παράκειμαι

I am present with, rest with

Definition

The verb παράκειμαι literally means 'to lie beside' or 'to be present with.' In its two New Testament occurrences, it carries the sense of something being immediately available or at hand. In Romans 7:18, Paul uses it to express that 'good does not dwell (παράκειται) in me,' meaning it is not a quality readily present within his sinful nature. In Romans 7:21, he states a 'law' is present (παράκειται) with him, indicating a principle that is constantly accessible to his awareness. The word emphasizes proximity and immediate availability, whether of a quality, principle, or object.

Biblical Usage

This word is used only twice in the New Testament, both times by the Apostle Paul in Romans 7:18 and 7:21. In both contexts, it describes an abstract principle or reality that is intimately and unavoidably present with the speaker. Paul uses it to personify the internal conflict between his desire for God's law and the power of indwelling sin, framing sin and a competing 'law' as entities that are constantly at hand.

Etymology

Derived from the preposition παρά (para, G3844), meaning 'beside, alongside,' and the verb κεῖμαι (keimai, G2749), meaning 'to lie, to be laid.' Thus, it literally means 'to lie beside.' It is a compound verb that emphasizes physical or metaphorical proximity and availability.

Semantic Range

παράκειμαι is theologically significant in Paul's exposition of the human condition in Romans 7. It helps articulate the doctrine of indwelling sin—not as a distant force but as a reality that 'lies close at hand' (Romans 7:21) within the believer, creating an internal war. Understanding this Greek term enriches the reading by highlighting the intimate, persistent, and inescapable nature of this struggle, which sets the stage for the triumphant deliverance found in Christ Jesus described in Romans 8.

In the ancient Greco-Roman world, the concept of something 'lying beside' you could refer to a tool, weapon, or document kept readily at hand for use. Paul appropriates this concrete, everyday idea to describe the abstract, internal realities of sin and moral principle, making a profound spiritual conflict vividly relatable to his original audience.

πάρειμι (pariemi, G3918) — emphasizes being present or at hand, but more generally, without the connotation of 'lying' in readiness. ἐγγίζω (eggizō, G1448) — means to draw near or approach, focusing on movement into proximity rather than a state of being present. πλησίον (plēsion, G4139) — an adverb/adjective meaning 'near, neighboring,' describing location rather than the state of being at hand.

Word Details

Scripture References