To make plain (by words)
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G1213, dēlóō, is a Greek verb for making something plain, reporting it, showing what it means, or rendering a matter evident to the mind. Its seven New Testament uses do not describe one method of communication.
Reader summary
Full entry for δηλόω (G1213) · Open the biblical lexicon
G1213, dēlóō, is a Greek verb for making something plain, reporting it, showing what it means, or rendering a matter evident to the mind. Its seven New Testament uses do not describe one method of communication.
The BSB source-word alignment has 7 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include has made clear (1), have informed (1), informed (1), signify (1), was pointing (1).
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at 1 Corinthians 1:11. Its strongest book concentrations include 1 Corinthians (2), Hebrews (2), 1 Peter (1), 2 Peter (1).
G1213, dēlóō, is a Greek verb for making something plain, reporting it, showing what it means, or rendering a matter evident to the mind. Its seven New Testament uses do not describe one method of communication. Chloe's household informs Paul about quarrels, and Epaphras reports the Colossians' love. The Day will bring ministry work to light. The Spirit of Christ points the prophets toward the sufferings and later glories of Christ. The Lord makes Peter's approaching death clear. The Holy Spirit shows the significance of the tabernacle arrangement, and Hebrews explains what the words “Once more” signify.
The contexts place G1213 within truthful testimony, divine disclosure, scriptural interpretation, enacted symbolism, and final evaluation. Something becomes plain through a credible report, an event, an arrangement, a phrase in Scripture, or the Lord's communication. The verb itself does not certify every claim that someone says God made clear. Scripture supplies the agent, content, means, and context in each use. Nor does the word mean that what is made known must be announced indiscriminately to everyone. Paul addresses a reported church conflict responsibly, and Peter uses knowledge of his death to strengthen believers' memory of established truth.
G1213 can help churches value clarity without confusing it with oversimplification or control. Faithful clarity tells the truth, identifies its basis, respects the difference between observation and inference, and serves an appropriate pastoral purpose. Reports of conflict need evidence, a fair hearing, and protection from retaliation. Claims of divine guidance must remain subordinate to Scripture and should not be used to bypass counsel or compel another person's conscience. Personal information should not be exposed merely because disclosure feels decisive. In these passages, making plain serves correction, encouragement, interpretation, readiness, worship, and hope under God's truth.
G1213 moves across responsible human reporting, the future disclosure of work, prophetic indication, the Lord's personal warning, and the Spirit's clarification through Scripture and sacred arrangement.
My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you.
A named household makes a real congregational conflict known to Paul, who addresses the division by directing every faction back to the undivided Christ.
His workmanship will be evident, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will prove the quality of each man’s work.
The coming Day will make the quality of each builder's work evident. Final disclosure belongs to God's evaluation, not present reputation alone.
And who also informed us of your love in the Spirit.
Epaphras reports the Colossians' love in the Spirit, giving Paul a truthful basis for thanksgiving, prayer, and encouragement from a distance.
By this arrangement the Holy Spirit was showing that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still standing.
The restricted tabernacle arrangement signifies a restricted way of access. Hebrews attributes this scriptural meaning to the Holy Spirit within its unfolding argument about Christ.
The words “Once more” signify the removal of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that the unshakable may remain.
Hebrews explains the significance of a particular scriptural phrase. Careful attention to the words supports hope in God's unshakable kingdom and reverent worship.
Trying to determine the time and setting to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.
The Spirit of Christ indicated a pattern of suffering and subsequent glory to searching prophets, whose message served later gospel hearers.
Because I know that this tent will soon be laid aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me.
The Lord makes Peter's approaching death clear, and Peter responds by refreshing believers' memory of truth they already know rather than centering private novelty.
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. to make plain (by words)
to make plain, declare: with accusative, 1Co.3:13, Col.1:8, Heb.9:8 12:27; with dative of person(s), 2Pe.1:14; with dative of person(s), before περί (pass.), 1Co.1:11; before εἰς, 1Pe.1:11.
Textus Receptus witness, full corpusGreek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
7 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
I show, make clear, reveal
Read verseI show, make clear, reveal
Read verseI show, make clear, reveal
Read verseI show, make clear, reveal
Read verseI show, make clear, reveal
Read verseI show, make clear, reveal
Read verseI show, make clear, reveal
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 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)
δηλόω is built from this root:
G1213 does not glorify clarity as a performance of certainty. It locates clarity within accountable means. Chloe's household reports a concrete conflict, and Paul names the source while addressing the church through the cross of Christ. Epaphras makes the Colossians' love known, supporting thanksgiving rather than suspicion. In 1 Corinthians 3, the Day will disclose what present appearances cannot finally settle about ministry work.
First Peter describes the Spirit of Christ pointing prophets toward suffering and glory, while Hebrews shows the Spirit communicating through the pattern of tabernacle access and through the exact force of the words “Once more. ” Peter's personal knowledge of approaching death produces a ministry of reminder, not fascination with secret information. These uses call teachers to be clear about evidence, interpretation, confidence, and purpose.
A report is not automatically gossip, but it must be truthful and responsibly handled. A strong impression is not automatically divine disclosure, and a claim that “God made it clear” must never silence biblical testing, wise counsel, or another person's conscience. Clarity serves faith when it makes truth easier to examine and obey, protects people involved, admits where inference begins, and directs attention to Christ rather than the authority of the communicator.
Heb.9.8
G1213 is a verb represented locally by seven active or passive forms across aorist, future, imperfect, and present constructions. Those forms locate actions in discourse, but the agent, content, means, and purpose of clarification come from each passage.
The Old Testament presents God making His ways known through words, prophetic signs, covenant arrangements, and acts in history. The New Testament passages gathered under G1213 focus that pattern on Christ's sufferings and glories, access through His sacrifice, apostolic testimony, and the final testing of human work.