What does ἀνακλίνω (anaklínō) mean in the Bible?
ἀνακλίνω (anaklínō): To recline at table for a meal, the posture of hospitality and fellowship in ancient dining customs.
Greek · G347
ἀνακλίνω
To lean back
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ἀνακλίνωG347
Pronunciationanaklínō
What does ἀνακλίνω (anaklínō) mean in the Bible?
ἀνακλίνω (anaklínō): To recline at table for a meal, the posture of hospitality and fellowship in ancient dining customs.
Full entry for ἀνακλίνω (G347) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G347?
The BSB source-word alignment has 6 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include laid (1), to have [the people] sit (1), to share the banquet (1), to sit down (1), will have them recline at the table (1).
Where does ἀνακλίνω (anaklínō) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 8:11. Its strongest book concentrations include Luke (3), Matthew (2), Mark (1).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Itlaid1×Luke 2:7
to have [the people] sit1×Mark 6:39
to share the banquet1×Matthew 8:11
to sit down1×Matthew 14:19
will have them recline at the table1×Luke 12:37
will recline at the table1×Luke 13:29
Show sample aligned rows
Matthew 8:11ἀνακλιθήσονταιtoto share the banquetVerb - Future Indicative Passive - 3rd Person PluralMatthew 14:19ἀνακλιθῆναιtoto sit downVerb - Aorist Infinitive PassiveMark 6:39ἀνακλῖναι*toto have [the people] sitVerb - Aorist Infinitive ActiveLuke 2:7ἀνέκλινενtolaidVerb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularLuke 12:37ἀνακλινεῖtowill have them recline at the tableVerb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularLuke 13:29ἀνακλιθήσονταιtowill recline at the tableVerb - Future Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowMatthew 8:11
Aligned rows6
Books represented3
Matthew2Mark1Luke3
Source forms
ἀνακλιθήσονται2xanaklithēsontaiMatthew 8:11, Luke 13:29
ἀνακλιθῆναι1xanaklithēnaiMatthew 14:19
ἀνακλῖναι*1xanaklinaiMark 6:39
ἀνακλινεῖ1xanaklineiLuke 12:37
ἀνέκλινεν1xaneklinenLuke 2:7
Parsing patterns
Verb - Future Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Plural2xMatthew 8:11, Luke 13:29
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular1xLuke 2:7
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active1xMark 6:39
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Passive1xMatthew 14:19
Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular1xLuke 12:37
Evidence Summary
Greek word. To recline at table for a meal, the posture of hospitality and fellowship in ancient dining customs.
Strong'sG347
Lexical occurrences6 versesGreek text appearances8 timesWord forms2 forms6 referencesVerse guides0 guides
Study linkLuke 12:35-48Source Gloss
to lean back
Extended definitionSource: STEPBible TBESG + Abbott-Smith
To recline at table for a meal, the posture of hospitality and fellowship in ancient dining customs.
to lay upon, lean against, hence,
ato lay down: Luk.2:7;
bto make to recline: Mrk.6:39, WH, mg., Luk.12:37. Pass., to lie back, recline: Mat.8:11 14:19, Luk.13:29.
Synonymsἀνάκειμαι (which see), ἀναπίπτω
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpusGreek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
8 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Matthew 8:11Verb Third Person Plural Future Passive Indicative
ἀνακλιθήσονταιanakliqhsontai
I make to recline, I recline at a table
Read verseMatthew 14:19Verb Aorist Passive Infinitive
ἀνακλιθῆναιanakliqhnai
I make to recline, I recline at a table
Read verseMark 6:39Verb Aorist Active Infinitive
ἀνακλῖναιanaklinai
I make to recline, I recline at a table
Read verseLuke 2:7Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Active Indicative
ἀνέκλινενaneklinen
I make to recline, I recline at a table
Read verseLuke 7:36Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Passive Indicative
ἀνεκλίθη.anekliqh
I make to recline, I recline at a table
Read verseLuke 9:15Verb Third Person Plural Aorist Active Indicative
ἀνέκλινανaneklinan
I make to recline, I recline at a table
Read verseLuke 12:37Verb Third Person Singular Future Active Indicative
ἀνακλινεῖanaklinei
I make to recline, I recline at a table
Read verseLuke 13:29Verb Third Person Plural Future Passive Indicative
ἀνακλιθήσονταιanakliqhsontai
I make to recline, I recline at a 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.
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 groups2Aligned forms6TensesFuture, AoristVoicesPassive, Active
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Tenses
Voices
Indicativestates a fact or reality4×
Future PassiveMatt 8:11 · Luke 13:292×
Aorist ActiveLuke 2:71×
Future ActiveLuke 12:371×
Infinitiveverbal noun — the action in abstract2×
Aorist PassiveMatt 14:191×
Aorist ActiveMark 6:391×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 6 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect
Tense
aorist3future3
Voice
active3passive3
Mood
indicative4infinitive2
NT Occurrences
Matthew 8:11ἀνακλιθήσονταιfuture passive indicativeprospectiveMatthew 14:19ἀνακλιθῆναιaorist passive infinitiveinfinitiveMark 6:39ἀνακλῖναιaorist active infinitiveinfinitiveLuke 2:7ἀνέκλινενaorist active indicativecompletedLuke 12:37ἀνακλινεῖfuture active indicativeprospectiveLuke 13:29ἀνακλιθήσονταιfuture passive indicativeprospective
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 Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Master reclines at table to be served by watchful servants
Righteous from all nations recline at table in God's kingdom
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 6 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
ἀνακλίνω is built from these roots: