Greek word · G4820

συμβάλλω

symballō

to ponder/confer

Literally 'to throw together'. It can mean to meet or engage, including in battle (Luke 14:31; Acts 20:14), to confer or debate (Acts 4:15; 17:18), to contribute or help (Acts 18:27), or to compare.

Appears 6 times in 6 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

συν-βάλλω

(Rec. συμ-), [in LXX: 2 Chronicles 25:19 (גָּרָה hith.), Isaiah 46:6 (זוּל), Jeremiah 43:3 (סוּת hi.), Wisdom of Solomon 5:8, al. ;]

to throw together, hence,

(a) of speech (before λόγους, Eur., al.), to discuss, confer (sc. λόγους): with dative of person(s), Luke 11:53, WH, mg., Acts 17:18; before πρὸς ἀλλήλους, Acts 4:15;

(b) to reflect, consider, ponder: ἐν τ. καρδίᾳ, Luke 2:19;

(with) to meet with, fall in with: Acts 20:14; in hostile sense, εἰς πόλεμον, with dative (εἰς μάχην, Polyb.), Luke 14:31;

(d) mid., to contribute (Polyb., al.; cf. MM, xxiv): Acts 18:27.†

(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 Luke 2:19

Range of meaning

Literally 'to throw together'. It can mean to meet or engage, including in battle (Luke 14:31; Acts 20:14), to confer or debate (Acts 4:15; 17:18), to contribute or help (Acts 18:27), or to compare. In a mental sense it means to put things together and reach a conclusion: to interpret, infer, or work out the meaning, especially of dreams, omens and oracles.

Against the English

'Pondered' (KJV, BSB, ESV, NIV) is fair, but it suggests calm musing. The Greek is more active: comparing, linking, trying to work out the meaning. NLT's 'thought about them often' gets the repetition but loses the sense of interpreting. The Latin Vulgate's 'conferens' ('bringing together') stays closest to the picture.

How it drifted

'Ponder' is not wrong. It simply flattens a word that had a specific use for interpreting puzzling signs from God into general reflection.

Used elsewhere in the period

In Herodotus 1.68, the Spartan Lichas 'puts together' (synebaleto) the clues and works out what a riddling oracle meant. Josephus and other writers use the verb for interpreting dreams and signs. W. C. van Unnik (1964) argued that in Luke 2:19 it means trying to hit on the right interpretation of obscure divine events. BDAG gives 'consider, ponder, draw conclusions' for this verse.

From the study of Acts 18:27

Range of meaning

Literally 'throw together'. In the active voice it covers bringing things together in the mind (to ponder, Luke 2:19), conferring or debating (Acts 4:15; 17:18), meeting up (Acts 20:14), and clashing in battle (Luke 14:31). In the middle form used here, with a person in the dative, it means to contribute to someone or be of help to them.

Against the English

'Helped' (KJV, WEB, ESV) and 'was a great help' (BSB, NIV) are accurate. They can sound like general assistance, though, while the Greek leans toward putting something of value into a shared situation: 'contributed much'. The supplied general gloss 'to ponder/confer' does not apply here; the contextual gloss 'helped' is the right one.

Used elsewhere in the period

BDAG lists this middle sense ('help, be of assistance') and cites it from Greek prose writers outside the New Testament. This is the only place in the New Testament where the word clearly has this sense. Luke's other uses are the 'ponder', 'confer' and 'meet' senses listed above.

Where it appears

Luke · 2

  1. Luke 2:19 συμβάλλουσα pondering [them]

    But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

    Here: Literally 'throwing together'. She was setting the pieces side by side and comparing them, trying to work out what they meant. The form describes ongoing action, so the meaning was not yet settled for her.

  2. Luke 14:31 συμβαλεῖν to engage

    Or what king on his way to war with another king will not first sit down and consider whether he can engage with ten thousand men the one coming against him with twenty thousand?

Acts · 4

  1. Acts 4:15 συνέβαλλον they were confering

    So they ordered them to leave the Sanhedrin and then conferred together.

  2. Acts 17:18 συνέβαλλον were encountering

    Some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others said, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was proclaiming the good news of Jesus and the resurrection.

    Here: The imperfect tense pictures an ongoing, repeated exchange: 'they kept engaging him'. The verb can mean friendly discussion or a clash, so it leaves open whether the talk was courteous or argumentative.

  3. Acts 18:27 συνεβάλετο he helped

    When Apollos resolved to cross over to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. On his arrival, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed.

    Here: The verb's roots picture throwing something in together, and in this form it means to contribute or be of real help. Apollos added something substantial, and verse 28 goes on to say what.

  4. Acts 20:14 συνέβαλλεν he was meeting with

    And when he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene.

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