To appoint
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G5021 is a Greek verb for arranging, assigning, appointing, ordering, or designating someone or something in a place, task, meeting, or relation. Acts 13:48 says that those appointed for eternal life believed, placing human response within God's saving purpose without turning one clause into a complete map of election.
Reader summary
Full entry for τάσσω (G5021) · Open the biblical lexicon
G5021 is a Greek verb for arranging, assigning, appointing, ordering, or designating someone or something in a place, task, meeting, or relation. Acts 13:48 says that those appointed for eternal life believed, placing human response within God's saving purpose without turning one clause into a complete map of election.
The BSB source-word alignment has 8 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include have been appointed (2), appointed (1), had designated (1), they have devoted (1), they set (1).
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 28:16. Its strongest book concentrations include Acts (4), 1 Corinthians (1), Luke (1), Matthew (1).
G5021 is a Greek verb for arranging, assigning, appointing, ordering, or designating someone or something in a place, task, meeting, or relation. Acts 13:48 says that those appointed for eternal life believed, placing human response within God's saving purpose without turning one clause into a complete map of election. Romans 13:1 speaks of governing authorities as appointed by God, while the letter continues to define their accountable purpose in relation to good and evil.
First Corinthians 16:15 describes the household of Stephanas as having devoted themselves to serving the saints, a reflexive use that highlights ordered commitment. Other texts designate a mountain, a meeting day, a journey, or work to be done. G5021 opens providence, vocation, coordination, and authority. It corrects both the fantasy that Christian service needs no order and the dangerous claim that every existing appointment, officeholder, or political act carries unlimited divine approval.
G5021 describes placing in order or assigning a person, task, time, place, or authority. Depending on voice and syntax, the agent may appoint another, a group may arrange a matter, or people may devote themselves to a task. Context identifies both the appointing authority and the scope of the arrangement.
When the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and glorified the word of the Lord, and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.
Gentile hearers rejoice in the word of the Lord, and those appointed for eternal life believe.
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which is from God. The authorities that exist have been appointed by God.
Paul calls for submission to governing authorities and locates their existence under God's ordering authority.
You know that Stephanas and his household were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints. Now I urge you, brothers,
The household of Stephanas has devoted itself to the service of the saints and is commended to the church.
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. To arrange authoritatively in order, often with military precision; assign to a specific role or position.
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.
I assign, arrange
Read verseI assign, arrange
Read verseI assign, arrange
Read verseI assign, arrange
Read verseI assign, arrange
Read verseI assign, arrange
Read verseI assign, arrange
Read verseI assign, arrange
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 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.
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
How this verb appears across 6 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)
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Showing 1 selected witness from 8 lexical occurrence verses.
τάσσω is a primary verb - no further derivation.
Emphasizes divine sovereignty in salvation.Acts 13:42-52
G5021 shows that biblical faith is not hostile to order. Jesus designates a meeting place, believers appoint representatives for a disputed question, Paul sets a day for sustained teaching, and a household gives itself to serving the saints. These arrangements make responsibility visible and help communities act together. The verb also appears in weightier claims.
Acts 13:48 locates belief within God's saving appointment, affirming grace and purpose while the surrounding narrative still portrays proclamation, hearing, rejoicing, and mission. Romans 13 locates civil authority under God, but under God does not mean equal to God. The same paragraph names a public vocation related to good and justice, and the rest of Scripture judges rulers who abuse power.
Appointment therefore gives an assignment and a boundary, not automatic righteousness in every act. Churches should order meetings, roles, and service with clarity, humility, and review. Believers may trust God's initiative without pretending to resolve every debate about election or without treating evangelism as unnecessary. They may respect public order without obeying commands that contradict God or silencing truthful protest against injustice.
Acts.13.48
G5021 is an ordering verb whose forms can describe arranging, assigning, appointing, designating, or setting. Voice and complements matter: the same lexeme can portray an authority assigning another person, a group arranging a meeting, or people devoting themselves to service.
Old Testament accounts of God appointing rulers, prophets, priests, times, and places provide a broad canonical background for ordered vocation. That background also includes divine judgment on appointed leaders, preventing appointment language from becoming unconditional endorsement.