What does ἐντρέπω (entrépō) mean in the Bible?
G1788 can mean to put someone to shame and, in the middle or passive voice, to respect or show regard. 14, Paul explicitly says he writes not to shame but to warn beloved children.
Greek · G1788
ἐντρέπω
To cause shame
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ἐντρέπωG1788
Pronunciationentrépō
What does ἐντρέπω (entrépō) mean in the Bible?
G1788 can mean to put someone to shame and, in the middle or passive voice, to respect or show regard. 14, Paul explicitly says he writes not to shame but to warn beloved children.
Reader summary
Full entry for ἐντρέπω (G1788) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G1788?
The BSB source-word alignment has 9 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include They will respect (3), he may be ashamed (1), respect (1), respected (1), to shame (1).
Where does ἐντρέπω (entrépō) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 21:37. Its strongest book concentrations include Luke (3), 1 Corinthians (1), 2 Thessalonians (1), Hebrews (1).
What This Word Actually Means
G1788 can mean to put someone to shame and, in the middle or passive voice, to respect or show regard. In 1Cor. 4. 14, Paul explicitly says he writes not to shame but to warn beloved children. In Luke. 18. 2, the unjust judge neither fears God nor respects people. In Titus. 2. 8, sound speech leaves an opponent ashamed because there is nothing bad to say. G1788 opens teaching on warning without humiliation, regard for persons, public credibility, and corrective boundaries.
It does not make shame a preferred pastoral technique, demand respect for injustice, or guarantee that blameless conduct will silence every false accusation. The passage must decide whether shame is imposed, exposed, corrected, or transformed through mercy.
How the Bible Uses It
G1788 moves between causing shame and showing respect. Letters use it for corrective social consequences or explicitly reject humiliation, while parables describe people who do or do not respect another.
- 1Cor.4.14
I am not writing this to shame you, but to warn you as my beloved children.
Paul distinguishes his sharp warning from an intention to shame, naming the Corinthians as beloved children.
- Luke.18.2
“In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected men.
The unjust judge lacks both fear of God and respect for people, yet persistent appeal exposes his self-interest.
- Titus.2.8
And wholesome speech that is above reproach, so that anyone who opposes us will be ashamed, having nothing bad to say about us.
Wholesome, irreproachable speech leaves an opponent with no truthful evil report to make.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders ItThey will respect3×Matthew 21:37, Mark 12:6, Luke 20:13
he may be ashamed1×2 Thessalonians 3:14
respect1×Luke 18:4
respected1×Luke 18:2
to shame1×1 Corinthians 4:14
we respected [them]1×Hebrews 12:9
will be ashamed1×Titus 2:8
Show sample aligned rows
Matthew 21:37ἘντραπήσονταιtoThey will respectVerb - Future Indicative Passive - 3rd Person PluralMark 12:6ἘντραπήσονταιtoThey will respectVerb - Future Indicative Passive - 3rd Person PluralLuke 18:2ἐντρεπόμενοςtorespectedVerb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine SingularLuke 18:4ἐντρέπομαιtorespectVerb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 1st Person SingularLuke 20:13ἐντραπήσονταιtothey will respectVerb - Future Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Plural1 Corinthians 4:14ἐντρέπωνtoto shameVerb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular2 Thessalonians 3:14ἐντραπῇtohe may be ashamedVerb - Aorist Subjunctive Passive - 3rd Person SingularTitus 2:8ἐντραπῇtowill be ashamedVerb - Aorist Subjunctive Passive - 3rd Person SingularHebrews 12:9ἐνετρεπόμεθαtowe respected [them]Verb - Imperfect Indicative Passive - 1st Person Plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowMatthew 21:37
Aligned rows9
Books represented7
Matthew1Mark1Luke31 Corinthians12 Thessalonians1Titus1Hebrews1
Source forms
ἐντραπῇ2xentrapē2 Thessalonians 3:14, Titus 2:8
Ἐντραπήσονται2xEntrapēsontaiMatthew 21:37, Mark 12:6
ἐνετρεπόμεθα1xenetrepomethaHebrews 12:9
ἐντραπήσονται1xentrapēsontaiLuke 20:13
ἐντρέπομαι1xentrepomaiLuke 18:4
ἐντρεπόμενος1xentrepomenosLuke 18:2
ἐντρέπων1xentrepōn1 Corinthians 4:14
Parsing patterns
Verb - Future Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Plural3xMatthew 21:37, Mark 12:6, Luke 20:13
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Passive - 3rd Person Singular2x2 Thessalonians 3:14, Titus 2:8
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Passive - 1st Person Plural1xHebrews 12:9
Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 1st Person Singular1xLuke 18:4
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular1x1 Corinthians 4:14
Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Singular1xLuke 18:2
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Do not use public confession, social exclusion, forced disclosure, or ridicule to manufacture repentance.
- Do not tell victims to respect abusive people by restoring access, dropping boundaries, or withdrawing truthful reports.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim that G1788 makes shame a reliable or universally approved engine of moral change.
- Do not claim that blameless speech guarantees opponents will stop lying or that reputation replaces due process.
Evidence Summary
Greek word. To shame someone by turning them around morally; in middle voice, to show deference or respect.
Strong'sG1788
Lexical occurrences9 versesGreek text appearances9 timesWord forms3 forms9 referencesVerse guides0 guides
Source Gloss
to cause shame
Extended definitionSource: STEPBible TBESG + Abbott-Smith
To shame someone by turning them around morally; in middle voice, to show deference or respect.
to turn about; metaphorically, put to shame: with accusative, 1Co.4:14; pass., 2Th.3:14, Tit.2:8; mid., to reverence: with accusative of person(s) (cl. with genitive), Mat.21:37, Mrk.12:6, Luk.18:2, 4 20:13, Heb.12:9 (cf. MM, Exp., iii, xiii).
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpusGreek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
9 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Matthew 21:37Verb Third Person Plural Second Future Passive Indicative
Ἐντραπήσονταιentraphsontai
I turn to confusion, put to shame, reverence
Read verseMark 12:6Verb Third Person Plural Second Future Passive Indicative
Ἐντραπήσονταιentraphsontai
I turn to confusion, put to shame, reverence
Read verseLuke 18:2Verb Present Passive Participle Nominative Singular Masculine
ἐντρεπόμενος·entrepomenov
I turn to confusion, put to shame, reverence
Read verseLuke 18:4Verb First Person Singular Present Passive Indicative
ἐντρέπομαι·entrepomai
I turn to confusion, put to shame, reverence
Read verseLuke 20:13Verb Third Person Plural Second Future Passive Indicative
ἐντραπήσονται.entraphsontai
I turn to confusion, put to shame, reverence
Read verse1 Corinthians 4:14Verb Present Active Participle Nominative Singular Masculine
ἐντρέπωνentrepwn
I turn to confusion, put to shame, reverence
Read verse2 Thessalonians 3:14Verb Third Person Singular Second Aorist Passive Subjunctive
ἐντραπῇ·entraph
I turn to confusion, put to shame, reverence
Read verseTitus 2:8Verb Third Person Singular Second Aorist Passive Subjunctive
ἐντραπῇ,entraph
I turn to confusion, put to shame, reverence
Read verseHebrews 12:9Verb First Person Plural Imperfect Passive Indicative
ἐνετρεπόμεθα·enetrepomeqa
I turn to confusion, put to shame, reverence
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.
Grammatical Forms
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.
Form groups3Aligned forms9TensesFuture, Aorist, Present, ImperfectVoicesPassive, Active
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Tenses
Voices
Indicativestates a fact or reality5×
Future PassiveMatt 21:37 · Mark 12:6 · Luke 20:133×
Present PassiveLuke 18:41×
Imperfect PassiveHeb 12:91×
Subjunctivepossibility, probability, or purpose2×
Aorist Passive2 Thess 3:14 · Titus 2:82×
Participleverbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality2×
Present PassiveLuke 18:21×
Present Active1 Cor 4:141×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 9 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect
Tense
present3future3aorist2imperfect1
Voice
passive8active1
Mood
indicative5participle2subjunctive2
NT Occurrences
Matthew 21:37Ἐντραπήσονταιfuture passive indicativeprospectiveMark 12:6Ἐντραπήσονταιfuture passive indicativeprospectiveLuke 18:2ἐντρεπόμενοςpresent passive participleparticipleLuke 18:4ἐντρέπομαιpresent passive indicativeongoingLuke 20:13ἐντραπήσονταιfuture passive indicativeprospective1 Corinthians 4:14ἐντρέπωνpresent active participleparticiple2 Thessalonians 3:14ἐντραπῇaorist passive subjunctivesubjunctiveTitus 2:8ἐντραπῇaorist passive subjunctivesubjunctiveHebrews 12:9ἐνετρεπόμεθαimperfect passive indicativebackground
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)
Word Origins
ἐντρέπω is built from these roots:
τροπήG5157
For the Preacher and Teacher
G1788 reveals that shame and respect are related but not interchangeable tools. Paul can speak firmly while denying an intent to humiliate. He names relationship and warning together, offering a pattern in which correction seeks restoration rather than social destruction. The unjust judge shows the opposite posture: he recognizes neither God's claim nor human dignity, responding only when persistence threatens his convenience.
Titus locates shame with the opponent whose accusation lacks truthful support, not with a community manufacturing disgrace. Second Thessalonians uses social distance to awaken recognition while still commanding that the person not be regarded as an enemy. Faithful application distinguishes consequence from humiliation, documents concerns, preserves routes to repentance, and refuses public spectacle.
Respect is not blind compliance; it is regard for persons under God. Sound speech aims to be true and defensible even when opponents remain hostile.
Anchor passage
1Cor.4.14
Doctrinal connections
- G1788: apostolic warning can be firm while explicitly refusing humiliation as its purpose.
- G1788: beloved identity and corrective speech belong together in restorative pastoral care.
- G1788: a ruler who neither fears God nor respects people embodies unaccountable power.
- G1788: wholesome speech seeks integrity that leaves accusations without truthful substance.
- G1788: bounded association can communicate seriousness while the person remains a brother rather than an enemy.
- G1788: respect recognizes dignity and rightful claims but never converts injustice into unquestionable authority.
G1788 is a Greek verb whose active use can mean turn someone toward shame, while middle or passive uses often mean feel regard or respect. Voice, object, and discourse purpose are decisive.
From Old to New Testament
Biblical wisdom contrasts wise correction with public disgrace, Jesus protects the shamed while confronting hypocrites, and the apostles call for discipline that seeks repentance without treating a member as an enemy.