Brief Overview of προστίθημι (Strong’s G4369: prostithēmi)

Strong’s G4369: A compound verb combining πρός (toward) with τίθημι (to place, put), meaning to add to, increase, or put to additionally. Used in both literal and figurative contexts, particularly emphasizing continued action or progressive addition in spiritual growth and divine blessing.

U- Unveiling the Word

Προστίθημι represents the act of adding or placing something additional to what already exists. As a compound word, it joins πρός (toward) with τίθημι (to place), creating a vivid picture of intentional addition or increase. In its New Testament usage, it appears in contexts ranging from the futility of adding to one’s physical stature to God’s progressive addition of believers to the church. The early church understood this term as reflecting both divine increase and human spiritual growth. Today, it continues to speak of God’s ongoing work of addition in our lives and in His church.

Save with code – FOG20

N – Necessary Information

• Greek Word: προστίθημι, prostithēmi, /pros-TI-thē-mi/
• Detailed pronunciation: pros (as in ‘prose’) + ti (as in ‘tea’) + thē (as in ‘they’) + mi (as in ‘me’)
• Part of Speech: Verb

Etymology:

• πρός (pros-) – prefix meaning “toward, to”
• τίθημι (tithēmi) – root verb meaning “to place, put”
  The combination emphasizes directed placement or addition.

D – Defining Meanings

• To add to
• To place additionally
• To increase further

For compound words:
The prefix πρός adds directional force to the base verb τίθημι, emphasizing that the addition or placement is purposefully directed toward something existing.

Translation Options:

1. “To add to” – Best captures both literal and figurative uses
2. “To increase by” – Emphasizes quantitative addition
3. “To put additionally” – Highlights intentional placement

E – Exploring Similar Words

• ἐπιτίθημι (epitithēmi, /e-pi-TI-thē-mi/) – To put upon
  See G2007
• συντίθημι (syntithēmi, /syn-TI-thē-mi/) – To put together
  See G4934
• παρατίθημι (paratithēmi, /pa-ra-TI-thē-mi/) – To place beside
  See G3908

R – Reviewing the Word’s Morphology

As a verb, προστίθημι exhibits these morphological features:

• Tense: Present, Future, Aorist, Perfect
• Voice: Active, Passive
• Mood: Indicative, Subjunctive, Infinitive
• Person: First, Second, Third
• Number: Singular, Plural
• Aspect: Imperfective (Present), Perfective (Aorist)

Example morphological variations:

• Present: προστίθημι (I add to)
• Future: προσθήσω (I will add to)
• Aorist: προσέθηκα (I added to)
• Perfect: προστέθεικα (I have added to)

Related words in other parts of speech:

• πρόσθεσις (prosthesis) – noun form meaning “addition”

S – Studying Lexicon Insights

BDAG emphasizes its use in both quantitative and qualitative addition. Thayer’s notes its frequent use in divine actions. LSJ provides examples from mathematical and commercial contexts. Vine’s highlights its use in describing church growth. Strong’s emphasizes the compound nature and progressive meaning. Moulton and Milligan cite examples from accounting documents.

T – Tracing the Scriptures

First Appearance:
“And which of you by being anxious can [προστίθημι] add a single hour to his span of life?” Matthew 6:27

Additional References:
Luke 12:25
Acts 2:41
Acts 2:47
Acts 5:14
Acts 11:24

A – Analyzing Classical Usage

N – Noteworthy Summary

Προστίθημι beautifully captures God’s ongoing work of addition in His kingdom. From adding believers to the church to increasing our spiritual growth, this word reminds us that the good news of King Jesus involves continuous divine activity. It encourages us that God is always at work, adding to His church and growing His people in grace.

D – Did You Know?

1. This word was commonly used in ancient mathematical texts.
2. It appears frequently in Acts to describe church growth.
3. Early Christian writers used it to describe spiritual progress in believers’ lives.

Strong’s G4369: A compound verb combining πρός (toward) with τίθημι (to place, put), meaning to add to, increase, or put to additionally. Used in both literal and figurative contexts, particularly emphasizing continued action or progressive addition in spiritual growth and divine blessing.

Part of speech: Verb

Tags: addition, increase, growth, church growth, divine action, spiritual progress, numerical growth, accumulation, expansion, progression​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​