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G1480 · Greek · New Testament
ἐθίζω
ethizō
Verb
To Accustom / To Train by Habit

Definition

The Greek verb ethizō (ἐθίζω) means 'to accustom' or 'to train by habit/custom.' It is the verbal form of ethos (custom, habit) and appears once in Luke 2:27 describing the 'custom of the Law' regarding the presentation of a firstborn son at the Temple.

Usage & Theological Significance

Luke 2:27 records that when Jesus was brought to the Temple as an infant, Simeon met them 'as the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required [ethizō].' The passage reveals something profound: the infant Jesus — the one who gave the Law — was subjected to the Law's requirements. This fulfills Paul's statement in Galatians 4:4: 'God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law.' The Son of God entered the pattern of Torah observance not because He needed redemption but so that He might fulfill every requirement on behalf of those who do. Every act of Jesus' infancy and childhood was an act of covenantal obedience for us.

Key Bible Verses

Luke 2:27 Simeon came as the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required.
Luke 2:22 When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem.
Galatians 4:4 God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law.
Matthew 5:17 I have not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets but to fulfill them.
Romans 8:3 God... condemned sin in the flesh by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh.

Related Words

External Resources

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