The Greek verb antilambanō means to take hold of in turn, to help, to support, or to assist. It appears 3 times in the New Testament (Luke 1:54; Acts 20:35; 1 Timothy 6:2) and carries the idea of one party actively grasping hold of another in order to provide aid.
Antilambanō is concentrated in texts about divine and human care for the vulnerable. In Luke 1:54, Mary's Magnificat sings that God 'has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful.' The word here describes God's active intervention — His reaching out and taking hold of Israel in their need. Acts 20:35 preserves the only direct saying of Jesus not found in the Gospels: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive' — in context with Paul's exhortation to help (antilambanō) the weak. 1 Timothy 6:2 uses the word for slaves benefiting from their believing masters. The compound construction — anti (in turn, opposite) + lambanō (to take) — suggests reciprocal taking hold, like two people gripping each other's arms. God does not merely observe need from afar; He takes hold of His people. This verb underpins the NT theology of mutual care in the body of Christ.