ἑτοιμασία

hetoimasía

G2091 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

The act or process of making ready, preparation, readiness. Refers both to material arrangements (e.g., setting things in order for an event, equipping for a task) and mental or spiritual preparedness. Can also denote the state of being properly arranged or set for use.

Semantic Range

act of making ready, preparation, readiness, state of preparedness, process of arranging or furnishing, mental or spiritual readiness, equipment (contextual, as in a state of being equipped)

Root / Etymology

From the verb ἑτοιμάζω (hetoimazō, 'to make ready, to prepare'), itself from the adjective ἕτοιμος ('ready, prepared'). The ending -ία (-ia) forms an abstract noun, indicating the state, condition, or process of readiness or preparation.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek and Hellenistic usage, ἑτοιμασία generally refers to the act of making ready or arranging, whether referring to logistics (such as preparing a meal, road, or army) or to inner readiness. In the Septuagint, the term is used both for literal preparations (e.g., arranging wood for an altar) and for metaphorical readiness. In the New Testament, it appears notably in Ephesians 6:15 (τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τῆς εἰρήνης, ἐν ἑτοιμασίᾳ), where it seems to carry the sense of a readiness or equipment—the 'preparedness' that comes from the gospel. English translations sometimes render it as 'preparation,' but this can obscure the nuance of 'state of readiness,' especially where spiritual, moral, or psychological preparedness is in view. Unlike related terms such as κατασκευή (kataskeuē, 'equipment, apparatus, furnishing'), which can denote equipment itself, ἑτοιμασία focuses on the process or condition of being ready, rather than the tools or means themselves.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from ἑτοιμάζω; preparation:--preparation.

Root Family

ἑτοιμασία (hetoimasia) — preparation, readiness, state of being made ready, arrangement

Root ἑτοιμασ- to make ready, to prepare, to arrange

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G2091-01 ἑτοιμασίᾳ etoimasia N DAT F SG readiness in readiness readiness 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G2091-01 Ephesians 6:15 ἑτοιμασίᾳ etoimasia N DAT F SG readiness in readiness readiness