Bible Dictionaries
Appoint, Appointed

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words

"to make to stand," means "to appoint," in Acts 17:31 , of the day in which God will judge the world by Christ. In Acts 1:23 , with reference to Joseph and Barnabas, the RV has "put forward;" for these were not both "appointed" in the accepted sense of the term, but simply singled out, in order that it might be made known which of them the Lord had chosen. See ABIDE , No. 10.

a strengthened form of No. 1, usually signifies "to appoint a person to a position." In this sense the verb is often translated "to make" or "to set," in appointing a person to a place of authority, e.g., a servant over a household, Matthew 24:45,47; 25:21,23; Luke 12:42,44; a judge, Luke 12:14; Acts 7:27,35; a governor, Acts 7:10; man by God over the work of His hands, Hebrews 2:7 . It is rendered "appoint," with reference to the so-called seven deacons in Acts 6:3 . The RV translates it by "appoint" in Titus 1:5 , instead of "ordain," of the elders whom Titus was to "appoint" in every city in Crete. Not a formal eccelesiastical ordination is in view, but the "appointment," for the recognition of the churches, of those who had already been raised up and qualified by the Holy Spirit, and had given evidence of this in their life and service (see No. 11). It is used of the priests of old, Hebrews 5:1; 7:28; 8:3 (RV, "appointed"). See CONDUCT , MAKE , ORDAIN , SET.

"to put," is used of "appointment" to any form of service. Christ used it of His followers, John 15:16 (RV, "appointed" for AV, "ordained"). "I set you" would be more in keeping with the metaphor of grafting. The verb is used by Paul of his service in the ministry of the Gospel, 1 Timothy 1:12 (RV, "appointing" for "putting"); 1 Timothy 2:7 (RV, "appointed" for "ordained"); and 2 Timothy 1:11 (RV, "appointing" for "putting"); of the overseers, or bishops, in the local church at Ephesus, as those "appointed" by the Holy Ghost, to tend the church of God, Acts 20:28 ("hath made"); of the Son of God, as appointed Heir of all things, Hebrews 1:2 . It is also used of "appointment" to punishment, as of the unfaithful servant, Matthew 24:51; Luke 12:46; of unbelieving Israel, 1 Peter 2:8 . Cp. 2 Peter 2:6 . See BOW , COMMIT , CONCEIVE , LAY , MAKE , ORDAIN , PURPOSE , PUT , SET , SINK.

Note: Akin to tithemi is the latter part of the noun prothesmia, Galatians 4:2 , of a term or period "appointed."

a strengthened form of No. 3 (dia, "through," intensive), is used in the Middle Voice only. The Lord used it of His disciples with reference to the kingdom which is to be theirs hereafter, and of Himself in the same respect, as that which has been "appointed" for Him by His Father, Luke 22:29 . For its use in connection with a covenant, see MAKE and TESTATOR.

"to place in order, arrange," signifies "to appoint," e.g., of the place where Christ had "appointed" a meeting with His disciples after His resurrection, Matthew 28:16; of positions of military and civil authority over others, whether "appointed" by men, Luke 7:8 , or by God, Romans 13:1 , "ordained." It is said of those who, having believed the Gospel, "were ordained to eternal life," Acts 13:48 . The house of Stephanas at Corinth had "set themselves" to the ministry of the saints (AV, "addicted"), 1 Corinthians 16:15 . Other instances of the arranging of special details occur in Acts 15:2; 22:10; 28:23 . See DETERMINE , ORDAIN , SET.

a strengthened form of No. 5 (dia, "through," intensive), frequently denotes "to arrange, appoint, prescribe," e.g., of what was "appointed" for tax collectors to collect, Luke 3:13; of the tabernacle, as "appointed" by God for Moses to make, Acts 7:44; of the arrangements "appointed" by Paul with regard to himself and his travelling companions, Acts 20:13; of what the Apostle "ordained" in all the churches in regard to marital conditions, 1 Corinthians 7:17; of what the Lord "ordained" in regard to the support of those who proclaimed the Gospel, 1 Corinthians 9:14; of the Law as Divinely "ordained," or administered, through angels, by Moses, Galatians 3:19 . In Titus 1:5 , AV, "had appointed thee," the sense is rather that of commanding, RV, "gave thee charge." See COMMAND , No. 1, ORDAIN, ORDER.

sun, "with," and No. 5, lit., "to arrange together with," hence "to appoint, prescribe," is used twice, in Matthew 26:19 of what the Lord "appointed" for His disciples, and in Matthew 27:10 , in a quotation concerning the price of the potter's field.

pro, "before," and No. 5, "to appoint before," is used in Acts 17:26 (RV, "appointed"), of the seasons arranged by God for nations, and the bounds of their habitation.

"to lie," is used in 1 Thessalonians 3:3 of the "appointment" of affliction for faithful believers. It is rendered "set" in Luke 2:34 and Philippians 1:16 , RV, where the sense is the same. The verb is a perfect tense, used for the perfect Passive of tithemi, "to place," "I have been placed," i.e., "I lie." See LAY , LIE , MADE (be), SET.

apo, "from," and No. 9, signifies "to be laid, reserved," Luke 19:20; Colossians 1:5; 2 Timothy 4:8; "appointed," in Hebrews 9:27 , where it is said of death and the judgement following (RV, marg., "laid up"). See LAY.

primarily used of voting in the Athenian legislative assembly and meaning "to stretch forth the hands" (cheir, "the hand," teino, "to stretch"), is not to be taken in its literal sense; it could not be so taken in its compound procheirotoneo, "to choose before," since it is said of God, Acts 10:41 . Cheirotoneo is said of "the appointment" of elders by apostolic missionaries in the various churches which they revisited, Acts 14:23 , RV, "had appointed," i.e., by the recognition of those who had been manifesting themselves as gifted of God to discharge the functions of elders (see No. 2). It is also said of those who were "appointed" (not by voting, but with general approbation) by the churches in Greece to accompany the Apostle in conveying their gifts to the poor saints in Judea, 2 Corinthians 8:19 . See CHOOSE , ORDAIN.

from procheiros, "at hand," signifies (a) "to deliver up, appoint," Acts 3:20 (RV, "appointed"); (b) in the Middle Voice, "to take into one's hand, to determine, appoint beforehand," translated "appointed" in Acts 22:14 , RV (for AV, "hath chosen"), and "to appoint" in 26:16 (for AV, "to make").

(Eng., "horizon"), lit., "to mark by a limit," hence, "to determine, ordain," is used of Christ as ordained of God to be a judge of the living and the dead, Acts 17:31; of His being "marked out" as the Son of God, Romans 1:4; of Divinely appointed seasons, Acts 17:26 , "having determined." See DEFINE.

lit., "to show up, to show clearly," also signifies "to appoint to a position or a service;" it is used in this sense of the 70 disciples, Luke 10:1; for the meaning "show," see Acts 1:24 .

"to do, to make," is rendered "appointed" in Hebrews 3:2 , of Christ. For Mark 3:14 , RV, see ORDAIN , Note (2).

Note: Epithanatios, "appointed to death," doomed to it by condemnation, 1 Corinthians 4:9 , AV, is corrected to "doomed to death" in the RV (epi, "for," thanatos, "death").