Tēreō τηρέω

Tēreō (Greek τηρέω, Strong's G5083) is a Greek verb meaning “to keep: observe”. It occurs 73 times in 66 verses of the New Testament.

Definition

G5083G: to keep: observe

G5083I: to keep: protect

G5083H: to keep: guard

From the STEPBible Brief Lexicon of Greek (based on Abbott-Smith), STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0.

Translated as

Topics

• Obedience

Verses

Every verse with Tēreō, with the English words that translate it highlighted (KJV or BSB; other translations show the KJV here).

Matthew

• Matthew 19:17
  And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.“Why do you ask Me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”
• Matthew 23:3
  All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.So practice and observe everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.
• Matthew 27:36
  And sitting down they watched him there;And sitting down, they kept watch over Him there.
• Matthew 27:54
  Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified and said, “Truly this was the Son of God.”
• Matthew 28:4
  And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.The guards trembled in fear of him and became like dead men.
• Matthew 28:20
  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

John

• John 2:10
  And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.and said, “Everyone serves the fine wine first, and then the cheap wine after the guests are drunk. But you have saved the fine wine until now!”
• John 8:51
  Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.Truly, truly, I tell you, if anyone keeps My word, he will never see death.”
• John 8:52
  Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death.“Now we know that You have a demon!” declared the Jews. “Abraham died, and so did the prophets, yet You say that anyone who keeps Your word will never taste death.
• John 8:55
  Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying.You do not know Him, but I know Him. If I said I did not know Him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know Him, and I keep His word.
• John 9:16
  Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them.Because of this, some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for He does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a sinful man perform such signs?” And there was division among them.
• John 12:7
  Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this.“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “She has kept this perfume in preparation for the day of My burial.
• John 14:15
  If ye love me, keep my commandments.If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
• John 14:21
  He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.Whoever has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me. The one who 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 unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.Jesus replied, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.
• John 14:24
  He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.Whoever does not love Me does not keep My words. The word that you hear is not My own, but it is from the Father who sent Me.
• John 15:10
  If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.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 unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.Remember the word that I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you as well; if they kept My word, they will keep yours as well.
• John 17:6
  I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.I have revealed Your name to those You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours; You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.
• John 17:11
  And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.I will no longer be in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, protect them by Your name, the name You gave Me, so that they may be one as We are one.
• John 17:12
  While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.While I was with them, I protected and preserved them by Your name, the name You gave Me. Not one of them has been lost, except the son of destruction, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.
• John 17:15
  I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.I am not asking that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from the evil one.

Acts

• Acts 12:5
  Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was fervently praying to God for him.
• Acts 12:6
  And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.On the night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, with sentries standing guard at the entrance to the prison.
• Acts 15:5
  But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.But some believers from the party of the Pharisees stood up and declared, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses.”
• Acts 15:24
  Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:It has come to our attention that some went out from us without our authorization and unsettled you, troubling your minds by what they said.
• Acts 16:23
  And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:And after striking them with many blows, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to guard them securely.
• Acts 21:25
  As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication.As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they must abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality.”
• Acts 24:23
  And he commanded a centurion to keep Paul, and to let him have liberty, and that he should forbid none of his acquaintance to minister or come unto him.He ordered the centurion to keep Paul under guard, but to allow him some freedom and permit his friends to minister to his needs.
• Acts 25:4
  But Festus answered, that Paul should be kept at Cesarea, and that he himself would depart shortly thither.But Festus replied, “Paul is being held in Caesarea, and I myself am going there soon.
• Acts 25:21
  But when Paul had appealed to be reserved unto the hearing of Augustus, I commanded him to be kept till I might send him to Cesar.But when Paul appealed to be held over for the decision of the Emperor, I ordered that he be held until I could send him to Caesar.”

1 Corinthians

• 1 Corinthians 7:37
  Nevertheless he that standeth stedfast in his heart, having no necessity, but hath power over his own will, and hath so decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin, doeth well.But the man who is firmly established in his heart and under no constraint, with control over his will and resolve in his heart not to marry the virgin, he will do well.

2 Corinthians

• 2 Corinthians 11:9
  And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself.And when I was with you and in need, I was not a burden to anyone; for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my needs. I have refrained from being a burden to you in any way, and I will continue to do so.

Ephesians

• Ephesians 4:3
  Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.and with diligence to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

1 Thessalonians

• 1 Thessalonians 5:23
  And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your entire spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Timothy

• 1 Timothy 5:22
  Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins: keep thyself pure.Do not be too quick in the laying on of hands and thereby share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.
• 1 Timothy 6:14
  That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:Keep this commandment without stain or reproach until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ,

2 Timothy

• 2 Timothy 4:7
  I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

James

• James 1:27
  Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
• James 2:10
  For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.Whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

1 Peter

• 1 Peter 1:4
  To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, reserved in heaven for you,

2 Peter

• 2 Peter 2:4
  For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them deep into hell, placing them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment;
• 2 Peter 2:9
  The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:if all this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.
• 2 Peter 2:17
  These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them.
• 2 Peter 3:7
  But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.And by that same word, the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

1 John

• 1 John 2:3
  And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.By this we can be sure that we have come to know Him: if we keep His commandments.
• 1 John 2:4
  He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.If anyone says, “I know Him,” but does not keep His commandments, he is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
• 1 John 2:5
  But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.But if anyone keeps His word, the love of God has been truly perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him:
• 1 John 3:22
  And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.and we will receive from Him whatever we ask, because we keep His commandments and do what is pleasing in His sight.
• 1 John 3:24
  And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.Whoever keeps His commandments remains in God, and God in him. And by this we know that He remains in us: by the Spirit He has given us.
• 1 John 5:3
  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome,
• 1 John 5:18
  We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.We know that anyone born of God does not keep on sinning; the One who was born of God protects him, and the evil one cannot touch him.

Jude

• Jude 1:1
  Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, To those who are called, loved by God the Father, and kept in Jesus Christ:
• Jude 1:6
  And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.And the angels who did not stay within their own domain but abandoned their proper dwelling—these He has kept in eternal chains under darkness, bound for judgment on that great day.
• Jude 1:13
  Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.
• Jude 1:21
  Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.keep yourselves in the love of God as you await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you eternal life.

Revelation

• Revelation 1:3
  Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and obey what is written in it, because the time is near.
• Revelation 2:26
  And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:And to the one who overcomes and continues in My work until the end, I will give authority over the nations.
• Revelation 3:3
  Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.Remember, then, what you have received and heard. Keep it and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know the hour when I will come upon you.
• Revelation 3:8
  I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door, which no one can shut. For you have only a little strength, yet you have kept My word and have not denied My name.
• Revelation 3:10
  Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.Because you have kept My command to persevere, I will also keep you from the hour of testing that is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.
• Revelation 12:17
  And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.And the dragon was enraged at the woman, and went to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea.
• Revelation 14:12
  Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.Here is a call for the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.
• Revelation 16:15
  Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.“Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who remains awake and clothed, so that he will not go naked and let his shame be exposed.”
• Revelation 22:7
  Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.“Behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of prophecy in this book.”
• Revelation 22:9
  Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.But he said to me, “Do not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God!”

Notes

1. Definition and verse list from STEPBible's tagged Hebrew Old Testament (TAHOT) and Greek New Testament (TAGNT) and Brief Lexicons, STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0.
2. English renderings from the public-domain KJV with Strong's numbers (eBible.org) and the Berean Standard Bible interlinear (public domain).