Greek word · G9315

συνεπιτίθημι

synepitithēmi

to agree

A compound of syn ('together with'), epi ('upon') and tithēmi ('to put, place'). In the middle voice, epitithemai already means 'to set upon, attack', and the compound means 'to join in attacking, to make a joint assault'. BDAG gives 'join in an attack' for this verse.

Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

1. to help in putting on , (Plutarch)

2. Mid. to join in attacking , τινι (Thucydides); ξ. τῷ ἔργῳ ̀ 6 6̀ το fall to the work together , (Thucydides) (ML)

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 Acts 24:9

Range of meaning

A compound of syn ('together with'), epi ('upon') and tithēmi ('to put, place'). In the middle voice, epitithemai already means 'to set upon, attack', and the compound means 'to join in attacking, to make a joint assault'. BDAG gives 'join in an attack' for this verse.

Against the English

KJV 'assented', BSB 'concurred' and YLT 'agreed' all show a calm verbal agreement. WEB and NASB ('joined in the attack') and NIV/ESV ('joined in the accusation/charge') keep the hostile, ganging-up edge of the critical text's word.

How it drifted

The softer English mostly comes from the Textus Receptus, which reads a different verb, syntithēmi ('agree, assent'). Some modern versions that follow the critical text still choose 'concurred', which flattens the image of an assault.

Used elsewhere in the period

In the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures) the verb is used of hostile nations piling on: Zechariah 1:15 ('they joined in for evil') and Deuteronomy 32:27 ('lest the adversaries join in the attack'). Classical historians such as Thucydides and Xenophon use it for allies joining a military assault.

Where it appears

Acts · 1

  1. Acts 24:9 συνεπέθεντο Agreed

    The Jews concurred, asserting that these charges were true.

    Here: Literally 'set upon together with'. The Jerusalem delegation piles on behind their hired speaker Tertullus. The picture is of joining an assault, not just nodding along. The aorist tense presents it as a single act at the trial. This is the verb's only use in the New Testament.

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