δεῖ
dei
must
a primary verb; to bind (in various applications, literally or figuratively):--bind, be in bonds, knit, tie, wind. See also δεῖ, δέομαι.
Luke 2:49 · Word #17
Lexicon G1210
| Lemma | δέω |
| Transliteration | déō |
| Strong's | G1210 |
| In-context | must |
| Literal | it-is-necessary |
Morphology V PRS ACT IND 3P SG
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | V — Verb — An action or state of being |
| Tense | PRS — Present — Ongoing or repeated action |
| Voice | ACT — Active — The subject performs the action |
| Mood | IND — Indicative — States a fact or reality |
| Person | 3P — 3rd person — The one spoken about ("he/she/it/they") |
| Number | SG — Singular — One |
Lexical Info
| Lemma | δέω |
| Strong's | G1210 |
SIBI-P1 G1210-15
it is binding
| Root | δέω (deō) |
| Core Meanings | bind, tie, fasten, restrain, obligate |
| Semantic Range | to bind physically, to tie or fasten, to restrain, to obligate, to be under obligation, to be necessary, to be compelled by circumstance or divine purpose |
| Conceptual Significance | In the New Testament, δεῖ often expresses divine necessity—what is "binding" according to God’s will or redemptive plan. It frames events, especially in the life and mission of Messiah, as bound by divine purpose rather than mere human circumstance. |
| Morphological Notes | Verb; present active indicative, 3rd person singular (Gr,V,IPA3,,S). Though from δέω (to bind), this form functions impersonally, expressing necessity as an ongoing binding obligation. |
| Rendering Rationale | The form δεῖ is present active indicative, 3rd person singular, used impersonally. Rendering it as "it is binding" preserves the root sense of δέω (to bind) while reflecting the present tense and indicative mood, conveying an ongoing state of obligation or necessity rather than a simple modal "must." |
AI-generated (openai/gpt-5.2-chat-latest)
Words from Root δέω (bind, tie, fasten, restrain, obligate)
| SILEX Code | Transliteration | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
G1210-05 |
dedemenon | having-been-bound (masculine accusative singular / neuter nominative singular) |
G1210-06 |
dedemenos | the having-been-bound one |
G1210-07 |
dedemenous | the having-been-bound ones |
Word Usage (151 occurrences of G1210)
| Location | Form | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew 9:38 | δεήθητε | deethete | |
| Matthew 12:29 | δήσῃ | dese | |
| Matthew 13:30 | δήσατε | desate |