legt"]·EN["decided", "purposed"]·FR["mettre"]·heb["הֶחְלִיטוּ", "שָׂם"]·HI["ठाना", "निर्णयलिया"]·ID["menetapkan"]·IT["mettere"]·jav["mutusaken"]·KO["정하셨다", "정하였다"]·PT["propôs", "tomaram"]·RU["положил", "приняли"]·ES["propuso", "pusieron"]·SW["aliamua", "walifanya"]·TR["koydu", "koydular"]·urd["رائے-دی", "ٹھانا"]
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
τίθημι [τῐ], 2nd pers. singular τιθεῖς Refs 5th c.BC+ codices Lp (-θείς P, τίθης l), Alc. Refs 5th c.BC+ (προσ-); ἐν-τιθεῖς (variant{-εὶς}) Refs 5th c.BC+; but τίθης is found in Refs 5th c.BC+ (προσ-), etc., and is taught by Refs 4th c.AD+; Epic dialect τίθησθα Refs 8th c.BC+, and so in Aeolic dialect, Refs 7th c.BC+; 3rd.pers. singular τίθησι Refs 8th c.BC+, and Attic dialect; Doric dialect…