tēreō · keep

What it means

tēreō (τηρέω) is a Greek word of the Bible that means “keep”.

Obey; also guard, preserve.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. To obey what is commanded.
2. To protect, watch over, or set aside for later.

From Abbott-Smith (1922) · Thayer (1889)

Word study

To keep: to hold something under care so that it is not lost; from there to keep a word or a commandment, to guard a prisoner, and to reserve something for a time. Of the same group are τήρησις (custody) and συντηρέω (preserve).

• Keeping the commandments or the word John 14:151 John 2:3Matthew 19:17
• Guarding a prisoner Matthew 27:36Acts 12:5
• Reserving something for later John 2:102 Peter 2:17
• Keeping someone: protecting John 17:11Revelation 3:10
• Keeping to the end: “I have kept the faith” 2 Timothy 4:7Jude 1:21

How we translate it

“Keep” 34 times, “kept” 21, “keeps” 10, also when the object is a commandment, so that the same word is seen in guarding and in obeying (John 14:15). With prisoners, “kept watch over” (Matthew 27:36) or “was being kept” (Acts 12:5); for what awaits someone, “has been reserved” (2 Peter 2:17).

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• keep ×34
• kept ×21
• keeps ×10
• has been reserved ×2
• keeping watch over ×2
• guard ×1
• guards ×1

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Matthew×6
• Mark×1
• John×18
• Acts×8
• 1 Corinthians×1
• 2 Corinthians×2
• Ephesians×1
• 1 Thessalonians×1
• 1 Timothy×2
• 2 Timothy×1
• James×2
• 1 Peter×1
• 2 Peter×4
• 1 John×7
• Jude×5
• Revelation×11

• Matthew 19:17

  And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is one who is good. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

• Matthew 23:3

  So everything that they tell you, do and keep; but do not do according to their works, for they say and do not do.

• Matthew 27:36

  and sitting down, they kept watch over him there.

• Matthew 27:54

  Now the centurion and those with him keeping watch over Jesus, seeing the earthquake and the things that had happened, were very afraid, saying, “Truly this man was God’s Son.”

• Matthew 28:4

  And for fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men.

• Matthew 28:20

  teaching them to keep all things that I have commanded you. And look, I am with you all the days, until the end of the age.”

• Mark 7:9

  And he was saying to them, “How well you set aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition!

• John 2:10

  and says to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, the poorer wine; you have kept the good wine until now.”

• John 8:51

  Truly, truly, I tell you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death, ever.”

• John 8:52

  The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon! Abraham died, and so did the prophets, and you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death, ever.’

• John 8:55

  And you have not known him, but I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be like you, a liar. But I know him and I keep his word.

• John 9:16

  So some of the Pharisees were saying, “This man is not from God, because he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others were saying, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them.

• John 12:7

  So Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial.

• John 14:15

  If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

• John 14:21

  Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.”

• John 14:23

  Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.

• John 14:24

  Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.

• John 15:10

  If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.

• John 15:20

  Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also.

• John 17:6

  I have revealed your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.

• John 17:11

  And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are.

• John 17:12

  When I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me; and I guarded them, and none of them was lost except the son of destruction, so that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

• John 17:15

  I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.

• Acts 12:5

  So Peter was being kept in the prison; but prayer was being made earnestly by the assembly to God for him.

• Acts 12:6

  And when Herod was about to bring him out, on that night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and guards before the door were keeping watch over the prison.

• Acts 15:5

  But some of those from the party of the Pharisees who had believed stood up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.”

• Acts 16:23

  And after laying many blows on them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to guard them securely.

• Acts 24:23

  And he ordered the centurion that he be kept in custody and have some freedom, and not to prevent anyone of his own people from serving him.

• Acts 25:4

  Festus then answered that Paul was being kept at Caesarea, and that he himself was about to set out there shortly.

• Acts 25:21

  But when Paul appealed for himself to be kept for the decision of the Augustus, I ordered him to be kept until I send him to Caesar.”

• 1 Corinthians 7:37

  But whoever stands firm in his heart, not having necessity, but has authority over his own will, and has decided this in his own heart, to keep his own virgin, will do well.

• 2 Corinthians 11:9

  And when I was present with you and was in need, I did not burden anyone; for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my need; and in everything I kept myself from being a burden to you, and will keep myself so.

• Ephesians 4:3

  making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace:

• 1 Thessalonians 5:23

  Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your spirit and soul and body be kept whole, blameless, at the coming of our Lord Jesus the Messiah.

• 1 Timothy 5:22

  Lay hands on no one hastily, nor share in the sins of others; keep yourself pure.

• 1 Timothy 6:14

  that you keep the commandment spotless and above reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus the Messiah,

• 2 Timothy 4:7

  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

• James 1:27

  Religion pure and undefiled before God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

• James 2:10

  For whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles in one point has become guilty of all.

• 1 Peter 1:4

  to an inheritance imperishable and undefiled and unfading, kept in heaven for you,

And 31 more times.