Greek word · G4740

στηριγμός

stērigmos

security

Firmness, fixity, a fixed or stationary position. It is the noun from stērizō, 'to set firmly, prop up, establish', and refers to the state or place of being made firm.

Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

στηριγμός, -οῦ, ὁ

(στηρίζω), [in Sm.: Isaiah 3:1 * ;]

1. a setting firmly, supporting.

2. fixedness, firmness, steadfastness: 2 Peter 3:17.†

(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 2 Peter 3:17

Range of meaning

Firmness, fixity, a fixed or stationary position. It is the noun from stērizō, 'to set firmly, prop up, establish', and refers to the state or place of being made firm.

Against the English

KJV/WEB 'stedfastness' and NASB 'steadfastness' now sound like a personal virtue of grit or persistence. BSB 'secure standing', NIV 'secure position' and ESV 'stability' keep the sense of position or footing better.

How it drifted

English 'steadfast' first meant 'fixed in place' (stede = place). Over time it came to mean mainly a character trait of perseverance, so the picture of standing on firm ground has faded.

Used elsewhere in the period

It is rare: once in the New Testament, and not in the Septuagint, the Greek Old Testament. In Greek scientific writing it can mean the 'stationary point' of a planet, where it seems to stand still (cited in LSJ). The related verb stērizō is common in the Septuagint and the New Testament for establishing or strengthening, e.g. Luke 22:32 'strengthen your brothers', Romans 16:25, 1 Peter 5:10.

Where it appears

2 Peter · 1

  1. 2 Peter 3:17 στηριγμοῦ, steadfastness,

    Therefore, beloved, since you already know these things, be on your guard so that you will not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure standing.

    Here: A firm, fixed footing, a place where one stands planted. It appears only here in the New Testament. It plays directly on 'unstable' (astēriktoi) in 3:16 and recalls 1:12, where the readers are 'established' (estērigmenous) in the truth.

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