Faithful Obedience: τηρέω (Strong’s G5083: tereo) Guards Divine Commands

Strong’s G5083: A verb meaning “to keep, guard, observe,” derived from τηρός (a guard). Used extensively in the New Testament for faithful observance of God’s commands, preservation of spiritual truth, and divine protection of believers, emphasizing both active obedience and watchful care.

U- Unveiling the Word

τηρέω carries profound theological significance in the New Testament, encompassing both watchful guarding and faithful observance. The word expresses active, diligent care in preserving something valuable, whether it be God’s commands, spiritual truth, or the souls of believers. In Jesus’ teachings, it often appears in connection with keeping His commandments as an expression of love. The early church understood this term as describing the intimate relationship between faith and obedience, seeing in it both the believer’s responsibility to remain faithful and God’s promise to preserve His people. Today, it continues to emphasize that authentic faith manifests in careful attention to and preservation of divine truth.

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N – Necessary Information

• Greek Word: τηρέω, tereo, /tay-REH-oh/
• Detailed pronunciation: tay-REH-oh (emphasis on REH)
• Part of Speech: Verb

Etymology:

• Root τηρός (teros) – meaning “guard” or “watchman”
• -έω (-eo) – verbal suffix indicating continuous action

D – Defining Meanings

• To keep watch over
• To guard
• To observe faithfully
• To preserve
• To maintain

For compound words:
Not a compound word, but a primary verb

Translation Options:

• “Keep” – Most common translation emphasizing faithful observance
• “Guard” – Emphasizing protective watchfulness
• “Observe” – Highlighting careful attention and obedience

E – Exploring Similar Words

• φυλάσσω (phylasso) /foo-LAS-so/ – to guard or protect, more military context. See G5442
• συντηρέω (suntereo) /soon-tay-REH-oh/ – to preserve together or completely. See G4933
• διατηρέω (diatereo) /dee-a-tay-REH-oh/ – to keep carefully or continually. See G1301

R – Reviewing the Word’s Morphology

Morphological features as a Verb:

• Tense: Present/Future/Aorist/Perfect
• Voice: Active/Passive
• Mood: Indicative/Subjunctive/Imperative
• Person: First/Second/Third
• Number: Singular/Plural
• Aspect: Continuous/Perfective

Examples:

• Present Active: τηρῶ (I keep)
• Aorist: ἐτήρησα (I kept)
• Perfect: τετήρηκα (I have kept)
• Future: τηρήσω (I will keep)

S – Studying Lexicon Insights

BDAG emphasizes τηρέω’s dual sense of protective watching and faithful observance, particularly in spiritual contexts. Thayer’s notes its development from physical guarding to spiritual preservation. LSJ documents its use in both military and religious contexts. Vine’s highlights its importance in expressing faithful obedience to divine commands. Strong’s connects it to the concept of watchful guarding. Moulton and Milligan show its use in papyri for both literal and metaphorical protection. The synthesis reveals a term that comprehensively describes the believer’s responsibility to both guard and obey divine truth, while also expressing God’s faithful preservation of His people.

T – Tracing the Scriptures

First appearance:
“But if thou wilt enter into life, [keep] [τηρέω] the commandments.” Matthew 19:17

Additional References:
John 14:15
John 15:10
1 John 2:3
1 John 5:3
Jude 1:21

A – Analyzing Classical Usage

N – Noteworthy Summary

τηρέω appears throughout the New Testament as a powerful expression of both divine and human faithfulness. For believers, it describes the loving response to God’s grace through careful obedience to His commands. For God, it expresses His faithful preservation of His people. This word proclaims the good news that King Jesus not only commands but enables our obedience through His Spirit, while faithfully keeping us in His love. It reminds us that authentic faith manifests in careful attention to God’s word and faithful observance of His ways.

D – Did You Know?

1. The word was used in ancient guard duty protocols for military watchmen.
2. Early Christians used it to describe their role in preserving apostolic teaching.
3. It appears over 70 times in the New Testament in various contexts.

Strong’s G5083: A verb meaning “to keep, guard, observe,” derived from τηρός (a guard). Used extensively in the New Testament for faithful observance of God’s commands, preservation of spiritual truth, and divine protection of believers, emphasizing both active obedience and watchful care.

Part of speech: Verb

Tags: obedience, preservation, watchfulness, faithfulness, commands, protection, guarding, observation, keeping, loyalty, duty, vigilance​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​