Lexical Summary basis: Foot, base, foundation Original Word: βάσις Strong's Exhaustive Concordance foot. From baino (to walk); a pace ("base"), i.e. (by implication) the foot -- foot. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom bainó (to walk, to go) Definition a foot NASB Translation feet (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 939: βάσιςβάσις, βάσεως, ἡ (ΒΑΩ, βαίνω); 1. a stepping, walking (Aeschylus, Sophocles, others). 2. that with which one steps, the foot: Acts 3:7 (Plato, Tim., p. 92{a}, et al.; Wis. 13:18). The Greek noun βάσις (basis), rendered “feet” in Acts 3:7, literally denotes the part of the body that stands or steps. In broader Greek usage it could describe a foundation, a pedestal, or the footing of a structure. The New Testament employs the word once, focusing attention on the physical extremities that enable standing, walking, and entering the presence of others. Context in Acts 3:7 Luke records that Peter, meeting a man lame from birth at the Beautiful Gate, “took him by the right hand and helped him up, and at once the man’s feet and ankles were made strong” (Acts 3:7). The sudden strengthening of the βάσεις highlights three themes: 1. Authentic apostolic authority confirmed by miracle (Acts 2:43; Hebrews 2:3-4). Symbolic and Theological Significance Standing and walking are biblical metaphors for covenant faithfulness (Genesis 17:1; Micah 6:8; Galatians 5:25). By restoring the man’s βάσεις, God dramatically illustrates: Connection with Old Testament Imagery Priests ministered barefoot on holy ground (Exodus 3:5; Joshua 5:15), emphasizing dependence on God’s provision. The lame man’s renewed footing echoes prophetic visions where the weak are strengthened (Isaiah 35:3-6) and the lame gather to Zion (Micah 4:6-7). Acts 3 portrays those prophecies breaking into history through the name of Jesus Messiah. Historical and Cultural Background First-century medicine offered no cure for congenital lameness. Begging at a Temple gate capitalized on worshipers’ almsgiving. Restoration of the βάσεις thus held social, economic, and religious implications: the man transitions from mendicant to participant, from dependent outsider to praising worshiper (Acts 3:9-10). For Luke’s audience, steeped in Greco-Roman ideals of bodily perfection, such a cure marked the gospel’s power to overturn cultural stigmas. Ministry and Pastoral Application 1. Compassionate engagement: Peter’s touch and lift model hands-on care, not distant pity. Systematic Theology Links • Pneumatology: the Spirit’s power accompanies apostolic witness (Acts 1:8; 4:33). Related New Testament Themes • Strengthening the weak (Romans 14:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:14). Further Study Suggestions Compare βάσις in Acts 3:7 with: |
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