Exploring the Meaning of Suntithemai in Greek

συντίθημι expresses the act of agreeing, and in the New Testament it appears in scenes of negotiated payment, communal policy, and coordinated legal maneuvering. The passages show agreement functioning as a decisive social act that sets later events in motion.

Root and Related Words

συντίθημι is related to syn (σύν), “with” (Strong’s G4862), and tithemi (τίθημι), “to place” (Strong’s G5087). Together these components present agreement as something established in company with others, an arrangement set in place by more than one party.

Occurrences

Luke 22:5 — “They were glad, and agreed to give him money.”

Here συμφωνία is portrayed as a concrete decision tied to a specific exchange: money is to be given. The sentence is brief and transactional, pairing an emotional reaction (“They were glad”) with the act of agreeing, so that the agreement is the hinge between pleasure and payment. The wording also frames the agreement as mutual and settled: it is not merely a wish to give money but a concluded arrangement to do so.

John 9:22 — “His parents said these things because they feared the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that if any man would confess him as Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue.”

In this account, agreement appears as a prior, collective determination that shapes what others feel safe to say. The clause “had already agreed” places the decision before the parents’ speech and explains their restraint: fear is linked directly to an established communal stance. The agreement also contains a clear condition (“if any man would confess him as Christ”) and a defined consequence (“he would be put out of the synagogue”), showing agreement operating as an enforceable policy rather than a private understanding. Within the scene, the force of agreement lies in its public reach: it creates a boundary for confession and a penalty that pressures speech.

Acts 23:20 — “He said, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though intending to inquire somewhat more accurately concerning him.”

This use situates agreement inside a coordinated plan directed toward an official request. The statement reports an aligned intention (“have agreed”) that results in a specific action: approaching an authority to have Paul brought “down to the council tomorrow.” Agreement here is not abstract consensus; it is organization toward a timed, collective approach. The phrase “as though intending to inquire somewhat more accurately concerning him” portrays the agreed request as framed in a way designed to appear reasonable, suggesting that agreement can include not only what will be done but how it will be presented. In this setting, agreeing functions as the engine of group coordination, enabling a unified appeal and a shared storyline for the request.

Sense and Usage

Across these passages, the act of agreeing is consistently depicted as a binding decision made among multiple people that shapes subsequent actions and speech. In Luke 22:5 the agreement concludes a monetary arrangement; its immediate outcome is the commitment to give money, emphasizing agreement as the settling of terms. In John 9:22 the agreement stands behind social pressure: it fixes a rule about confession and an outcome for those who cross that boundary, so agreement becomes a tool for regulating community life. In Acts 23:20 the agreement underwrites coordinated initiative: it forms the basis for a collective request to a leader, aiming to move a person to a particular venue at a particular time.

These contexts also show agreement working at different levels of visibility. Luke’s agreement is described plainly and directly, with no details beyond its object (money). John’s agreement is something “already” in place, known enough to inspire fear, implying that an agreement can become a settled expectation within a group. Acts presents agreement as an internal alignment that will be expressed outwardly through a formal request; what is agreed among “the Jews” is designed to influence another party’s actions. In each case, agreement is not portrayed as mere internal assent but as a social act that produces real-world consequences: payment arranged, speech constrained, and movements requested.

The three uses also highlight how agreement can define relationships of power. In Luke 22:5, the agreement concerns giving money, implying negotiation and commitment between parties. In John 9:22, the agreement is held by a group capable of enforcing exclusion from the synagogue, showing agreement as a mechanism by which a community sets and maintains boundaries. In Acts 23:20, the agreement is aimed at persuading an authority to act, showing agreement as a means for a group to consolidate its voice and act with one purpose. Though the scenes differ, the word consistently marks the moment when separate wills become a shared decision.

Implied Imagery

The passages together suggest agreement as something “set” among people: an arrangement that can be attached to money (Luke 22:5), to membership and speech within a community (John 9:22), or to a coordinated approach to officials (Acts 23:20). The word’s imagery in these contexts is therefore practical and communal—agreement is pictured not as a feeling but as a settled alignment that governs what people will do next.

Sources: Lexical data from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance and the Translators Brief Lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (STEPBible, CC BY). Occurrence data from the Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament (STEPBible, CC BY). Scripture quotations from the World English Bible (public domain).