Quick Definition
μελετάω v. I devise, plan
Strong's Definition
from a presumed derivative of 3199; to take care of, i.e. (by implication) revolve in the mind
KJV Usage: imagine, (pre-)meditate
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
verb | μέλει
30.20 · Think · To Think, Thought
to ponder, to let one’s mind dwell on, to keep thinking about, to fix one’s attention on to keep on giving serious consideration to something It is also possible to understand μελετάω in 1TI 4:15 as meaning ‘to do’ or ‘to practice,’ as noted in 68.20.
30.60 · Think · To Intend, To Purpose, To Plan
to plan to act, to plot to think seriously about a particular course of action
68.20 · Aspect · Continue
to practice, to continue to do, to cultivate to continue to perform certain activities with care and concern The construction in 1TI 4:15, in which ταῦτα μελέτα and ἐν τούτοις ἴσθι appear to be essentially synonymous reinforcements one of the other, would appear to fully justify combining these expressions as essentially equivalent in meaning, but for another interpretation of μελετάω in 1TI 4:15, see 30.20.
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
μελετάω, -@: 1 aor. ἐμελέτησα ; (fr. μελέτη Care, practice) ; esp. freq. in Grk. writ. fr. Soph. and Thue. down ; Sept. chiefly tor 739; to care for, attend to carefully, practise: ri, 1 Tim. iv. 15 [R. V. be diligent in]; to meditate i. q. to devise, contrive: Acts iv. 25 fr. Ps.ii.1; used by the Greeks of the meditative pondering and the practice of orators and rhetoricians, as μ. τὴν ἀπολογίαν ὑπὲρ ξαυτῶν, Dem. p. 1129, 9 (ef. Passow 8. v. ἃ. [L. and S. s. vy. II. 2 and III. 4 b.]), which usage seems to have been in the writer’s mind in Mk. xiii.11[RLbr. Comp.: προ-μελετάω |.
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
μελετάω meletaō 2x
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*
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
μελετάω, -ῶ
(< μελέτη, care), [in LXX chiefly for הגה;]
c. gen., to care for (Hes.).
C. acc. to attend to, practise: I Ti 4:15 (RV, be diligent in; cf. Souter in Exp., VIII, vi, 429, but v. infr.).
to study, ponder: Ac 4:25(LXX), I Ti 4:15 (AV, meditate on; cf. CGT, in l., but v. supr.; cf. προ-μελετάω).†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
μελετάω. Hesychius defines this verb as ---ἀσκέω, ἐπιμελέομαι, γυμνάζομαι, i.e. ‘exercise oneself in,’’ a meaning which suits admirably both the NT passages Ac 435, 1 Tim 415, in which it occurs; cf. Ps 1? ἐν τῷ νόμῳ αὐτοῦ μελετήσει. ‘in ie tas | 0 Selene , ἢ (0 ᾿ΗΑΞ:) | tlon—ii/iii A.D.) πρόσμιξον μέλι καὶ
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
μελετάω (meletaō) — to meditate/plot. μελετ-άω, future -ήσω [Refs 8th c.BC+] Verb, take thought or care for, with genitive, βίου, ἔργου, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; of a physician, treat a case, [Refs 5th c.BC+] —passive [Refs]
2. attend to, study, οὐ δύναμαι ἀκοῦσαι, τοῦτο μελετῶν (i.e. τὸ ἀκοῦσαι) [Refs 5th c.BC+]
II. pursue, exercise, [μαντείην] [Refs]; μ. τοῦτο (i.e. ἡμεροδρόμην εἶναι) [Refs 5th c.BC+]: frequently in Attic dialect, μ. σοφίαν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τέχνας, ῥητορικήν, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; practise, ἤθη, γαστριμαργίας, ὕβρεις, [Refs]; [νόμους] [NT+5th c.BC+]; especially practise speaking, con over a speech in one's mind, λογάρια δύστηνα μελετήσας [Refs 4th c.BC+]; also, deliver, declaim[Refs 2nd c.AD+] —passive, τὸ ναυτικὸν οὐκ ἐνδέχεται ἐκ παρέργου μελετᾶσθαι naval warfare cannot be practised 'en amateur', [Refs 5th c.BC+]; εὐταξία μετὰ κινδύνων μελετωμένη discipline put in practice on the battle-field, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
II.2. with infinitive, μετρίως ἀλγεῖν μελετᾷ σοφία practises moderation in grief, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; μ. ἀποθνῄσκειν, τεθνάναι, practise dying, death, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
II.3. less frequently with participle, μ. κυβερνῶντες [Refs 5th c.BC+]; with ὡς and participle, [Refs]
II.4. with preposition, μ. ἔν τινι [LXX]
II.5. absolutely, study, train oneself, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: with dative modi, τόξῳ μ. καὶ ἀκοντίῳ [Refs]; ἐν τῷ μὴ μελετῶντι by want of practice, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
II.5. b especially practise oratory, declaim, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐπὶ τῶν καιρῶν μ. extemporize a speech, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; of actors, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
II.6. in Medicine texts, of disease, threaten, μ. τὴν τοῦ καρκινώματος γένεσιν [Refs 1st c.AD+]:—passive, ἀπειλᾷ καὶ μελετᾶται μανία [Refs 4th c.BC+]
II.7. with accusative person, exercise, train persons, ἐμελέτησεν [αὐτοὺς] ὡς εἶεν.. [Refs 5th c.BC+]: with infinitive, οὓς ἀναβαίνειν ἐπὶ τοὺς ἵππους μελετᾷ Φείδων [Refs 4th c.BC+] —passive, μελετώμενοι ὑπ᾽ αὐτῶν τὴν πτῆσιν, of eaglets, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
III. Grammars, to be accustomed, with infinitive, μεμελέτηκε τὸ τ ¯ εἰς θ ¯ τρέπεσθαι [Refs 9th c.AD+]
III. b in Medicine texts, acquire a habit, μελετησάντων ἐκπίπτειν βραχιόνων [Refs 2nd c.AD+]:— passive, become chronic, μελετηθὲν τὸ πάθος [Refs 6th c.AD+]