ἀνθίστημι
To oppose
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What does ἀνθίστημι (anthístēmi) mean in the Bible?
ἀνθίστημι (anthístēmi) is a Greek word meaning "to oppose". ἀνθ-ίοτημι (ἀντί, ἵστημι), [in LXX for עָמַד, יָצַב, etc. Clarifies Jesus’ focus on personal retaliation rather than judicial justice. This term runs through the canonical themes of Justice.
Full entry for ἀνθίστημι (G436) · Browse the biblical lexicon
Meaning
To actively stand against or resist with deliberate opposition, not mere disagreement
(ἀντί, ἵστημι), [in LXX for עָמַד, יָצַב, etc. ;]
Why This Word Matters
Clarifies Jesus’ focus on personal retaliation rather than judicial justice. Matthew 5:38–42
Grammatical Forms
How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.
Infinitive verbal noun — the action in abstract 4×
Indicative states a fact or reality 7×
Imperative command or strong request 2×
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 1×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 14 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)
Canonical Themes
Biblical Occurrences
Each occurrence shows the passage reference, the original language term as it appears in that context, its transliteration, and the contextual sense.
New Testament Witnesses
Word Pictures (Robertson)
A.T. Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) discusses this term in the following chapters. Open any chapter and go to the Word Pictures tab to read his verse-by-verse commentary.
A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) — public domain