What does στήχω (stāchō) mean?

“I’ll stand by you” –– you know the song. But is it a literal “stand” by you, or what we might call “moral support”?

Good question. Glad you asked.

Understanding how a word is used helps national Bible translators choose the right word when translating Scripture into their language. Take for example the Greek word stāchō, which translated means “to stand, stand firm.”

The word stāchō is used in slightly different ways throughout the New Testament, both literally and figuratively.

Thankfully, the song “I’ll stand by you” is not in the New Testament, so we don’t have to decide if it’s literal or figurative.

Let’s take a look at a few ways this word is used:

To Stand

In Mark 11:25, Jesus says, “And whenever you stand (stāchō) praying…” –– and that’s what He meant. This word can literally mean, “to stand.”

Stand Firm: persist and persevere

Or this word can also have a figurative meaning, one that doesn’t necessarily involve using your legs to put your body in an upright position. Figuratively, stāchō can mean “to stand firm.”

I think we can understand this readily enough. You’re facing something difficult at work, but you know you have to stand firm and persevere. In 2 Thessalonians 2:15, Paul tells his readers to “stand firm (stāchō) and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us.”

They need to persist in what they were taught, and in doing so, they stand firm.

Stand Firm: maintain your allegiance

This meaning could fit 2 Thessalonians 2:15 above, but it is especially helpful for understanding Paul’s words in Galatians 5:1 –– “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm (stāchō) therefore and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”

It’s almost as if Paul is saying, “maintain your allegiance to Christ; keep your standing with Him. In Him there is freedom.”

Stand Firm: be resolutely committed to something because of your belief

Believers are told to stāchō …

• stand firm in the faith (1 Corinthians 16:13)

• stand firm in one spirit (Philippians 1:27)

• stand firm in the Lord (1 Thessalonians 3:8)

We don’t have this kind of belief or resolute commitment on our own. It is the Spirit who works in and through us, using God’s word to bring about faith and to help us persevere, maintain our allegiance to Christ, and be resolutely committed to the things of Christ.

As national Bible translators better understand the different ways this word is used in Scripture, they become more equipped to choose a word in their own language that best represents the meaning in the Greek New Testament.

Thanks for reading. And, stand firm.