Greek word · G3315
μεσιτεύω
mesiteuō
to guarantee
(1) To act as a mediator or go-between, to stand between two parties; (2) to guarantee or vouch for something, acting as the third party who backs an agreement. It comes from mesitēs, a word for an arbitrator, broker, middleman, or someone holding a deposit for both sides.
Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·
What it means
From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).
In depth
From the study of Hebrews 6:17
- Range of meaning
(1) To act as a mediator or go-between, to stand between two parties; (2) to guarantee or vouch for something, acting as the third party who backs an agreement. It comes from mesitēs, a word for an arbitrator, broker, middleman, or someone holding a deposit for both sides.
- Against the English
BSB and ESV have "guaranteed it". KJV has "confirmed it". WEB, YLT and NASB have "interposed". "Guaranteed" is the clearest. "Interposed" keeps the picture of someone stepping between two parties, but in modern English it sounds like interrupting or getting in the way.
- How it drifted
"Interpose" came into English Bibles from the Latin Vulgate's interposuit iusiurandum ("he put in an oath"). In modern English it usually means intruding or obstructing.
- Used elsewhere in the period
In the papyri, mesitēs is used of arbitrators and of third parties in business deals. Hellenistic writers use the verb for negotiating between sides. In the New Testament the noun is used of Moses (Galatians 3:19–20) and, three times in Hebrews, of Jesus as mediator of the new covenant (8:6; 9:15; 12:24). BDAG s.v. μεσιτεύω places Hebrews 6:17 under "guarantee".
Similar words
Where it appears
Hebrews · 1
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Hebrews 6:17 ἐμεσίτευσεν guaranteed [it]
So when God wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purpose very clear to the heirs of the promise, He guaranteed it with an oath.
Here: Literally "acted as a go-between", from mesitēs, a middleman or guarantor. God stepped in as his own guarantor. He is the one who promised, and he also took the role of the third party who backs the promise. The verb does not need an object. English versions add "it".
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.