Original Word: εὐχαριστέω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: eucharisteó
Pronunciation: yoo-khar-is-TEH-o
Phonetic Spelling: (yoo-khar-is-teh'-o)
KJV: (give) thank(-ful, -s)
NASB: thank, give thanks, giving thanks, given thanks, gave thanks, gives thanks, give thanks
Word Origin: [from G2170 (εὐχάριστος - thankful)]

1. to be grateful
2. (actively) to express gratitude (towards)
3. (specially) to say grace at a meal

give thanks.

From eucharistos; to be grateful, i.e. (actively) to express gratitude (towards); specially, to say grace at a meal -- (give) thank(-ful, -s).

see GREEK eucharistos

2168 euxaristéō (from 2095 /eú, "good" and 5485/xaris, "grace") – properly, acknowledging that "God's grace works well," i.e. for our eternal gain and His glory; to give thanks – literally, "thankful for God's good grace."

Word Origin
from eucharistos
Definition
to be thankful
NASB Translation
gave thanks (2), give...thanks (1), give thanks (8), given thanks (6), gives thanks (2), giving thanks (7), thank (9), thanked (1), thanks (1), thanks may be given (1).

STRONGS NT 2168: εὐχαριστέω

εὐχαριστέω, εὐχαριστῶ; 1 aorist ἐυχαρίστησα (Acts 27:35) and ἠυχαρίστησα (Romans 1:21 G L T Tr WH; see references in εὐδοκέω, at the beginning); 1 aorist passive subjunctive 3 person singular εὐχαριστηθῇ (2 Corinthians 1:11); (εὐχάριστος, which see);

1. to be grateful, feel thankful; so in the decree of the Byzantines in Demosthenes pro cor., p. 257, 2.

2. to give thanks (so Posid. quoted in Athen. 5, p. 213 e.; Polybius, Diodorus, Philo, Josephus, Plutarch, Epictetus, others; cf. Lob. ad Phryn., p. 18 (Winer's Grammar, 23 (22))): τίνι, especially τῷ Θεῷ, Luke 17:16; Acts 27:35; Acts 28:15; Romans 14:6; Romans 16:4; 1 Corinthians 14:18 (see below); Philippians 1:3; Colossians 1:3, 12; Philemon 1:4; (with the accusative (hence, as the nominative) in the passive, ἵνα ... ὑπέρ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ὁ Θεός ἐυχαρίστηται, Philo, quis rer. div. her. § 36). simply, so that τῷ Θεῷ must be added mentally: Romans 1:21; (1 Corinthians 14:17); 1 Thessalonians 5:18; especially where the giving of thanks customary at the beginning of a feast, or in general before eating, is spoken of: Matthew 15:30; Matthew 26:27; Mark 8:6; Mark 14:23; Luke 22:17, 19; John 6:11, 23; 1 Corinthians 11:24; εὐχαριστεῖν τῷ Θεῷ διά Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, through Christ i. e. by Christ's help (because both the favors for which thanks are given and the gratitude which prompts the thanks are due to Christ (cf. Winer's Grammar, 378 (354) note)): Romans 1:8; Romans 7:2.) R WH marginal reading; Colossians 3:17; τῷ Θεῷ ἐν ὀνόματι Χριστοῦ (see ὄνομα, 2 c.), Ephesians 5:20. Of that for or on account of which thanks are given to God, we find — περί τίνος, the genitive of person, concerning, with regard to one (1 Thessalonians 1:2); 2 Thessalonians 1:3 (cf. Ellicott, in the place cited); with ὅτι added epexegetically, Romans 1:8 (where R G ὑπέρ); 2 Thessalonians 2:13; with addition of ἐπί and the dative of the thing for, on account of, which, 1 Corinthians 1:4; ὑπέρ τίνος, the genitive of person, Ephesians 1:16; ὑπέρ with the genitive of the thing, for, on account of, 1 Corinthians 10:30; Ephesians 5:20; the matter or ground of the thanksgiving is expressed by a following ὅτι: Luke 18:11; John 11:41; 1 Corinthians 1:14; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; Revelation 11:17; or is added asyndetically without ὅτι, 1 Corinthians 14:18 (λαλῶ L T Tr WH, for which R G λαλῶν, the participle declaring the cause which prompts to thanksgiving (Winers Grammar, 345f (324); Buttmann, 300 (258))). Once εὐχαριστεῖν τί, for a thing, in the passage 2 Corinthians 1:11 (cf. Buttmann, 148 (130); Winer's Grammar, 222 (209)); in the Fathers εὐχαριστεῖν τί is "to consecrate a thing by giving thanks, to 'bless'": ὁ ἐυχαριστηθεις ἄρτος καί οἶνος, Justin Martyr, Apology 1, 65 at the end; ἐυχαριστηθεισα τροφή, ibid.

c. 66; εἰσιν οἱ ἐυχαριστουσι ψιλον ὕδωρ, Clement of Alexandria, strom. i., p. 317, Sylb. edition; (cf. Suicer, Thesaurus i., 1269. "The words εὐχάριστος, εὐχαριστεῖν, εὐχαριστία, occur in St. Paul's writings alone of the apostolic Epistles" (Lightfoot; cf. Ellicott on Colossians 1:12)).

Biblical Usage and Distribution

Strong’s 2168 (eūcharisteō) appears thirty-eight times across ten New Testament books. The verb frames gratitude as an intentional, God-directed act. Nine occurrences are on the lips of Jesus, four occur in narrative descriptions of early Christian worship, and twenty-five are Pauline (including the Pastoral style verses in Ephesians and Colossians), showing the breadth of the theme from Gospel narrative to apostolic instruction.

Pattern in the Gospels

1. Jesus’ mealtime thanksgivings (Matthew 15:36; Mark 8:6; John 6:11, 23) present gratitude as the gateway to divine provision. The disciples hand out bread only after the Lord “gave thanks.”
2. At the Last Supper (Matthew 26:27; Mark 14:23; Luke 22:17, 19) Jesus “gave thanks” over the cup and bread, establishing the tone of the Eucharistic remembrance.
3. Luke 17:16 underscores the moral gravity of thanksgiving when the healed Samaritan leper returns, “throwing himself at Jesus’ feet and thanking Him.”
4. Luke 18:11 records a negative use: the Pharisee boasts, “God, I thank You that I am not like the other men,” exposing false gratitude rooted in self-righteousness.
5. John 11:41 links thanksgiving to faith in advance of the miracle: “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.”

Distinctive Pauline Emphasis

Paul opens or quickly follows the greeting of almost every letter with thanks to God (Romans 1:8; 1 Corinthians 1:4; Philippians 1:3; Colossians 1:3; 1 Thessalonians 1:2; 2 Thessalonians 1:3; Philemon 1:4). Thanksgiving thus anchors his apostolic authority in worship rather than mere rhetoric.

In Romans 1:21 he indicts unbelief because “although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him.” In Romans 14:6 he argues for liberty of conscience: “He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God,” teaching that gratitude sanctifies varying practices.

1 Corinthians 10:30 links thanksgiving with freedom: “If I partake in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced?” In the same letter Paul several times declares personal thanks that direct attention back to God’s grace rather than human merit (1 Corinthians 1:14; 14:18).

Thanksgiving as Worship

Ephesians 5:20 commands believers to be “always giving thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Colossians 3:17 widens the scope: “Whatever you do in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Thanksgiving is therefore the spiritual atmosphere in which all Christian conduct is to occur.

Connection with Old Testament Thanksgiving

The Septuagint uses eūcharisteō to translate Hebrew yadah (“praise/thanks”), especially in the Psalms. This continuity situates New Testament gratitude within the covenantal pattern: acknowledging God’s steadfast love, rehearsing His mighty acts, and responding with loyal obedience (Psalm 136; compare Revelation 11:17).

Christological Dimensions

Jesus models gratitude even while anticipating the cross. At the Supper He gives thanks over the symbols of His own poured-out blood (Luke 22:17–19), sealing the New Covenant. His thank-filled prayers disclose perfect filial trust and lay the pattern for believers’ priestly intercession.

Corporate Worship and the Lord’s Table

The early church adopted eucharisteō-prayers as the fixed center of its gathered worship. Acts 27:35 shows Paul, aboard a storm-tossed ship, “took bread and, after giving thanks to God in front of them all, he broke it and began to eat,” turning crisis into worship and witness. Acts 28:15 records Paul “thanked God” upon meeting Roman believers, highlighting fellowship as occasion for gratitude.

1 Corinthians 11:24 recounts that the Lord “gave thanks” before breaking the bread, and the church’s ongoing celebration of the Supper comes to be called “the Eucharist,” directly from this verb. Thanksgiving is therefore not only an attitude but also a liturgical act that shapes Christian identity.

Thanksgiving and Faith

Faith recognizes gifts; thanksgiving articulates that recognition. Romans 1:21 diagnoses ingratitude as the root of futile thinking, while 1 Thessalonians 5:18 gives the antidote: “Give thanks in every circumstance, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Gratitude thus proves genuine faith and guards against idolatry and anxiety (Philippians 4:6).

Eschatological Outlook

Revelation 11:17 records the twenty-four elders: “We give thanks to You, Lord God Almighty,” showing that eternal worship is saturated with thanksgiving. Earthly gratitude anticipates heavenly liturgy, anchoring present endurance in future hope.

Historical and Liturgical Developments

By the second century “Eucharist” becomes the technical term for the Lord’s Supper, revealing how central thanksgiving was to early Christian self-understanding. The Didache prescribes prayers that begin, “We thank You, our Father.” Patristic writers maintain the link between grateful remembrance and sacramental participation, reinforcing the apostolic pattern.

Pastoral and Discipleship Implications

• Cultivate daily patterns of expressed thanks, grounding them in the character and works of God rather than circumstances.
• Shape congregational prayers with explicit gratitude before petitions, following Philippians 4:6.
• Teach that thanksgiving sanctifies ordinary activities (Romans 14:6; Colossians 3:17) and guards against spiritual pride (Luke 18:11).
• Anchor pastoral counseling in the diagnostic question: “Where is gratitude absent?” because ingratitude often signals deeper unbelief or bitterness.
• Use the Lord’s Table to rehearse the gospel through thanksgiving, reminding believers that grace received must overflow in praise.

Key Verses

“Jesus then took the loaves, and after giving thanks He distributed them to those who were seated.” John 6:11

“Do this in remembrance of Me.” 1 Corinthians 11:24

“In everything give thanks, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

“We give thanks to You, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because You have taken Your great power and begun to reign.” Revelation 11:17

Thanksgiving, expressed through eūcharisteō, is the distinctive language of redeemed humanity—rooted in Christ’s own prayers, expanded by apostolic teaching, practiced in the gathered church, and destined to resonate through eternity.

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