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Greek · G1860 · unreviewed

ἐπαγγελία

Promise

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ἐπαγγελία G1860
Pronunciation epangelía

What does ἐπαγγελία (epangelía) mean in the Bible?

ἐπαγγελία (epangelía) is a Greek word meaning "promise". ἐπ-αγγελία, -ας, ἡ (ἐπαγγέλλω), [in LXX: Psa. The inheritance depends on God’s promise rather than human performance. This term runs through the canonical themes of Covenant, Messiah.

Full entry for ἐπαγγελία (G1860) · Browse the biblical lexicon

Meaning

promise
Extended definition

Divine commitment to future blessing, not mere human word but binding covenantal assurance

(ἐπαγγέλλω), [in LXX: Psa.56:8 (סֵפֶר), etc. ;]

1a summons (as Attic law-term, Dem., al.).
2a promise (Dem., Arist., al.): Act.23:21; esp. in NT of the divine promises, Act.7:17, Rom.4:14, 16 Rom.9:4, Gal.3:17-18, 21 4:23, Heb.8:6 11:9, 17, 2Pe.3:9; with inf., Heb.4:1; γίνεται, etc., with dative of person(s), Act.2:39, Rom.4:13, Gal.3:16; before πρός, Act.13:32 26:6; έπαγγέλεσθαι τὴν ἐ., 1Jn.2:25; ἔχειν ἐπαγγελίας, Heb.7:6, 2Co.7:1; εἷναι νἐ έπαγγελίᾳ, Eph.6:2; ἡ γῆ τῆς ἐ., Heb.11:9; τὰ τέκνα τῆς ἐ., Rom.9:8, Gal.4:28; τ. πνεῦμα τῆς ἐ. τ. ἅγιον, Eph.1:13; αἱ διαθῆκαι τῆς ἐ., Eph.2:12; ἡ ἐ. τ. θεοῦ, Rom.4:20; pl., 2Co.1:20; αἱ ἐ. τ. πατέρων, Rom.15:8; with genitive obj., τ. ζωῆς (see Dalman, Words, 103), 1Ti.4:8; τ. παρουσίας αὐτοῦ, 2Pe.3:4; κατ ̓ ἐπαγγελίαν, Act.13:23, Gal.3:29, 2Ti.1:1; δι ̓ ἐπαγγελίας, Gal.3:18; συμμέτοχα τῆς ἐ., Eph.3:6; λόγος ἐπαγγελίας, Rom.9:9. By meton. (cf. ἐλπίς), of a promised blessing: Luk.24:49, Act.1:14, Gal.3:22, Heb.6:12-17 10:36 11:13, 33 11:39; with genitive epexeg., Act.2:33 Gal.3:14, Heb.9:15 (Cremer, 27).
Source: STEPBible TBESG + Abbott-Smith
Why This Word Matters
The inheritance depends on God’s promise rather than human performance. 1 John 2:24-27
Defines true covenant identity as grounded in God’s promise. 2 Timothy 1:1-7
Anchors Paul’s hope in God’s covenant faithfulness. Acts 26:1-8
The unfolding events occur as the time of God’s covenant promise draws near. Acts 7:17-34
Paul frames His apostleship around God’s pledged gospel reality. Timothy’s courage is rooted in what God has promised, not in shifting circumstances. Romans 4:13-25
Centers hope in the guaranteed gift of eternal life through the Son. Romans 9:1-13
Eternal life is not earned but received as God’s faithful promise in Christ.
Grammatical Forms

How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.

Nominative · Singular · Feminine Acts 2:39 · Rom 4:13 · Rom 4:14 · Gal 3:22 · 2 Pet 3:4 · 1 John 2:25 6×
Nominative · Plural · Feminine Rom 9:4 · 2 Cor 1:20 · Gal 3:16 3×
Genitive · Singular · Feminine Acts 7:17 · Acts 26:6 · Rom 9:8 · Rom 9:9 · Gal 3:18 · Gal 4:23 · Gal 4:28 · Eph 1:13 · Eph 2:12 · Eph 3:6 · Heb 4:1 · Heb 6:15 · Heb 6:17 · Heb 11:9 · 2 Pet 3:9 17×
Genitive · Plural · Feminine Gal 3:21 · Heb 11:33 2×
Dative · Singular · Feminine Eph 6:2 1×
Dative · Plural · Feminine Heb 8:6 1×
Accusative · Singular · Feminine Luke 24:49 · Acts 1:4 · Acts 2:33 · Acts 13:23 · Acts 13:32 · Acts 23:21 · Rom 4:16 · Rom 4:20 · Gal 3:14 · Gal 3:17 · Gal 3:29 · 1 Tim 4:8 · 2 Tim 1:1 · Heb 9:15 · Heb 10:36 · Heb 11:39 16×
Accusative · Plural · Feminine Rom 15:8 · 2 Cor 7:1 · Heb 6:12 · Heb 7:6 · Heb 11:13 · Heb 11:17 6×
52 total occurrences across all forms in the biblical text Morphology: MorphGNT SBLGNT — CC BY-SA 3.0
Canonical Themes
Covenant Messiah
Biblical Occurrences

Each occurrence shows the passage reference, the original language term as it appears in that context, its transliteration, and the contextual sense.

New Testament Witnesses
1 John 2:24-27 promise epangelía Nominative · Singular · Feminine
A pledged commitment from God that guarantees a future blessing.
2 Timothy 1:1-7 Promise epangelía Accusative · Singular · Feminine
a pledged commitment, promise, assured pledge
Acts 26:1-8 Promise epangelía Genitive · Singular · Feminine
Assured pledge or promise.
Acts 7:17-34 Promise epangelía Genitive · Singular · Feminine
A pledged commitment or divine assurance.
Romans 4:13-25 ἐπαγγελία epangelía Nominative · Singular · Feminine
Promise, pledge.
Romans 9:1-13 ἐπαγγελία epangelía Nominative · Plural · Feminine
Promise, pledged commitment.
Additional Occurrences
1-john Promise epangelía
declared assurance of future blessing
Appears In

Compound and idiomatic lexemes in which this word is a constituent. Follow a link to study the phrase and its other participating words.

ἐπαγγελία · πατήρ G1860, G3962
promise of my Father
Word Pictures (Robertson)

A.T. Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) discusses this term in the following chapters. Open any chapter and go to the Word Pictures tab to read his verse-by-verse commentary.

Acts 26 — Paul Before Agrippa: The Risen Christ Sends Light to Jews and Gentiles Acts 7 — Stephen Testifies to Israel’s Resistance and Christ’s Glory Galatians 3 — Faith, Promise, and the Curse-Bearing Christ Galatians 4 — No Longer Slaves: Sonship, Pastoral Anguish, and Children of Promise Luke 24 — The Risen Christ Opens the Scriptures, Commissions Witnesses, and Ascends in Blessing Romans 15 — Bearing with the Weak, Welcoming One Another, and Paul’s Priestly Mission to the Gentiles Romans 4 — Abraham Justified by Faith and the Promise Secured by Grace Romans 9 — God’s Faithfulness, Sovereign Mercy, and Israel’s Stumbling Over Christ

A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) — public domain

Sources

MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain

Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0

Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0

STEPBible Data — CC BY 4.0

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