Greek word · G484

ἀντίληψις

antilēpsis

help

"Help, assistance, support". It comes from the verb antilambanomai, "take hold of (someone) in order to help". In the plural, as here, it means acts or ways of helping.

Appears once in the Greek New Testament. · Updated October 22, 2026

What it means

ἀντί-λημψις (Rec. -ληψις; see MM, VGT see word; M, Pr., 56), -εως, ἡ

(ἀντιλαμβάνομαι) [in LXX for עֹז, זְרוֹעַ, etc., frequently in Psalms 2:1-12,3Mac.; frequently also in π. in petitions to the Ptolemies in sense of βοήθεια (see Deiss., LAE, 107; BS, 92, 223) ;]

1. cl. a laying hold of, an exchange.

2. Hellenistic (LXX, π.) help: pl. of ministrations of deacons; 1 Corinthians 12:28 (DB, ii, 347 f.; Cremer, 386).†

(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 1 Corinthians 12:28

Range of meaning: "Help, assistance, support". It comes from the verb antilambanomai, "take hold of (someone) in order to help". In the plural, as here, it means acts or ways of helping.
Against the English: KJV has "helps", BSB and ESV "helping", NLT "those who can help others". All of these are accurate. What drops out is the background of rescue and support that the word carries in the Septuagint, and its likely link with care for the weak.
Used elsewhere in the period: LXX Psalm 21:20 (Eng. 22:19), "hasten to my help"; LXX Psalm 83:6 (Eng. 84:5); 2 Maccabees 8:19; 3 Maccabees 5:50. In petitions on Egyptian papyri it is used of the help people ask from officials or the king (Moulton–Milligan). The related verb appears in Acts 20:35, "we must help (antilambanesthai) the weak".

Similar words

ἀντιλέγω antilegō · to dispute

Where it appears

1 Corinthians · 1

1 Corinthians 12:28 ἀντιλήμψεις, helping,

And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, and those with gifts of healing, helping, administration, and various tongues.

Here: "Helpings": practical acts of support, such as taking hold of someone to aid them. It most likely refers to care for the weak, sick and poor. This is the only place the word appears in the New Testament.

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