Original Word: μετεωρίζομαι
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: meteórizó
Phonetic Spelling: (met-eh-o-rid'-zo)
Short Definition: I am anxious
Definition: I am suspended, anxious.

3349 meteōrízō– properly, suspended in mid-air; (figuratively) to shift from one "conviction" to another; vacillating (wavering), like a person living "suspended" in anxiety (used only in Lk 12:29).

[3349 (meteōrízō) literally means "suspended in midair," and is the root of the English term "meteor."]

STRONGS NT 3349: μετεωρίζω

μετεωρίζω: (present imperative passive 2 person plural μετεωρίζεσθε; (see below)); (from μετέωρος in mid-air, high; raised on high; metaphorically,

a. elated with hope, Diodorus 13, 46; lofty, proud, Polybius 3, 82, 2; 16, 21, 2; the Sept. Isaiah 5:15.

b. wavering in mind, unsteady, doubtful, in suspense: Polybius 21, 10, 11; Josephus, Antiquities 8, 8, 2; b. j. 4, 2, 5; Cicero, ad Att. 5, 11, 5; 15, 14; hence, μετεωρίζω);

1. properly, to raise on high (as ναῦν εἰς τό πέλαγος, to put a ship (out to sea) up upon the deep, Latinpropellere in altum, Philostr. v. Revelation 6, 12, 3 (cf. Thucydides 8, 16, 2); τό ἔρυμα, to raise fortifications, Thucydides 4, 90): ἑαυτόν, of birds, Aelian h. a. 11, 33; passive μετεωρίζεσθαι ἤ καπνόν ἤ κονιορτόν; Xenophon, Cyril 6, 3, 5; of the wind, ἄνεμος ξηρός μετεωρισθεις, Aristophanes nub. 404; and many other examples also in secular authors; in the Sept. cf. Micah 4:1; Ezekiel 10:16; Obadiah 1:4.

2. metaphorically,

a. to lift up one's soul, raise his spirits; to buoy up with hope; to inflate with pride: Polybius 26, 5, 4; 24, 3, 6 etc.; joined with φυσαν, Demosthenes, p. 169, 23; Philo, vit. Moys. i. § 35; (quis rer. div. her. § 14, 51; cong. erud. grat. § 23); passive to be elated; to take on airs, be puffed up with pride: Aristophanes av. 1447; often in Polybius; Diodorus 11, 32, 41; 16, 18 etc.; Psalm 130:1 (); 2 Macc. 7:34; with the addition of τήν διάνοιαν, 2 Macc. 5:17. Hence, μή μετεωρίζεσθε, Luke 12:29, some (following the Vulg.nolite in sublime tolli) think should be interpreted, do not exalt yourselves, do not seek great things (Luth.fahret nicht hoch her); but this explanation does not suit the preceding context.

b. by a metaphor taken front ships that are tossed about on the deep by winds and waves, to cause one to waver or fluctuate in mind, Polybius 5, 70, 10; to agitate or harass with cares to render anxious: Philo de monarch. § 6; Schol. ad Sophocles Oed. Tyr. 914; ad Euripides, Or. 1537; hence, Luke 12:29 agreeably to its connection is best explained, neither be ye anxious, or and waver not between hope and fear (A. V. neither be ye of doubtful mind (with marginal reading Or, live not in careful suspense)). Kuinoel on Luke, the passage cited discusses the word at length; and numerous examples from Philo are given in Loesner, Observations, p. 115ff

to be anxious, worried

From a compound of meta and a collateral form of airo or perhaps rather aer (compare "meteor"); to raise in mid-air, i.e. (figuratively) suspend (passively, fluctuate or be anxious) -- be of doubtful mind.

see GREEK meta

see GREEK airo

see GREEK aer

εμετεωρίζοντο εμετεωρίσθησαν μετέωρα μετεωρίζεσθαι μετεωριζεσθε μετεωρίζεσθε μετεωρισθής μετεωρισθήσεται μετεωρισμοί μετεωρισμούς μετέωροι μετέωρον μετέωρος μετεώρου μετεώρω μετεώρων meteorizesthe meteorízesthe meteōrizesthe meteōrízestheInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts