To recline (as a corpse or at a meal)
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Anakeimai describes reclining, dining, or being placed at table in the meal posture of the ancient world. The word often places Jesus in settings where table fellowship reveals His mission and His disciples.
Reader summary
Full entry for ἀνακεῖμαι (G345) · Open the biblical lexicon
Anakeimai describes reclining, dining, or being placed at table in the meal posture of the ancient world. The word often places Jesus in settings where table fellowship reveals His mission and His disciples.
The BSB source-word alignment has 14 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include [at the table] (1), [Jesus] was reclining (1), as He reclined at the table (1), guests (1), his guests (1).
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 9:10. Its strongest book concentrations include Matthew (5), John (4), Mark (3), Luke (2).
Anakeimai describes reclining, dining, or being placed at table in the meal posture of the ancient world. The word often places Jesus in settings where table fellowship reveals His mission and His disciples. He reclines with tax collectors and sinners, reclines with the Twelve before His betrayal, appears to the Eleven while they are eating after the resurrection, and teaches that the One who rightly has the honored place is among them as one who serves.
John uses the word around the Bethany dinner for Jesus and the beloved disciple reclining at His side. Anakeimai therefore helps readers watch who is near Jesus at meals, what His presence exposes, and how His table posture becomes a setting for mercy, warning, service, and revelation.
Anakeimai is meal-posture language. It places Jesus among sinners, disciples, witnesses to resurrection, and beloved friends. The word does not create the theology by itself, but it frames scenes where table nearness, service, unbelief, love, and betrayal become visible.
Later, as Jesus was dining at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with Him and His disciples.
Jesus reclines at Matthew house with tax collectors and sinners. The meal scene reveals His mission toward the sick and sinful.
When evening came, Jesus was reclining with the twelve disciples.
Jesus reclines with the Twelve as the betrayal narrative approaches. Table nearness heightens the gravity of coming treachery.
Later, as they were eating, Jesus appeared to the Eleven and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.
The risen Jesus appears while the Eleven are eating and rebukes unbelief. Reclining at table does not shield disciples from needed correction.
For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines? But I am among you as one who serves.
Jesus contrasts the one reclining with the one serving and then declares Himself among them as the servant. Meal honor is redefined by His service.
So they hosted a dinner for Jesus there. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with Him.
At Bethany, Martha serves and Lazarus reclines with Jesus. The table becomes a witness to resurrection life and costly devotion.
One of His disciples, the one whom Jesus loved, was reclining at His side.
The beloved disciple reclines at Jesus side. The supper scene shows nearness, love, and the disclosure of betrayal.
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. Recline at table as posture of eating; synonyms emphasize state versus momentary change of position.
Recline at table as posture of eating; synonyms emphasize state versus momentary change of position.
Textus Receptus witness, full corpusGreek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
14 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
I recline, especially at a dinner-table
Read verseI recline, especially at a dinner-table
Read verseI recline, especially at a dinner-table
Read verseI recline, especially at a dinner-table
Read verseI recline, especially at a dinner-table
Read verseI recline, especially at a dinner-table
Read verseI recline, especially at a dinner-table
Read verseI recline, especially at a dinner-table
Read verseI recline, especially at a dinner-table
Read verseI recline, especially at a dinner-table
Read verseI recline, especially at a dinner-table
Read verseI recline, especially at a dinner-table
Read verseI recline, especially at a dinner-table
Read verseI recline, especially at a dinner-table
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 this verb appears across 12 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)
ἀνακεῖμαι is built from these roots:
Anakeimai helps readers slow down at table scenes instead of skipping to abstract fellowship. The meal posture gathers people close to Jesus, but that closeness can mean very different things. Tax collectors and sinners eat with Him because He came as physician for the sick. The Twelve recline with Him while betrayal is exposed. The risen Lord meets eating disciples and corrects their unbelief.
At Bethany, Lazarus reclining with Jesus quietly witnesses to life restored. At the supper, the beloved disciple is near Jesus side while Jesus teaches and serves. The word therefore teaches that nearness to Jesus must be read through His mission, His correction, His service, and His self-giving love.
Luke.22.27
Anakeimai commonly describes reclining at table, but English translations may render it as dining, eating, seated, or reclining. The word points to meal posture and setting; the passage supplies the theological weight.
Meals in Scripture often reveal covenant fellowship, hospitality, danger, and provision. Anakeimai draws that meal world into Gospel scenes where Jesus receives sinners, serves His own, exposes betrayal, and appears as risen Lord.