Topical Encyclopedia
Definition and Etymology:The term "submit" in the biblical context generally refers to the act of yielding or surrendering one's own will to the authority or will of another. The Greek word often translated as "submit" in the New Testament is "hypotassō," which means to arrange under, to subordinate, or to subject oneself. In Hebrew, the concept is captured by words like "kaná," which implies humility and yielding.
Biblical Context and Usage:Submission is a recurring theme in the Bible, emphasizing the importance of order, humility, and obedience in various relationships and contexts. It is often discussed in the context of relationships within the family, the church, and society at large.
1.
Submission to God: Submission to God is foundational in the Christian faith.
James 4:7 instructs believers, "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." This submission involves acknowledging God's sovereignty and aligning one's life with His will and commandments.
2.
Submission in the Family: The Bible outlines specific roles within the family structure, emphasizing mutual respect and love.
Ephesians 5:22-24 states, "Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, His body, of which He is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything." This passage is often discussed alongside
Ephesians 5:25, which calls husbands to love their wives sacrificially, as Christ loved the church.
3.
Submission in the Church: Within the church, submission is seen as a means of maintaining order and unity.
Hebrews 13:17 advises, "Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who must give an account. Allow them to do this with joy and not with grief, for that would be of no advantage to you." This submission is not blind obedience but a recognition of the spiritual authority and responsibility of church leaders.
4.
Submission to Governing Authorities: Christians are also called to submit to governmental authorities as an expression of their submission to God.
Romans 13:1 declares, "Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which is from God. The authorities that exist have been appointed by God." This submission is part of a broader call to live peaceably and honorably within society.
5.
Mutual Submission Among Believers:Ephesians 5:21 encourages believers to "submit to one another out of reverence for Christ." This mutual submission is a reflection of the humility and love that should characterize Christian relationships, fostering unity and cooperation within the body of Christ.
Theological Implications:Submission in the biblical sense is not about inferiority or coercion but about willingly placing oneself under God's ordained order. It reflects a heart attitude of humility, trust, and obedience. Submission is ultimately an act of faith, trusting that God's design and authority structures are for the good of individuals and the community.
Practical Application:Believers are encouraged to practice submission in their daily lives by prioritizing God's will, respecting family roles, honoring church leadership, obeying laws, and serving one another in love. This practice is seen as a testimony to the transformative power of the Gospel and a means of glorifying God in all aspects of life.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
v. t.) To let down; to lower.
2. (v. t.) To put or place under.
3. (v. t.) To yield, resign, or surrender to power, will, or authority; -- often with the reflexive pronoun.
4. (v. t.) To leave or commit to the discretion or judgment of another or others; to refer; as, to submit a controversy to arbitrators; to submit a question to the court; -- often followed by a dependent proposition as the object.
5. (v. i.) To yield one's person to the power of another; to give up resistance; to surrender.
6. (v. i.) To yield one's opinion to the opinion of authority of another; to be subject; to acquiesce.
7. (v. i.) To be submissive or resigned; to yield without murmuring.
Greek
5226. hupeiko -- to retire, withdraw,submit... to retire, withdraw,
submit. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: hupeiko Phonetic
Spelling: (hoop-i'-ko) Short Definition: I yield Definition: I yield,
submit...5293. hupotasso -- to place or rank under, to subject, mid. to...
... Phonetic Spelling: (hoop-ot-as'-so) Short Definition: I place under, subject to
Definition: I place under, subject to; mid, pass: Isubmit, put myself into...
1379. dogmatizo -- to decree, to subject oneself to an ordinance
... Word Origin from dogma Definition to decree, to subject oneself to an ordinance
NASB Word Usagesubmit...to decrees (1). be subject to ordinances....
5254. hupecho -- to hold or put under, fig. to undergo
... to undergo. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: hupecho Phonetic Spelling:
(hoop-ekh'-o) Short Definition: Isubmit to, undergo Definition: Isubmit to...
4642. skleros -- hard, rough
... 4642 -- properly, hard (because out); (figuratively) stiff, stubborn (unyielding)
describing people who "won't budge" (bend,submit), or what is ....
5260. hupoballo -- to throw or put under
... Phonetic Spelling: (hoop-ob-al'-lo) Short Definition: I suborn, instruct privately
Definition: I throw or put under; met: I subject,submit, suggest, whisper...
1502. eiko -- to yield
... to yield. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: eiko Phonetic Spelling: (i'-ko)
Short Definition: I give way, yield Definition: I give way, yield,submit....
3980. peitharcheo -- to obey authority
... From a compound of peitho and archo; to be persuaded by a ruler, ie (genitive case)
tosubmit to authority; by analogy, to conform to advice -- hearken, obey...
Strong's Hebrew
3584. kachash -- to disappoint, deceive, fail, grow lean... deceives (1), deception (1), denied (2), deny (3), denying (1), fail (2), give feigned
obedience (1), grown lean (1), lied (3), pretend obedience (2),
submit (1
...7511. raphas -- to stamp, tread
... humble self,submit self. A primitive root; to trample, ie Prostrate -- humble self,
submit self. 7510, 7511. raphas or raphas. 7512 . Strong's Numbers.
6031a. anah -- to be bowed down or afflicted
... 1), force (1), humble (12), humbled (6), humbling (1), mistreat (1), oppressed
(1), oppressors (1), ravish (1), ravished (2), silenced (1),submit (1), treated...
6031. anah -- to be bowed down or afflicted
... deal hardly with, defile, exercise, force, gentleness, humble (self), hurt, ravish,
sing (by mistake for anah), speak (by mistake for anah),submit self, weaken...
Library
Submit Yourselves Therefore to God. James 4:7.
...Submit yourselves therefore to God. James 4:7.... The conditions are, that we obey the
precepts of the law, andsubmit to the justice of the penalty....
Let the Authors of SeditionSubmit Themselves.
... Chapter LVII."Let the authors of seditionsubmit themselves. Ye therefore,
who laid the foundation of this sedition,submit yourselves...
Let the Authors of SeditionSubmit Themselves.
... The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians. Chapter LVII."Let the
Authors of SeditionSubmit Themselves. Ye therefore, who...
The Eighteenth Chapter: Man Should not Scrutinize this Sacrament...
... AN INVITATION TO HOLY COMMUNION The Eighteenth Chapter: Man Should Not Scrutinize
This Sacrament in Curiosity, But Humbly Imitate Christ andSubmit Reason to...
I am first to give you some directions for bringing your people to...
... CHAPTER 3. APPLICATION ARTICLE 1. I am first to give you some directions for bringing
your people tosubmit to this course of catechizing and instruction....
And yet Let no one Think that we are Perversely Determined not to...
... Book III. 6 And yet let no one think that we are perversely determined
not tosubmit to? And yet let no one think that we are...
Let the Members of the ChurchSubmit Themselves, and no one Exalt...
... Chapter XXXVIII."Let the members of the Churchsubmit themselves, and no
one exalt himself above another. Let our whole body, then...
Let the Members of the ChurchSubmit Themselves, and no one Exalt...
... The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians. Chapter XXXVIII."Let the Members
of the ChurchSubmit Themselves, and No One Exalt Himself Above Another....
How to Overcome Disappointment
... Another thing to learn is tosubmit the will and desires to God. When our plans
fail, we mustsubmit to circumstances, whether we want to or not....
Of the Means of Belief
... [35]. 249. It is superstition to put one's hope in formalities; but it is
pride to be unwilling tosubmit to them. 250. The external...
Thesaurus
Submit (36 Occurrences)... 4. (vt) To leave or commit to the discretion or judgment of another or others; to
refer; as, to
submit a controversy to arbitrators; to
submit a question to
...Dwindle (10 Occurrences)
... thy excellency! And thine enemies shallsubmit themselves unto thee; And
thou shalt tread upon their high places. (See JPS). 2 Samuel...
Cringe (5 Occurrences)
... Your enemies shallsubmit themselves to you. You shall tread on their high places."
(See NAS).... The foreigners shallsubmit themselves to me. (See NIV)....
Take (11064 Occurrences)
... 17. (vt) To bear without ill humor or resentment; tosubmit to; to tolerate; to
endure; as, to take a joke; he will take an affront from no man. 18....
Defer (7 Occurrences)
... 2. (vi) To put off; to delay to act; to wait. 3. (vt) To render or offer. 4. (vt)
To lay before; tosubmit in a respectful manner; to refer; -- with to....
Stoop (10 Occurrences)
... 5. (vi) To yield; tosubmit; to bend, as by compulsion; to assume a position of
humility or subjection.... 11. (vt) To cause tosubmit; to prostrate. 12....
Submissive (12 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (a.) Inclined or ready tosubmit; acknowledging
one's inferiority; yielding; obedient; humble. 2. (a...
Selfsurrender
... Isaiah mustsubmit to the divine purification of his lips, and hearken to the inquiry,
"who will go for us?" with the surrendered response, "Here am I; send me...
Self-surrender
... Isaiah mustsubmit to the divine purification of his lips, and hearken to the inquiry,
"who will go for us?" with the surrendered response, "Here am I; send me...
Obey (219 Occurrences)
... 2. (vt) Tosubmit to the authority of; to be ruled by. 3. (vt) To yield to the
impulse, power, or operation of; as, a ship obeys her helm....
Resources
Does a wife have to submit to her husband? | GotQuestions.orgHow are we to submit to God? | GotQuestions.orgSubmit your Bible Questions to GotQuestions.org | GotQuestions.orgSubmit: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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