What does μετρέω (metréō) mean in the Bible?
G3354 means measure something or measure something out. It can describe literal dimensions, reciprocal assessment, generous distribution, or self-comparison.
Greek · G3354
μετρέω
To measure
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μετρέωG3354
Pronunciationmetréō
What does μετρέω (metréō) mean in the Bible?
G3354 means measure something or measure something out. It can describe literal dimensions, reciprocal assessment, generous distribution, or self-comparison.
Reader summary
Full entry for μετρέω (G3354) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G3354?
The BSB source-word alignment has 11 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include measure (4), you [use] (3), he measured (2), it will be measured (2).
Where does μετρέω (metréō) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 7:2. Its strongest book concentrations include Revelation (5), Mark (2), Matthew (2), 2 Corinthians (1).
What This Word Actually Means
G3354 means measure something or measure something out. It can describe literal dimensions, reciprocal assessment, generous distribution, or self-comparison. In Matt. 7. 2, Jesus warns that the judgment and measure people use toward others will be measured to them, calling for humble self-examination rather than moral indifference. In 2Cor. 10. 12, Paul says those who measure and compare themselves by themselves lack understanding.
In Rev. 21. 15, an angel uses a golden rod to measure the holy city, whose ordered dimensions communicate God's completed dwelling. G3354 opens teaching on accountable standards, generous hearing and giving, freedom from closed comparison groups, and divinely ordered hope. It does not forbid all evaluation, turn generosity into a guaranteed financial return, or reduce visionary dimensions to speculative architecture.
How the Bible Uses It
G3354 appears in Jesus' measure sayings, Paul's critique of self-commendation, and Revelation's measured temple and city. Literal measurement and moral reciprocity share the idea of applying a standard.
- Matt.7.2
For with the same judgment you pronounce, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
Jesus warns that the judgment and measure used toward others will be applied back to the judge within a call to address one's own fault first.
- 2Cor.10.12
We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they show their ignorance.
Paul refuses the self-commending circle that measures and compares itself only by itself and therefore lacks understanding.
- Rev.21.15
The angel who spoke with me had a golden measuring rod to measure the city and its gates and walls.
The interpreting angel carries a golden rod to measure the new Jerusalem, its gates, and its walls within the vision of God's dwelling.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Itmeasure4×2 Corinthians 10:12, Revelation 11:1, Revelation 11:2, Revelation 21:15
you [use]3×Matthew 7:2, Mark 4:24, Luke 6:38
he measured2×Revelation 21:16, Revelation 21:17
it will be measured2×Matthew 7:2, Mark 4:24
Show sample aligned rows
Matthew 7:2μετρεῖτεtoyou [use]Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person PluralMatthew 7:2μετρηθήσεταιtoit will be measuredVerb - Future Indicative Passive - 3rd Person SingularMark 4:24μετρεῖτεtoyou [use]Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person PluralMark 4:24μετρηθήσεταιtoit will be measuredVerb - Future Indicative Passive - 3rd Person SingularLuke 6:38μετρεῖτεtoyou [use]Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural2 Corinthians 10:12μετροῦντεςtomeasureVerb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine PluralRevelation 11:1μέτρησονtomeasureVerb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person SingularRevelation 11:2μετρήσῃςtomeasureVerb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 2nd Person SingularRevelation 21:15μετρήσῃtomeasureVerb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person SingularRevelation 21:16ἐμέτρησενtohe measuredVerb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowMatthew 7:2
Aligned rows11
Books represented5
Matthew2Mark2Luke12 Corinthians1Revelation5
Source forms
μετρεῖτε3xmetreiteMatthew 7:2, Mark 4:24, Luke 6:38
ἐμέτρησεν2xemetrēsenRevelation 21:16, Revelation 21:17
μετρηθήσεται2xmetrēthēsetaiMatthew 7:2, Mark 4:24
μετρήσῃ1xmetrēsēRevelation 21:15
μετρήσῃς1xmetrēsēsRevelation 11:2
μέτρησον1xmetrēsonRevelation 11:1
μετροῦντες1xmetrountes2 Corinthians 10:12
Parsing patterns
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural3xMatthew 7:2, Mark 4:24, Luke 6:38
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular2xRevelation 21:16, Revelation 21:17
Verb - Future Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular2xMatthew 7:2, Mark 4:24
Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular1xRevelation 11:1
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 2nd Person Singular1xRevelation 11:2
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular1xRevelation 21:15
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural1x2 Corinthians 10:12
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Do not use reciprocal-measure sayings to promise that a donation will return a fixed multiple of money or material goods.
- Do not weaponize judge-not language to block investigation, safeguarding, correction, or lawful accountability for abuse.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim that G3354 forbids all evaluation, because Jesus addresses hypocritical judgment and restored capacity to help.
- Do not claim that Revelation's measurements provide a scale model humans can confidently map onto present geography.
Evidence Summary
Greek word. to measure
Strong'sG3354
Lexical occurrences11 versesGreek text appearances10 timesWord forms4 forms11 referencesVerse guides0 guides
Source Gloss
to measure
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpusGreek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
10 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Matthew 7:2Verb Second Person Plural Present Active Indicative
μετρεῖτε,metreite
I measure, estimate
Read verseMark 4:24Verb Second Person Plural Present Active Indicative
μετρεῖτεmetreite
I measure, estimate
Read verseMark 4:24Verb Third Person Singular Future Passive Indicative
μετρηθήσεταιmetrhqhsetai
I measure, estimate
Read verseLuke 6:38Verb Second Person Plural Present Active Indicative
μετρεῖτεmetreite
I measure, estimate
Read verse2 Corinthians 10:12Verb Present Active Participle Nominative Plural Masculine
μετροῦντες,metrountev
I measure, estimate
Read verseRevelation 11:1Verb Second Person Singular Aorist Active Imperative
μέτρησονmetrhson
I measure, estimate
Read verseRevelation 11:2Verb Second Person Singular Aorist Active Subjunctive
μετρήσῃς,metrhshv
I measure, estimate
Read verseRevelation 21:15Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Active Subjunctive
μετρήσῃmetrhsh
I measure, estimate
Read verseRevelation 21:16Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Active Indicative
ἐμέτρησεemetrhsen
I measure, estimate
Read verseRevelation 21:17Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Active Indicative
ἐμέτρησεemetrhsen
I measure, estimate
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.
Grammatical Forms
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.
Form groups4Aligned forms11TensesPresent, Future, AoristVoicesActive, Passive
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Tenses
Voices
Indicativestates a fact or reality7×
Present ActiveMatt 7:2 · Mark 4:24 · Luke 6:383×
Future PassiveMatt 7:2 · Mark 4:242×
Aorist ActiveRev 21:16 · Rev 21:172×
Participleverbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality1×
Present Active2 Cor 10:121×
Imperativecommand or strong request1×
Aorist ActiveRev 11:11×
Subjunctivepossibility, probability, or purpose2×
Aorist ActiveRev 11:2 · Rev 21:152×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 11 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect
Tense
aorist5present4future2
Voice
active9passive2
Mood
indicative7subjunctive2participle1imperative1
NT Occurrences
Matthew 7:2μετρεῖτεpresent active indicativeongoingMatthew 7:2μετρηθήσεταιfuture passive indicativeprospectiveMark 4:24μετρεῖτεpresent active indicativeongoingMark 4:24μετρηθήσεταιfuture passive indicativeprospectiveLuke 6:38μετρεῖτεpresent active indicativeongoing2 Corinthians 10:12μετροῦντεςpresent active participleparticipleRevelation 11:1μέτρησονaorist active imperativeimperativeRevelation 11:2μετρήσῃςaorist active subjunctivesubjunctiveRevelation 21:15μετρήσῃaorist active subjunctivesubjunctiveRevelation 21:16ἐμέτρησενaorist active indicativecompletedRevelation 21:17ἐμέτρησενaorist active indicativecompleted
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)
Word Origins
μετρέω is built from this root:
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
For the Preacher and Teacher
G3354 asks who sets the standard and how it is used. Jesus does not eliminate discernment; He exposes judgment that ignores the judge's own condition and warns that the measure applied to neighbors returns upon the evaluator. Paul identifies another corrupt standard when leaders compare themselves only with one another. A closed circle can always design a scale that declares itself successful.
Revelation's angelic measurement works differently: the holy city is received from God and measured within the vision as complete, ordered, and secure. Human beings do not enlarge it through boasting. These uses call churches to transparent standards, self-examination, generous attention, and hope grounded in God's work. Luke's good measure should not be marketed as a financial multiplier, and Matthew's warning should not silence necessary protection or accountability.
Faithful measuring serves truth and neighbor; distorted measuring protects pride, scarcity, or control. God's judgment and promised city finally expose every self-serving scale.
Anchor passage
Matt.7.2
Doctrinal connections
- G3354: standards used against neighbors place the evaluator under God's searching and reciprocal judgment.
- G3354: self-examination precedes helpful correction and resists hypocrisy without abandoning moral truth.
- G3354: generous giving reflects God's openhanded kingdom but is not a technique for guaranteed profit.
- G3354: listening itself has moral measure, because heedful reception deepens understanding and responsibility.
- G3354: comparison within a self-approved circle produces boasting and conceals the true scope of entrusted work.
- G3354: the measured new Jerusalem depicts divine order, wholeness, and secure presence as God's gift.
G3354 is a Greek verb for taking or dispensing a measure. Direct objects may be physical spaces or quantities, while measure sayings use the verb proverbially for the standard and generosity people apply to others.
From Old to New Testament
Torah and prophets condemn unequal weights and measures, wisdom urges humility in judgment, and temple visions use measurement to mark ordered holiness. The New Testament applies these patterns to discipleship, ministry comparison, and new-creation hope.