Greek word · G3873

παράκειμαι

parakeimai

be present

To lie beside, be placed near; to be at hand, ready, available. In classical Greek it is used of food set out at table (τὰ παρακείμενα, 'what is set before you') and of things easily within reach.

Appears 2 times in 2 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

παρά-κειμαι

[in LXX: Judith 3.2-3, Sirach 30:18 34:16, Dan LXX Bel 1:14, 2,3 Mac.5* ;]

to lie beside, be near, be present: Romans 7:18, 21.†

(AS)

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 Romans 7:21

Range of meaning

To lie beside, be placed near; to be at hand, ready, available. In classical Greek it is used of food set out at table (τὰ παρακείμενα, 'what is set before you') and of things easily within reach.

Against the English

KJV and WEB "is present (with me)" is accurate but flat. ESV's "lies close at hand" and BSB's "is right there with me" keep the sense of nearness. NLT turns it into "I inevitably do what is wrong", which changes evil's nearness into an outcome that always happens.

Used elsewhere in the period

In the NT it occurs only in Rom 7:18 and 7:21. LSJ lists the senses 'lie beside', 'be at hand', and 'be set before' (of dishes). It also appears in papyri meaning 'be available'.

From the study of Romans 7:18

Range of meaning

To lie beside, be close at hand, be ready or available. Used of things laid out ready for use.

Against the English

KJV and YLT 'is present with me' is close. BSB and ESV 'I have the desire' turns it into possession, and the spatial picture of something lying right beside you is lost.

Used elsewhere in the period

In the New Testament it appears only here and in Rom 7:21 ('evil lies close at hand for me'). Elsewhere in Greek it describes things placed near or ready at hand (BDAG).

Where it appears

Romans · 2

  1. Romans 7:18 παράκειταί is present with

    I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh; for I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.

    Here: Literally 'lies next to me,' that is, it is right there and ready. The willing of good is close at hand. In v. 21 Paul uses the same verb for evil: 'evil lies close at hand for me.'

  2. Romans 7:21 παράκειται. is present with.

    So this is the principle I have discovered: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.

    Here: Literally 'lies alongside, is laid out ready'. In 7:18 Paul said that *wanting* the good 'lies ready at hand' for him. Now he says the *bad* lies ready at hand. Evil is always within reach, right next to the good intention.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.