stephanoo denotes bestowing a crown or crowning, whether as a lawful competitor's reward or with glory and honor.

The attested use denotes the act of placing a crown upon someone: a competitor is said to receive it only through lawful competition in 2 Timothy 2:5, while Hebrews 2:7 and Hebrews 2:9 describe someone crowned with glory and honor.

1. Bestowing a crown or honor · dominant

   In 2 Timothy 2:5, the present passive form occurs in the condition that a competitor is not crowned unless he competes lawfully; the APB renders the clause "he is not crowned unless he competes lawfully." In Hebrews 2:7, the aorist active form addresses the action of crowning someone with glory and honor, and Hebrews 2:9 uses a perfect passive participle for one presented as crowned with glory and honor.

   2 Timothy 2:5Hebrews 2:7Hebrews 2:9

In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB uses "crowned" in all three verses, pairing it with lawful competition in 2 Timothy 2:5 and with "glory and honor" in Hebrews 2:7 and Hebrews 2:9. These renderings confirm the clauses' presentation rather than supplying a separate lexical distinction.