Bible Dictionaries
Lay

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words

"to put, place, set," frequently signifies "to lay," and is used of (a) "laying" a corpse in a tomb, Matthew 27:60; Mark 6:29; 15:47; 16:6; Luke 23:53,55; John 11:34; 19:41,42; 20:2,13,15; Acts 7:16; 13:29; Revelation 11:9 , RV, "to be laid" (AV, "to be put"); in an upper chamber, Acts 9:37; (b) "laying" the sick in a place, Mark 6:56; Luke 5:18; Acts 3:2; 5:15; (c) "laying" money at the Apostles' feet, Acts 4:35,37; 5:2; (d) Christ's "laying" His hands upon children Mark 10:16 , RV, "laying" (AV, "put"); upon John, Revelation 1:17 (in the best mss.); (e) "laying" down one's life, (1) of Christ, John 10:11 , RV, "layeth down" (AV, "giveth"); Kohn 10:17,18 (twice); 1 John 3:16; (2) of Peter for Christ's sake, John 13:37,38; (3) of Christ's followers, on behalf of others, 1 John 3:16; (4) of anyone, for his friends, John 15:13; (f) "laying" up sayings in one's heart, Luke 1:66 (Middle Voice, in the sense of "for themselves"); in Luke 9:44 , of letting Christ's words "sink" (Middle Voice, in the sense of "for oneself;" AV, "sink down") into the ears; (g) "laying" a foundation (1) literally, Luke 6:48; 14:29; (2) metaphorically, of Christ in relation to an assembly, 1 Corinthians 3:10,11; (h) in "laying" Christ as a "stone of stumbling" for Israel, Romans 9:33; (i) Christ's "laying" aside His garments, John 13:4; (j) Christians, in "laying" money in store for the help of the needy, 1 Corinthians 16:2 (lit., "let him put"); (k) "depositing" money, Luke 19:21,22 . See APPOINT.

"to lay down" (kata), is used in Mark 15:46 of the act of Joseph of Arimathaea in "laying" Christ's body in the tomb (some mss. have No. 1 here). See DO , Note (4) SHEW.

"to cast, throw, place, put," is used in the Passive Voice signifying "to be laid," e.g., Mark 7:30; Luke 16:20; for Matthew 8:14 , RV, "lying" (AV, "laid") and Matthew 9:2 , see LIE , No. (3). See CAST.

"to lay upon," is used of seizing men, to imprison them, Acts 4:3 . See CAST.

"to cast down" (kata), is used metaphorically in Hebrews 6:1 , in the Middle Voice, negatively, "of laying" a foundation of certain doctrines. See CAST.

"to make to bend, to bow," or "to make to lean, to rest," is used in Matthew 8:20; Luke 9:58 , in the Lord's statement, "the Son of man hath not where to lay His head;" it is significant that this verb is used in John 19:30 of the Lord's act at the moment of His death in placing His head into a position of rest, not a helpless drooping of the head as in all other cases of crucifixion. He reversed the natural order, by first reclining His head (indicative of His submission to His Fathers will), and then "giving up His spirit." The rest He found not on earth in contrast to His creatures the foxes and birds, He found in this consummating act on the cross. See BOW.

"to lay down, make to recline" (in the Passive Voice, "to lie back, recline"), is used in Luke 2:7 , of the act of the Virgin Mary in "laying" her Child in a manger. See SIT.

"to put off from oneself" (apo, "from," and No. 1), always in the Middle Voice in the NT, is used metaphorically in Hebrews 12:1 "laying aside (every weight);" in James 1:21 , AV, "lay apart," RV, "putting away;" in Acts 7:58 of "laying" down garments, after taking them off, for the purpose of stoning Stephen. See CAST , PUT.

"to place under, lay down" (hupo, "under," and No. 1), is used metaphorically in Romans 16:4 , of risking one's life, "laid down" (their own necks). In the Middle Voice in 1 Timothy 4:6 it is used of "putting" persons in mind, RV, (AV, "in remembrance"). See REMEMBRANCE.

"to add to, lay upon," etc., is used of "laying" hands on the sick, for healing, Matthew 9:18; 19:13 , RV, "lay" (AV, "put"); 19:15; Mark 5:23; 6:5; 7:32; 8:23 RV, "laid" (AV, "put"); so in Mark 8:25; 16:18; Luke 4:40; 13:13; Acts 6:6; 8:17,19; 9:12,17 , RV, "laying" (AV, "putting"); Acts 13:3; 19:6; 28:8; in some mss. in Revelation 1:17 , see No. 1, (d); of "laying" hands on a person by way of public recognition, 1 Timothy 5:22; of a shepherd's "laying" a sheep on his shoulders, Luke 15:5; of "laying" the cross on Christ's shoulders, Luke 23:26; of "laying" on stripes, Acts 16:23; wood on a fire, Acts 28:3; metaphorically, of "laying" burden's on men's shoulders, Matthew 23:4; similarly of "giving" injunctions, Acts 15:28 (cp. "put ... upon" in Acts 15:10 ). See LADE , PUT , SET , SURNAME , WOUND.

"to put up or before" (ana), is used in the Middle Voice of "laying" a case before an authority, Acts 25:14 , RV, "laid before," for AV, "declared unto;" of "setting forth" a matter for consideration, Galatians 2:2 , RV, "laid before (them the Gospel)," for AV, "communicated unto." See COMMUNICATE , DECLARE.

"to put to, add," is used in the Passive Voice in Acts 13:36 , "was laid" (unto his fathers), of the burial of David. See ADD , No. 2.

"to stretch out or forth," especially of the hand is used of "laying" out anchors from a vessel, in Acts 27:30 , RV, "lay out" (AV, "cast ... out"). See CAST , Notes, STRETCH.

"to be laid, to lie," is used as the Passive Voice of tithemi, "to put," and is translated by some part of the verb "to be laid" in Matthew 3:10; Luke 3:9 , of an axe; Luke 12:19 , of goods; John 21:9 , where the verb has been omitted from the translation, after the words "a fire of coals" (for epikeimai, of the fish, see No. 15); 1 Corinthians 3:11 , of Christ, as a foundation. See APPOINT , LIE , MADE (be), SET.

Notes: (1) In Luke 23:53 , the RV has "had lain" (intransitive: see LIE), for AV, "was laid." (2) In Luke 24:12 , some mss. have the verb, with reference to the linen cloths (the clause is absent in the best mss.); the translation should be "lying," not as AV, "laid." (3) In John 11:41 , the verb is not found in the best mss.

"to be placed, to lie on" (epi, "upon," and No. 14), is translated by the verb "to be laid upon," in John 21:9 , of a fish; in 1 Corinthians 9:16 , of necessity. See IMPOSED , INSTANT , LIE , PRESS.

"to be laid away, or up," is used of money in a napkin, Luke 19:20; metaphorically, of a hope, Colossians 1:5; the crown of righteousness, 2 Timothy 4:8 . In Hebrews 9:27 , said of physical death, it is translated "it is appointed" (RV marg., "laid up"). See APPOINT.

"to lay up, store up" (akin to thesauros, "a treasury, a storehouse, a treasure"), is used of "laying" up treasures, on earth, Matthew 6:19; in Heaven, Matthew 6:20; in the last days, James 5:3 , RV, "ye have laid up your treasure" (AV, "ye have heaped treasure together"); in Luke 12:21 , "that layeth up treasure (for himself);" in 1 Corinthians 16:2 , of money for needy ones (here the present participle is translated "in store," lit. "treasuring" or "storing," the "laying by" translating the preceding verb tithemi, see No. 1); in 2 Corinthians 12:14 , negatively, of children for parents; metaphorically, of "laying" up wrath, Romans 2:5 , "treasurest up." In 2 Peter 3:7 the Passive Voice is used of the heavens and earth as "stored up" for fire, RV (marg., "stored" with fire), AV, "kept in store." See STORE , TREASURE.

"to seize and twist the neck" (from trachelos, "the throat"), was used of wrestlers, in the sense of taking by the throat. The word is found in Hebrews 4:13 , "laid open," RV (AV, "opened"). The literal sense of the word seems to be "with the head thrown back and the throat exposed." Various suggestions have been made as to the precise significance of the word in this passage. Some have considered that the metaphor is from the manner of treating victims about to be sacrificed. Little help, however, can be derived from these considerations. The context serves to explain the meaning and the RV rendering is satisfactory.

Notes: (1) In Acts 25:7 , AV, phero, "to bear, bring," is rendered "laid ... (complaints)," RV, "bringing...(charges)." (2) In Mark 7:8 , AV, aphiemi, "to leave," is translated "laying aside" (RV, "ye leave"). (3) For epilambano, "to lay hold," see HOLD , No. 7.