παραθήκη
parathḗkē
G3866 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A deposit for safekeeping, something entrusted to another's care; by extension, trust or charge. Primarily refers to property, money, or valuables given to another for protection or custody. In figurative and later contexts, extends to abstract responsibilities or teachings entrusted to someone.
Semantic Range
a deposit (money or valuables left with another for safekeeping), something entrusted, a charge or trust, responsibility committed to another (often of spiritual teachings or obligations)
Root / Etymology
Formed from παρατίθημι (to place beside, to set before), itself from παρά (beside) and τίθημι (to put, place). παραθήκη thus denotes an act or thing placed alongside or entrusted to someone, emphasizing the relational aspect of custody or trust.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical and Hellenistic Greek, παραθήκη typically refers to a legal or financial deposit—a sum of money or an object entrusted to another person to guard or manage, with the expectation of return upon request. The term implies both the item deposited and the trust involved in its safekeeping, and is used in legal and commercial contexts. In the Septuagint, it is rare; its use is more prominently documented in Jewish Hellenistic and non-biblical Greek literature of the Second Temple and Roman periods. In the New Testament (cf. 2 Timothy 1:12, 14), παραθήκη takes on a figurative meaning: the teaching, faith, or mission entrusted by God or the apostolic tradition to a person's responsibility. English Bible translations often render the term as 'trust,' 'deposit,' or 'that which has been entrusted,' sometimes with a narrow theological focus which may obscure the broader fiduciary or custodial connotations of the original. There is overlap with terms like παρακαταθήκη (a specific legal term for a deposit in a trust arrangement), but παραθήκη is broader and older. See also Latin 'depositum.'
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from παρατίθημι; a deposit, i.e. (figuratively) trust:--committed unto.
Root Family
παραθήκη (from παρατίθημι) (parathḗkē) — to place beside, to entrust, to deposit
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3866-01 |
παραθήκην | paratheken | N ACC F SG |
deposit | an entrusted deposit | entrusted deposit | 3 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3866-01 |
1 Timothy 6:20 | παραθήκην | paratheken | N ACC F SG |
deposit | an entrusted deposit | entrusted deposit |
G3866-01 |
2 Timothy 1:12 | παραθήκην | paratheken | N ACC F SG |
deposit | an entrusted deposit | entrusted deposit |
G3866-01 |
2 Timothy 1:14 | παραθήκην | paratheken | N ACC F SG |
deposit | an entrusted deposit | entrusted deposit |