What does παραγγέλλω (parangéllō) mean in the Bible?
Parangellō means to command, charge, or give authoritative instruction. Paul leaves Timothy in Ephesus to charge certain people not to teach a different doctrine.
Greek · G3853
παραγγέλλω
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παραγγέλλω G3853
Pronunciation parangéllō
What does παραγγέλλω (parangéllō) mean in the Bible?
Parangellō means to command, charge, or give authoritative instruction. Paul leaves Timothy in Ephesus to charge certain people not to teach a different doctrine.
Reader summary
Full entry for παραγγέλλω (G3853) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G3853?
The BSB source-word alignment has 31 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include He instructed (3), we command (3), . . . (2), He commanded (2), instruct (2).
Where does παραγγέλλω (parangéllō) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 10:5. Its strongest book concentrations include Acts (11), 1 Timothy (5), 2 Thessalonians (4), Luke (4).
What This Word Actually Means
Parangellō means to command, charge, or give authoritative instruction. Paul leaves Timothy in Ephesus to charge certain people not to teach a different doctrine. He tells Timothy to command and teach truths about godliness, publicly charges him before God and Christ to keep the command unstained, and instructs wealthy believers not to be proud or hope in riches.
The verb carries real authority, but authority is bounded by apostolic truth, godly character, the good of hearers, and accountability before God. It does not authorize leaders to turn preferences into commands, demand secrecy, or retaliate against questions and reports of harm.
How the Bible Uses It
Parangellō names authoritative instruction within apostolic ministry. Timothy confronts false teaching, teaches godliness, receives a solemn charge before God, and directs the rich away from pride toward hope and generosity.
- 1Tim.1.3
As I urged you on my departure to Macedonia, you should stay on at Ephesus to instruct certain men not to teach false doctrines
First Timothy 1:3 says Timothy must remain in Ephesus to charge certain people not to teach different doctrine or devote themselves to speculative myths and genealogies. The aim is love from a pure heart, good conscience, and sincere faith.
- 1Tim.4.11
Command and teach these things.
First Timothy 4:11 tells Timothy to command and teach the preceding truths concerning godliness and hope in the living God. Authority serves public formation rather than personal dominance.
- 1Tim.6.13
I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who made the good confession in His testimony before Pontius Pilate:
First Timothy 6:13 solemnly charges Timothy before God and Christ Jesus to keep the command without stain until Christ's appearing. The commander himself stands under divine judgment.
- 1Tim.6.17
Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be conceited and not to put their hope in the uncertainty of wealth, but in God, who richly provides all things for us to enjoy.
First Timothy 6:17 tells Timothy to command the rich not to be high-minded or hope in uncertain wealth, but in God. Authoritative instruction confronts status and redirects resources toward good.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It He instructed 3× Matthew 15:35, Mark 6:8, Mark 8:6
we command 3× 2 Thessalonians 3:4, 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 2 Thessalonians 3:12
. . . 2× Luke 9:21, Acts 5:28
He commanded 2× Acts 1:4, Acts 10:42
instruct 2× 1 Timothy 1:3, 1 Timothy 6:17
instructions 2× Matthew 10:5, 1 Corinthians 11:17
[and] ordered 1× Acts 16:23
[Jesus] had commanded 1× Luke 8:29
[Jesus] ordered 1× Luke 8:56
and commanded [them] 1× Acts 4:18
and instructed [him] 1× Acts 23:22
Command 1× 1 Timothy 4:11
Give these instructions [to the believers] 1× 1 Timothy 5:7
He now commands 1× Acts 17:30
I also instructed 1× Acts 23:30
I charge 1× 1 Timothy 6:13
I command 1× Acts 16:18
I give this command 1× 1 Corinthians 7:10
instructed 1× Luke 5:14
required 1× Acts 15:5
Then they ordered [them] 1× Acts 5:40
we gave you this command 1× 2 Thessalonians 3:10
we instructed 1× 1 Thessalonians 4:11
Show sample aligned rows
Matthew 10:5 παραγγείλας to instructions Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular Matthew 15:35 παραγγείλας to He instructed Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular Mark 6:8 παρήγγειλεν to He instructed Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Mark 8:6 παραγγέλλει to He instructed Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Luke 5:14 παρήγγειλεν to instructed Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Luke 8:29 παρήγγελλεν to [Jesus] had commanded Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Luke 8:56 παρήγγειλεν to [Jesus] ordered Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Luke 9:21 παρήγγειλεν to . . . Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Acts 1:4 παρήγγειλεν to He commanded Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Acts 4:18 παρήγγειλαν to and commanded [them] Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Matthew 10:5
Aligned rows 31
Books represented 8
Matthew 2 Mark 2 Luke 4 Acts 11 1 Corinthians 2 1 Thessalonians 1 2 Thessalonians 4 1 Timothy 5
Source forms
παρήγγειλεν 6x parēngeilen Mark 6:8, Luke 5:14, Luke 8:56, Luke 9:21
παραγγείλας 4x parangeilas Matthew 10:5, Matthew 15:35, Acts 23:22, Acts 23:30
παράγγελλε 2x parangelle 1 Timothy 5:7, 1 Timothy 6:17
παραγγέλλομεν 2x parangellomen 2 Thessalonians 3:4, 2 Thessalonians 3:12
Παραγγέλλω 2x Parangellō Acts 16:18, 1 Timothy 6:13
παρηγγείλαμεν 2x parēngeilamen Acts 5:28, 1 Thessalonians 4:11
παρήγγειλαν 2x parēngeilan Acts 4:18, Acts 5:40
παραγγείλαντες 1x parangeilantes Acts 16:23
Parsing patterns
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular 7x Mark 6:8, Luke 5:14, Luke 8:29, Luke 8:56
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular 4x Matthew 10:5, Matthew 15:35, Acts 23:22, Acts 23:30
Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular 3x 1 Timothy 4:11, 1 Timothy 5:7, 1 Timothy 6:17
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural 3x 2 Thessalonians 3:4, 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 2 Thessalonians 3:12
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular 3x Acts 16:18, 1 Corinthians 7:10, 1 Timothy 6:13
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural 2x Acts 5:28, 1 Thessalonians 4:11
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural 2x Acts 4:18, Acts 5:40
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular 2x Mark 8:6, Acts 17:30
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Do not elevate a leader's preference, strategy, private impression, or institutional interest into a divine command.
- Do not use command language to demand secrecy, suppress questions, retaliate against reports, or bypass safeguarding and law.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not elevate a leader's preference, strategy, private impression, or institutional interest into a divine command.
- Do not use command language to demand secrecy, suppress questions, retaliate against reports, or bypass safeguarding and law.
Evidence Summary
Greek word. To command or order, often with transmitted instruction; conveys delegated authority rather than personal demand.
Strong's G3853
Lexical occurrences 32 verses Greek text appearances 30 times 16 shown below Word forms 5 forms 32 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link 1 Timothy 1:3-7 Source Gloss
to order
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
16 of 30 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Matthew 10:5 Verb Aorist Active Participle Nominative Singular Masculine
παραγγείλας paraggeilav
I notify, command, charge
Read verse Mark 6:8 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Active Indicative
παρήγγειλεν parhggeilen
I notify, command, charge
Read verse Mark 8:6 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Active Indicative
παρήγγειλε parhggeilen
I notify, command, charge
Read verse Luke 5:14 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Active Indicative
παρήγγειλεν parhggeilen
I notify, command, charge
Read verse Luke 8:29 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Active Indicative
παρήγγειλε parhggeilen
I notify, command, charge
Read verse Luke 8:56 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Active Indicative
παρήγγειλεν parhggeilen
I notify, command, charge
Read verse Luke 9:21 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Active Indicative
παρήγγειλε parhggeilen
I notify, command, charge
Read verse Acts 1:4 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Active Indicative
παρήγγειλεν parhggeilen
I notify, command, charge
Read verse Acts 4:18 Verb Third Person Plural Aorist Active Indicative
παρήγγειλαν parhggeilan
I notify, command, charge
Read verse Acts 5:28 Verb First Person Plural Aorist Active Indicative
παρηγγείλαμεν parhggeilamen
I notify, command, charge
Read verse Acts 5:40 Verb Third Person Plural Aorist Active Indicative
παρήγγειλαν parhggeilan
I notify, command, charge
Read verse Acts 10:42 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Active Indicative
παρήγγειλεν parhggeilen
I notify, command, charge
Read verse Acts 15:5 Verb Present Active Infinitive
παραγγέλλειν paraggellein
I notify, command, charge
Read verse Acts 16:18 Verb First Person Singular Present Active Indicative
Παραγγέλλω paraggellw
I notify, command, charge
Read verse Acts 16:23 Verb Aorist Active Participle Nominative Plural Masculine
παραγγείλαντες paraggeilantev
I notify, command, charge
Read verse Acts 17:30 Verb Third Person Singular Present Active Indicative
παραγγέλλει paraggellei
I notify, command, charge
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 groups 5 Aligned forms 32 Tenses Aorist, Present, Perfect, Imperfect Voices Active, Passive
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Tenses
Voices
Indicative states a fact or reality 20×
Aorist Active Mark 6:8 · Luke 5:14 · Luke 8:29 · Luke 8:56 · Luke 9:21 · Acts 1:4 · Acts 10:42 · Acts 4:18 · Acts 5:40 · Acts 5:28 · 1 Thess 4:11 11×
Present Active Acts 16:18 · 1 Cor 7:10 · 1 Tim 6:13 · 2 Thess 3:4 · 2 Thess 3:6 · 2 Thess 3:12 · Mark 8:6 · Acts 17:30 8×
Imperfect Active 2 Thess 3:10 1×
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 7×
Aorist Active Matt 10:5 · Matt 15:35 · Acts 23:22 · Acts 23:30 · Acts 16:23 5×
Perfect Passive Mark 16:8 1×
Present Active 1 Cor 11:17 1×
Imperative command or strong request 3×
Present Active 1 Tim 4:11 · 1 Tim 5:7 · 1 Tim 6:17 3×
Infinitive verbal noun — the action in abstract 1×
Present Active Acts 15:5 1×
Subjunctive possibility, probability, or purpose 1×
Aorist Active 1 Tim 1:3 1×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 30 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect
Tense
aorist 16 present 11 imperfect 2 perfect 1
Voice
active 29 passive 1
Mood
indicative 19 participle 7 imperative 2 subjunctive 1 infinitive 1
NT Occurrences
Matthew 10:5 παραγγείλας aorist active participle participle Matthew 15:35 παραγγείλας aorist active participle participle Mark 6:8 παρήγγειλεν aorist active indicative completed Mark 8:6 παραγγέλλει present active indicative ongoing Mark 16:8 παρηγγελμένα perfect passive participle participle Luke 5:14 παρήγγειλεν aorist active indicative completed Luke 8:29 παρήγγελλεν imperfect active indicative background Luke 8:56 παρήγγειλεν aorist active indicative completed Luke 9:21 παρήγγειλεν aorist active indicative completed Acts 1:4 παρήγγειλεν aorist active indicative completed Acts 4:18 παρήγγειλαν aorist active indicative completed Acts 5:28 παρηγγείλαμεν aorist active indicative completed Acts 5:40 παρήγγειλαν aorist active indicative completed Acts 10:42 παρήγγειλεν aorist active indicative completed Acts 15:5 παραγγέλλειν present active infinitive infinitive Acts 16:18 Παραγγέλλω present active indicative ongoing Acts 16:23 παραγγείλαντες aorist active participle participle Acts 17:30 παραγγέλλει present active indicative ongoing Acts 23:22 παραγγείλας aorist active participle participle Acts 23:30 παραγγείλας aorist active participle participle 1 Corinthians 7:10 παραγγέλλω present active indicative ongoing 1 Corinthians 11:17 παραγγέλλων present active participle participle 1 Thessalonians 4:11 παρηγγείλαμεν aorist active indicative completed 2 Thessalonians 3:10 παρηγγέλλομεν imperfect active indicative background 2 Thessalonians 3:4 παραγγέλλομεν present active indicative ongoing 2 Thessalonians 3:6 Παραγγέλλομεν present active indicative ongoing 1 Timothy 1:3 παραγγείλῃς aorist active subjunctive subjunctive 1 Timothy 5:7 παράγγελλε present active imperative imperative 1 Timothy 6:13 παραγγέλλω present active indicative ongoing 1 Timothy 6:17 παράγγελλε present active imperative imperative
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 Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
New Testament Witnesses
To issue authoritative instructions, often in a military or official context.
Showing 1 selected witness from 32 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
παραγγέλλω is built from these roots:
Why This Word Matters
Timothy’s role is not advisory but authoritative under apostolic mandate; confronting false teaching is not optional but a required stewardship. 1 Timothy 1:3-7
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
Parangellō gives Timothy authority, but never autonomous power. He must stop teaching that departs from apostolic truth because the goal is love, good conscience, and sincere faith. He commands and teaches godliness while personally modeling speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity. When Paul charges him before God and Christ, Timothy's authority is placed under a higher witness and future appearing.
Even wealthy members receive direct instruction rather than privileged exemption. Churches need commands where Christ and Scripture command, especially to protect truth and people. They must also reject leader-made rules that control conscience, conceal wrongdoing, or punish scrutiny. Legitimate authority is transparent, text-governed, morally consistent, and answerable to God and the community.
Anchor passage
1Tim.1.3
Doctrinal connections
- Revelation and doctrine: church instruction is bounded by apostolic gospel truth.
- Pastoral aim: authoritative teaching seeks love, good conscience, and sincere faith.
- Godliness: commands form public and private life under the living God.
- Christ's lordship: every human commander stands before Christ Jesus and His appearing.
- Stewardship: wealth receives moral instruction and no immunity from correction.
- Church accountability: authority remains reviewable by Scripture, character qualifications, and truthful process.
Parangellō means command, charge, order, or instruct, often conveying a message from one with recognized authority. Context identifies the source, content, recipient, and scope of the charge.
From Old to New Testament
God's commands govern Israel, prophets deliver entrusted charges, and rulers are judged when they add oppressive burdens. Jesus exercises unique authority and forbids domination among His servants.
Sources
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