Passage Explorer
Word study · Greek

authentéō

exercise authority

Say it: ow-then-TEH-o (approximate)

αὐθεντέω

What it means

To have authority over, to dominate, to act on one's own authority. In 2:12, "to exercise authority over a man." It appears nowhere else in the New Testament, and its meaning has been argued ("to have authority," "to domineer," or "to usurp authority").

Open question Debated

Range of meaning

  • Have authorityHold power.
  • DomineerControl harshly.

In 1 Timothy

  • Chapter 2

    "To exercise authority over a man" (2:12). The meaning of this word is debated; it appears only here.

Every verse (1)

Verses where G0831 is tagged in the Hebrew text: STEPBible Data (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. About our sources