"to care for; to bestow careful thought upon, to give painful attention to, be earnest in, 1 Tim. 4:15; to devise, Acts 4:25*"
Definition and meaning
to care for; to bestow careful thought upon, to give painful attention to, be earnest in, 1 Tim. 4:15; to devise, Acts 4:25*
In the original Greek the word is written: μελετάω
Historical context
The Gospel of Mark moves urgently — the word "immediately" appears over 40 times. It was written for a Roman audience familiar with power and action. Jesus is portrayed as a man who acts, heals, and commands authority that the Roman world had never seen from a Jewish teacher.
The people who first heard this word were not reading a book — they were living through empires, oppression, exile, and covenant. Every word carried the weight of that reality. Understanding it changes how you read Scripture.
Scripture references
These are the most notable occurrences of meletao (G3191) across the King James Bible.
But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.
Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?
Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.
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Common questions
Strong's G3191 (meletao) is a Greek word that means: to care for; to bestow careful thought upon, to give painful attention to, be earnest in, 1 Tim. 4:15; to devise, Acts 4:25* It appears 3 times in the King James Bible.
The word meletao (G3191) appears 3 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G3191 is meletao, a Greek word defined as: to care for; to bestow careful thought upon, to give painful attention to, be earnest in, 1 Tim. 4:15; to devise, Acts 4:25*. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
meletao is a Greek word found in the New Testament.