To inhabit (figuratively)
Reading a lexicon entry
What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
Strong's number: The Strong's code (H- or G-) is the standard reference number for this word. It connects this entry to chapter and passage language tabs.
Where it appears: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
This lexicon entry is part of our ongoing editorial review. If you notice missing content, unclear wording, or a possible correction, please send us a note through the Connect page. Screenshots are helpful.
ἐνοικέω means to dwell in or inhabit. It is not the most common word for living somewhere, but in the New Testament it often carries a deep inward sense: faith dwelling in a person, sin dwelling within, the Spirit dwelling in believers, or the word of Christ dwelling richly in the church.
Reader summary
Full entry for ἐνοικέω (G1774) · Open the biblical lexicon
ἐνοικέω means to dwell in or inhabit. It is not the most common word for living somewhere, but in the New Testament it often carries a deep inward sense: faith dwelling in a person, sin dwelling within, the Spirit dwelling in believers, or the word of Christ dwelling richly in the church.
The BSB source-word alignment has 5 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include dwell (1), dwells (1), dwelt (1), I will dwell (1), lives (1).
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Romans 8:11. Its strongest book concentrations include 2 Timothy (2), 2 Corinthians (1), Colossians (1), Romans (1).
ἐνοικέω means to dwell in or inhabit. It is not the most common word for living somewhere, but in the New Testament it often carries a deep inward sense: faith dwelling in a person, sin dwelling within, the Spirit dwelling in believers, or the word of Christ dwelling richly in the church. The word is relational and formative. What dwells within does not remain external information. It shapes thought, desire, endurance, worship, and obedience.
Colossians 3:16 uses the word for the word of Christ: let it dwell in you richly. Paul does not picture Scripture as a guest kept in the front room for formal visits. He calls for the message of Christ to inhabit the community richly, teaching and admonishing one another with wisdom and overflowing in psalms, hymns, spiritual songs, and gratitude. The word therefore belongs to corporate discipleship as much as private devotion. A church is formed by what is allowed to live in it.
ἐνοικέω speaks of what dwells within and therefore shapes the person or community. In Colossians 3:16, the word of Christ is to dwell richly among believers, producing wise teaching, admonition, worship, and gratitude.
And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you.
Paul uses the word for the Spirit dwelling in believers, linking indwelling presence to resurrection life and future hope.
What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.”
God's promise to dwell among His people frames Christian holiness and separation from idolatry. Indwelling is covenant presence, not bare inward feeling.
Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
The word of Christ is to dwell richly in the church, producing teaching, admonition, singing, and gratitude. The word inhabits the community and shapes its life.
I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am convinced is in you as well.
Faith is described as dwelling in Timothy, after dwelling in his grandmother and mother. The word can describe settled, genuine spiritual reality across generations.
Guard the treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.
The Holy Spirit dwelling in believers enables the guarding of the good deposit. Indwelling presence sustains faithful stewardship.
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders ItA compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
Greek word. God, Spirit, and Word indwell believers as permanent spiritual presence, not temporary visitation
God, Spirit, and Word indwell believers as permanent spiritual presence, not temporary visitation
to dwell in; metaphorically, before ἐν, with dative of person(s): ὁ θεός, 2Co.6:16; τ. πνεῦμα, Rom.8:11, 2Ti.1:14; ὁ λόγος, Col.3:16; πίστις, 2Ti.1:5; ἁμαρτία, Rom.7:17.
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
5 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
I dwell in, am settled in
Read verseI dwell in, am settled in
Read verseI dwell in, am settled in
Read verseI dwell in, am settled in
Read verseI dwell in, am settled in
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
How this verb appears across 5 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.
Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Showing 1 selected witness from 5 lexical occurrence verses.
ἐνοικέω is built from these roots:
The presence of the Holy Spirit within believers provides the power necessary to guard and preserve the gospel. 2 Timothy 1:13-14
This word gives a preacher a better picture than occasional Bible exposure. Colossians 3:16 does not say, let the word of Christ visit you occasionally, decorate your services, or provide religious vocabulary. It says, let it dwell in you richly. The command is communal: teaching and admonishing one another, singing with gratitude, and letting worship be filled with the message of Christ.
A congregation becomes like what lives in it. If anxiety, ambition, entertainment, outrage, or tradition dwells richly, those things will disciple the church. If the word of Christ dwells richly, the body learns wisdom, correction, gratitude, and worship under Christ.
Col.3.16
The verb adds an inward or among-the-people dwelling sense. In Colossians 3:16, the subject is the word of Christ and the sphere is the community addressed by Paul.
God's desire to dwell with His people runs through Scripture from tabernacle and temple to new-covenant presence by the Spirit. Colossians applies that dwelling logic to the word of Christ richly inhabiting the church's life.
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain