Original Word: προσανατίθημι
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: prosanatithémi
Pronunciation: pros-an-at-ITH-ay-mee
Phonetic Spelling: (pros-an-at-ith'-ay-mee)
KJV: in conference add, confer
NASB: consult, contributed
Word Origin: [from G4314 (πρός - against) and G394 (ἀνατίθεμαι - laid)]

1. to lay up in addition
2. (middle voice and figuratively) to impart
3. (by implication) to consult

contribute, consult

From pros and anatithemai; to lay up in addition, i.e. (middle voice and figuratively) to impart or (by implication) to consult -- in conference add, confer.

see GREEK pros

see GREEK anatithemai

Word Origin
from pros and anatithémi
Definition
to lay on besides, hence to undertake besides (mid.)
NASB Translation
consult (1), contributed (1).

STRONGS NT 4323: προσανατίθημι

προσανατίθημι: 2 aorist middle προσανεθέμην;

1. to lay upon in addition (cf. πρός, IV. 2).

2. Middle,

a. to lay upon oneself in addition: φορτον, Pollux 1, 9, 99; to undertake besides: τί, Xenophon, mem. 2, 1, 8.

b. with a dative of the person to put oneself upon another by going to him (πρός), i. e. to commit or betake oneself to another namely, for the purpose of consulting him, hence, to consult, to take one into counsel (A. V. confer with), (Diodorus 17, 116 τοῖς μαντεσι προσαναθεμενος περί τοῦ σημείου; Lucian, Jup. trag. § 1 ἐμοί προσαναθου, λαβέ με σύμβουλον πόνων), Galatians 1:16.

c. to add from one's store (this is the force of the middle), to communicate, impart: τί πινι Galatians 2:6.

Meaning in Narrative Flow

In Galatians Paul employs προσανατίθεμαι to highlight the contrast between divine revelation and human endorsement. The verb appears when he states that, after Christ was “revealed…in me… I did not rush to consult with flesh and blood” (Galatians 1:16), and again when he recounts that the Jerusalem leaders “added nothing to my message” (Galatians 2:6). In both settings the term underscores that the gospel Paul preaches is neither derived from nor modified by human counsel.

Occurrences and Literary Setting

• Galatians 1:16 – post-conversion independence from immediate human advisement.
• Galatians 2:6 – final appraisal at Jerusalem where apostolic leaders refrain from augmenting Paul’s gospel.

These two appearances bracket the autobiographical section of Galatians (1:11–2:14), forming a literary inclusio that frames Paul’s defense of his apostolic credentials.

Paul’s Apostolic Self-Understanding

The verb marks a deliberate restraint on Paul’s part: he withholds the initiative to seek validation so that the sufficiency of Christ’s revelation stands unclouded. Later, when interaction with the Jerusalem apostles does occur (Galatians 2:1-10), it is not to obtain permission but to demonstrate gospel unity. Thus προσανατίθεμαι becomes a marker of independence without isolation—Paul is free from human control yet committed to corporate harmony.

Guarding the Purity of the Gospel

In refusing to “consult” and in reporting that the leaders “added nothing,” Paul safeguards two truths:

1. The gospel originates with God alone; any admixture threatens its grace basis (Galatians 1:6-9).
2. Genuine apostolic authority confirms, rather than alters, that divine message. The Jerusalem pillars recognize the same grace operating in Paul (Galatians 2:9), illustrating that unity is measured by fidelity to revelation, not by institutional hierarchy.

Historical Significance

The terminology sheds light on the first-century Church’s negotiation of authority between the predominantly Jewish Jerusalem base and the expanding Gentile mission. Paul’s narrative predates the Acts 15 council yet anticipates its verdict: salvation is through faith apart from law observance. His selective use of προσανατίθεμαι points to a critical moment when the gospel could have been regionalized or ethnically restricted; instead, consensus around grace prevails.

Ecclesiological Implications

1. Scripture, not tradition, carries final authority.
2. Church leaders serve as guardians, not editors, of apostolic doctrine.
3. Consultation is valuable (Proverbs 11:14) but never at the expense of revealed truth.

Practical Ministry Lessons

• Receive vision from the Lord before seeking human strategy.
• Engage peers for accountability, expecting confirmation rather than alteration of core doctrine.
• Resist pressures—cultural, institutional, or personal—that would “add” to the gospel of grace.

Intertextual Echoes

While προσανατίθεμαι appears only in Galatians, its thematic resonance stretches across Scripture: Moses receives law directly from God (Exodus 24:12) yet later shares it with elders; Jeremiah’s fire in his bones (Jeremiah 20:9) cannot await popular approval; Peter and John insist, “We cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20). In each instance divine commission overrides human negotiation, though community confirmation follows.

Summary

Strong’s Greek 4323, as used by Paul, functions as a theological signpost: the gospel is divinely sourced, apostolically verified, universally binding, and perpetually unalterable.

προσανεθεμην προσανεθέμην προσανεθεντο προσανέθεντο prosanethemen prosanethemēn prosanethémen prosanethémēn prosanethento prosanéthentoInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts