To stand
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Histemi means to stand, set, place, establish, or cause to stand, with a range that moves from physical posture to firm position. John uses standing language for the unknown One standing among Israel, Jesus standing to invite the thirsty, witnesses standing near the cross, and the risen Jesus standing among frightened disciples.
Reader summary
Full entry for ἵστημι (G2476) · Open the biblical lexicon
Histemi means to stand, set, place, establish, or cause to stand, with a range that moves from physical posture to firm position. John uses standing language for the unknown One standing among Israel, Jesus standing to invite the thirsty, witnesses standing near the cross, and the risen Jesus standing among frightened disciples.
The BSB source-word alignment has 153 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include standing (27), stood (21), stand (11), stood up (5), stands (4).
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 2:9. Its strongest book concentrations include Acts (35), Luke (26), Matthew (21), Revelation (21).
This entry includes 3 verse guides that explain exact original-language forms in context.
Histemi means to stand, set, place, establish, or cause to stand, with a range that moves from physical posture to firm position. John uses standing language for the unknown One standing among Israel, Jesus standing to invite the thirsty, witnesses standing near the cross, and the risen Jesus standing among frightened disciples. Paul uses it for the grace in which believers stand and for the command to stand firm in the evil day.
The word must not be turned into a single spiritual slogan. Sometimes it simply marks location. Sometimes it names a revealed presence, a witness posture, a secured standing, or active resistance. Histemi helps teachers ask where someone stands, before whom, by whose grace, and for what purpose.
Histemi ranges from physical standing and placement to established position. Its selected witnesses move through John's scenes of presence and witness, then into Paul's language of standing in grace and standing firm with God's armor.
“I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands One you do not know.
John the Baptist says One stands among the people whom they do not know, making standing language serve hidden messianic presence.
On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and called out in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.
Jesus stands and cries out at the feast, publicly inviting the thirsty to come to Him and drink.
Near the cross of Jesus stood His mother and her sister, as well as Mary the wife of Clopas and Mary Magdalene.
Those near Jesus' cross are described as standing there, marking witness and nearness at the crucifixion.
It was the first day of the week, and that very evening, while the disciples were together with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them. “Peace be with you!” He said to them.
The risen Jesus comes and stands among locked-in disciples, bringing peace into fear.
Through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
Believers stand in grace through Christ, so standing becomes a settled position of access and hope.
Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand.
Paul commands believers to take up the full armor of God so they can stand in the evil day.
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.
Verse-level guides showing how this original-language form works in its specific context, including grammar, verse function, and guarded interpretation.
Greek word. To stand firm or steadfast, especially in faith, covenant commitment, or moral conviction.
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
16 of 155 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
I cause to stand, stand
Read verseI cause to stand, stand
Read verseI cause to stand, stand
Read verseI cause to stand, stand
Read verseI cause to stand, stand
Read verseI cause to stand, stand
Read verseI cause to stand, stand
Read verseI cause to stand, stand
Read verseI cause to stand, stand
Read verseI cause to stand, stand
Read verseI cause to stand, stand
Read verseI cause to stand, stand
Read verseI cause to stand, stand
Read verseI cause to stand, stand
Read verseI cause to stand, stand
Read verseI cause to stand, stand
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.
How this verb appears across 148 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 153 lexical occurrence verses.
Emphasizes perseverance in the true gospel amid pressure. 1 Peter 5:12-14
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Histemi is useful because Scripture cares where people stand. John 1 says the unknown Christ stands among the people before they recognize Him. John 7 has Jesus stand and cry out to the thirsty. John 19 places witnesses standing near the cross, while John 20 places the risen Lord standing among fearful disciples. Paul then takes standing language into the believer's status and conflict: believers stand in grace through Christ, and they must stand firm with God's armor in the evil day.
The movement is not from physical to spiritual as if one replaces the other. The bodily scenes matter. Standing locates persons in relation to Jesus, His cross, His resurrection peace, grace, and spiritual resistance. The word teaches posture, position, and presence under the authority of context.
Eph.6.13
Histemi can be transitive or intransitive: someone stands, someone sets another in place, or a condition is established. Perfect and participial forms may describe a settled position, while imperatives can command active firmness. The grammar should be read with the scene rather than turned into a general posture word.
The Old Testament often speaks of standing before the Lord, standing in judgment, priests standing to serve, and the wicked not standing in the judgment. The New Testament carries that posture language into Christ's presence and the believer's grace-shaped position. Because Christ stands among, speaks peace, and grants access, believers stand in grace and stand firm in conflict. The standing is received before it is commanded.
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