To open thoroughly, literally (as a first-born) or figuratively (to expound)
Reading a lexicon entry
What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
Strong's number: The Strong's code (H- or G-) is the standard reference number for this word. It connects this entry to chapter and passage language tabs.
Where it appears: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
This lexicon entry is part of our ongoing editorial review. If you notice missing content, unclear wording, or a possible correction, please send us a note through theConnect page. Screenshots are helpful.
G1272 is a Greek verb for opening fully and, figuratively, for explaining or enabling understanding. Luke 24:45 says the risen Jesus opened the disciples' minds to understand the Scriptures, joining insight to His presence, suffering, resurrection, and mission.
Reader summary
Full entry for διανοίγω (G1272) · Open the biblical lexicon
G1272 is a Greek verb for opening fully and, figuratively, for explaining or enabling understanding. Luke 24:45 says the risen Jesus opened the disciples' minds to understand the Scriptures, joining insight to His presence, suffering, resurrection, and mission.
The BSB source-word alignment has 8 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include opened (2), Be opened (1), explaining (1), firstborn (1), He opened (1).
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Mark 7:34. Its strongest book concentrations include Luke (4), Acts (3), Mark (1).
G1272 is a Greek verb for opening fully and, figuratively, for explaining or enabling understanding. Luke 24:45 says the risen Jesus opened the disciples' minds to understand the Scriptures, joining insight to His presence, suffering, resurrection, and mission. Acts 16:14 says the Lord opened Lydia's heart to respond to Paul's message while she was listening among other women by the river.
Mark 7:34 records Jesus looking to heaven, sighing, and saying to a deaf man, 'Be opened,' within a personal healing encounter. Other uses describe opened eyes, opened heaven, the opening of Scripture, and the legal designation of a firstborn male. G1272 opens revelation, interpretation, response, recognition, embodiment, and divine initiative. It corrects approaches that treat interpretation as secret access owned by a teacher or that use healing texts to diminish disabled people and override their own experience.
G1272 intensifies the act of opening. It can describe bodily opening, opened heaven, opened eyes, a receptive heart, a mind enabled to understand, or Scripture explained. The object opened and the acting agent determine whether the use is physical, perceptual, interpretive, or legal.
Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.
The risen Jesus opens His disciples' minds to understand Scripture in light of His suffering and resurrection.
Among those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.
The Lord opens Lydia's heart to respond as she listens to Paul's message within a gathered community.
And looking up to heaven, He sighed deeply and said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means, “Be opened!”).
Jesus sighs, looks to heaven, and addresses a deaf man in a particular embodied healing encounter.
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders ItA compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
Greek word. Opens thoroughly or completely—literal physical opening or metaphorical opening of mind/heart/scripture to understanding.
Opens thoroughly or completely—literal physical opening or metaphorical opening of mind/heart/scripture to understanding.
to open up completely, to open: Luk.2:23 (LXX); pass., Mrk.7:34, Act.7:56. Metaphorical, δ. τ. νοῦν, Luk.24:45, τ. καρδίαν, Act.16:14, pass., οἱ ὀφθαλμοί, Luk.24:31; of explaining, τ. γραφάς, Luk.24:32, Act.17:3.
Textus Receptus witness, full corpusGreek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
8 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
I open fully
Read verseI open fully
Read verseI open fully
Read verseI open fully
Read verseI open fully
Read verseI open fully
Read verseI open fully
Read verseI open fully
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
How this verb appears across 7 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.
Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Showing 4 selected witnesses from 8 lexical occurrence verses.
Highlights divine action enabling spiritual understanding.Acts 16:11-15
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
G1272 joins divine initiative with responsible interpretation. On the Emmaus road, Jesus opens Scripture before the disciples recognize Him, and then He opens their minds within the resurrection announcement and commission. Understanding is not a detached technique; it is accountable to the scriptural story centered on Christ's suffering, resurrection, repentance, forgiveness, and witness.
Lydia's opened heart likewise occurs while she listens in community and responds through hospitality. God's action does not make Paul's words irrelevant, nor does Paul's preaching let him control her response. Mark 7 adds an embodied scene marked by Jesus' attention and sigh. The passage proclaims His compassionate authority, but deaf and disabled people should not be treated as spiritual metaphors, defective listeners, or projects for public ministry.
Teachers can explain texts, ask good questions, name context, and pray for illumination. They cannot claim ownership over another person's conscience. Open understanding bears fruit in recognition, faithful response, hospitality, worship, and mission rather than dependence on an interpreter's hidden key.
Luke.24.45
G1272 combines the verb for opening with reinforcing prefixes and can mean open completely or explain. Its objects include body parts, heaven, heart, mind, eyes, and Scriptures, so literal and figurative senses are controlled by syntax and context.
The Old Testament asks God to open eyes and ears, unveils heavenly scenes, and calls for covenant words to be taught. The risen Christ opens Israel's Scriptures toward their gospel fulfillment, and the Spirit-formed mission meets hearers in concrete communities.