Lexical Summary
anti: for, instead of, in place of, because of
Original Word: ἀντί
Part of Speech: Preposition
Transliteration: anti
Pronunciation: an-TEE
Phonetic Spelling: (an-tee')
KJV: for, in the room of
NASB: instead, accordingly, place, reason
Word Origin: [a primary particle]
1. opposite, i.e. instead or because
2. opposed to
3. (rarely) in addition to
{Often used in composition to denote contrast, requital, substitution, correspondence, etc}
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
for, in the place of.
A primary particle; opposite, i.e. Instead or because of (rarely in addition to) -- for, in the room of. Often used in composition to denote contrast, requital, substitution, correspondence, etc.
HELPS Word-studies
473 antí (a preposition) – properly, opposite, corresponding to, off-setting (over-against); (figuratively) "in place of," i.e. what substitutes (serves as an equivalent, what is proportional).
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. preposition, also a prefix
Definitionover against, opposite, hence instead of, in comp. denotes contrast, requital, substitution, correspondence
NASB Translationaccordingly (1), because* (4), instead (2), place (1), reason (1).
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 473: ἀντίἀντί (before
ὤν,
ἀνθ'; elsewhere neglecting elision) a preposition followed by the genitive (answering to the Latin
ante and the German prefixes
ant-,
ent-), in the use of which the N. T. writings coincide with the Greek (
Winer's Grammar, 364 (341));
1. properly, it seems to have signified over against, opposite to, before, in a local sense (Alexander Buttmann (1873) Gram., p. 412; (cf. Curtius, § 204)). Hence,
2. indicating exchange, succession, for, instead of, in place of (something).
a. universally, instead of: ἀντί ἰχθύος ὄφιν, Luke 11:11; ἀντί περιβολαίου to serve as a covering, 1 Corinthians 11:15; ἀντί τοῦ λέγειν, James 4:15 (ἀντί τοῦ with the infinitive often in Greek writings (Winers Grammar, 329 (309); Buttmann, 263 (226))).
b. of that for which anything is given, received, endured: Matthew 5:38; Matthew 17:27 (to release me and thyself from obligation); Hebrews 12:2 (to obtain the joy; cf. Bleek, Lünemann, or Delitzsch at the passage); of the price of sale (or purchase): Hebrews 12:16; λύτρον ἀντί πολλῶν, Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45. Then c. of recompense: κακόν ἀντί κακοῦ ἀποδιδόναι, Romans 12:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:15; 1 Peter 3:9,(Wis. 11:16 (15)). ἀνθ' ὧν equivalent to ἀντί τούτων, ὅτι for that, because: Luke 1:20; Luke 19:44; Acts 12:23; 2 Thessalonians 2:10 (also in secular authors (examples in Wetstein (1752) on Luke 1:20); cf. Herm. ad Vig., p. 710; (Winers Grammar, 364 (342), cf. 162 (153); Buttmann, 105 (92)); Hebrew אֲשֶׁר תַּחַת, Deuteronomy 21:14; 2 Kings 22:17).
d. of the cause: ἀνθ' ὧν wherefore, Luke 12:3; ἀντί τούτου for this cause, Ephesians 5:31.
e. of succession to the place of another: Ἀρχέλαος βασιλεύει ἀντί Ἡρῴδου in place of Herod, Matthew 2:22 (1 Kings 11:44; Herodotus 1, 108; Xenophon, an. 1, 1, 4). χάριν ἀντί χάριτος grace in the place of grace, grace succeeding grace perpetually, i. e. the richest abundance of grace, John 1:16 (Theognis, verse 344 ἀντ' ἀνιων ἀνιας (yet cf. the context verse 342 (vss. 780 and 778, Welcker edition); more appropriate are the references to Philo, i. 254, Mang. edition (de poster. Caini § 43, vol. ii. 39, Richter edition), and Chrysostom de sacerdot. l. 6 c. 13 § 622)).
3. As a prefix, it denotes a. opposite, over against: ἀντιπεραι, ἀντιπαρέρχεσθαι.
b. the mutual efficiency of two: ἀντιβάλλειν, ἀντικάλειν, ἀντιλοιδόρειν.
c. requital: ἀντιμισθία, ἀνταποδίδωμι.
d. hostile opposition: ἀντίχριστος.
e. official substitution instead of: ἀνθύπατος.
Topical Lexicon
Overview Strong’s Greek 473 marks a pivotal preposition that signals an exchange, substitution, correspondence, or causal relationship. Its occurrences stretch from narrative description (Matthew 2:22) to the heights of Christological teaching (Mark 10:45), so that a single term weaves together the Bible’s account of redemption, ethics, covenant, and consequence.
Themes of Substitution and Exchange
1. Physical replacement. Matthew 2:22 notes Archelaus ruling “in place of his father Herod,” and Luke 11:11 pictures a snake being given “instead of” a fish. The idea of one thing actually taking the place of another is primary.
2. Value for value. Hebrews 12:16 warns of Esau, “who for a single meal sold his birthright,” spotlighting the ruin that comes when the lesser is chosen over the greater.
3. Grace for grace. John 1:16 proclaims, “From His fullness we have all received grace upon grace,” the expression pointing to a continual exchange of divine favor for every need.
4. Coin for tax. In Matthew 17:27 Jesus provides a coin “for My tax and yours,” illustrating literal financial substitution that upholds both divine liberty and earthly duty.
Redemptive Significance: Christ ‘In Place Of’
Mark 10:45 and Matthew 20:28 declare that the Son of Man came “to give His life as a ransom for many.” Here the preposition anchors the doctrine of substitutionary atonement: Christ stands where sinners deserved to stand, satisfying divine justice while extending mercy. Hebrews 12:2 deepens the thought—“who for the joy set before Him endured the cross.” The joy exchanged for the shame spotlights the purposeful substitution driving the gospel.
Ethical Instruction: Repaying Evil Versus Returning Blessing
Because the term naturally raises the notion of retaliation, the New Testament recasts it toward grace. Jesus re-frames the lex talionis in Matthew 5:38: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.’” Paul echoes, “Do not repay anyone evil for evil” (Romans 12:17), and Peter commands, “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing” (1 Peter 3:9). The follower of Christ refuses to substitute wrongdoing for wrongdoing; instead, blessing replaces insult.
Personal Consequence and Accountability
Acts 12:23 records Herod struck down “because he did not give glory to God,” while Luke 1:20 renders Zechariah mute “because you did not believe My words.” 2 Thessalonians 2:10 warns that unbelievers perish “because they refused to love the truth.” The term underscores moral causality: unbelief or pride invites just recompense.
Relational Covenant and Marriage Imagery
Ephesians 5:31 cites Genesis, “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife.” The leaving “for this reason” (literally, “instead of”) signals a covenantal exchange—primary allegiance transferred from parents to spouse, picturing Christ and the Church.
Comparative and Causal Nuances
Luke 19:44 foretells Jerusalem’s destruction “because you did not recognize the time when God visited you.” James 4:15 corrects presumptuous planning: “Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord is willing….’” The preposition thereby conveys both cause and corrective contrast, encouraging humility before providence.
Historical Background and Wider Usage
In the Septuagint the word frequently appears in sacrificial contexts (e.g., Genesis 22:13, the ram “instead of” Isaac), feeding New Testament writers’ vocabulary for redemption. The same root forms compound words such as “Antichrist,” displaying how ‘opposite’ or ‘in place of’ frames eschatological conflict.
Ministerial Application Today
• Preach the cross with the vocabulary of substitution: Christ “for” us.
• Teach believers to respond to hostility not with equal force but with blessing, following the ethic of Romans 12:17 and 1 Peter 3:9.
• Warn of causal accountability—unbelief and pride still invite judgment “because” of resistance to God’s grace.
• Strengthen marriages by emphasizing the God-ordained transfer of primary loyalty spoken of in Ephesians 5:31.
• Celebrate the ongoing “grace for grace” believers experience as John 1:16 continues to unfold in daily life.
Selected Occurrences
Matthew 20:28 – “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
Luke 11:11 – “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead?”
Acts 12:23 – “Immediately, because Herod did not give glory to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.”
Romans 12:17 – “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Carefully consider what is right in the eyes of everybody.”
Hebrews 12:2 – “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
1 Peter 3:9 – “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”
In every scene—ransom, retaliation, ransom, reward—the term announces that something or Someone stands ‘instead of’ another, shining a spotlight on the grand exchange at the heart of the gospel and the daily exchanges that mark faithful discipleship.
Forms and Transliterations
ανθ ανθ' ἀνθ' αντ' αντι αντί ἀντὶ αυτής anth anth' anti antì
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