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Greek · G191 · unreviewed

ἀκούω

To hear (in various senses)

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ἀκούω G191
Pronunciation akoúō

What does ἀκούω (akoúō) mean in the Bible?

ἀκούω (akoúō) is a Greek word meaning "to hear (in various senses)". ἀκούω, [in LXX chiefly for שׁמע ] to hear, listen, attend, perceive by hearing, comprehend by hearing. Calls for obedient submission to Christ. This term runs through the canonical themes of Messiah, Revelation.

Full entry for ἀκούω (G191) · Browse the biblical lexicon

Meaning

to hear (in various senses)
Extended definition

Hearing that demands obedient response, not mere acoustic perception of sound

to hear, listen, attend, perceive by hearing, comprehend by hearing.

1Intrans.: Mrk.4:3 7:37, Jas.2:5, Rev.2:7, al.; τ. ὠσίν, Mat.13:15 (LXX); with cogn. dative, ακοῇ ἀ. (see: ἀκοή), Mat.13:14, Act.28:26" (LXX) ; ὁ ἔχων ὦτα (οὖς) ἀκούειν, ἀκουσάτω, Mat.11:15, Mrk.4:23, Rev.2:7, al.
2Trans., prop. with accusative of thing(s), of thing heard, genitive of person(s), from whom heard (LS, see word): Act.1:4; with accusative of thing(s), Mat.12:19, Jhn.3:8 (Abbott, JG, 76), Act.22:9, al.; with dupl. accusative, Jhn.12:18, 1Co.11:18; with genitive of thing(s), Jhn.7:40 (Abbott, JV, 116); τ. φωνῆς (cf. Heb. שָׁמַע בְּקוֹל, Exo.18:19), Jhn.5:25, 28 Act.9:7 (on the distinction bet. this and ἀ. φωνήν, ib. 4, see M, Pr., 66; Field, Notes, 117; Abbott, Essays, 93f.); of God answering prayer, Jhn.9:31, 1Jn.5:14, 15; with accusative of thing(s), before παρά, Jhn.8:26, 40 Act.10:22, 2Ti.2:2; id. before ἀπό, 1Jn.1:5; with genitive pars. before ptcp., Mrk.14:58, Luk.18:36, al. (On NT usage generally, see Bl., §36, 5; Cremer, 82.)
Source: STEPBible TBESG + Abbott-Smith
Why This Word Matters
Calls for obedient submission to Christ. Luke 8:16–18
Defines responsible reception of revelation. Luke 8:19–21
Represents continuous reception of divine revelation. Mark 9:2–8
Grammatical Forms

How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.

Tenses
Aorist Present Imperfect Perfect Future
Voices
Active Passive Middle
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 135×
Aorist Active Matt 2:9 · Matt 12:24 · Matt 14:13 · Matt 15:12 · Matt 17:6 · Matt 19:25 · Matt 20:24 · Matt 20:30 · Matt 21:45 · Matt 22:22 · Matt 22:33 · Matt 22:34 · Matt 27:47 · Mark 3:21 · Mark 4:18 · Mark 6:29 90×
Present Active Matt 13:13 · Mark 3:8 · Mark 4:12 · Mark 6:2 · Luke 2:47 · Luke 4:28 · Luke 8:10 · Luke 8:21 · Luke 11:28 · Acts 7:54 · Acts 9:7 · Acts 9:21 · Acts 18:8 · Gal 1:23 · Rev 1:3 · Matt 7:26 43×
Perfect Active John 18:21 1×
Aorist Passive Heb 2:1 1×
Indicative states a fact or reality 196×
Aorist Active John 8:26 · John 8:40 · John 15:15 · Acts 7:34 · Acts 9:13 · Acts 11:7 · Acts 22:7 · Acts 26:14 · Rev 1:10 · Rev 4:1 · Rev 5:11 · Rev 5:13 · Rev 6:1 · Rev 6:3 · Rev 6:5 · Rev 6:6 112×
Present Active Matt 7:24 · Luke 10:16 · John 8:47 · John 9:31 · John 10:3 · John 18:37 · 1 Cor 14:2 · 2 Cor 12:6 · 1 John 4:5 · 1 John 4:6 · 1 John 5:14 · 1 John 5:15 · Matt 10:27 · Matt 11:4 · Matt 13:17 · Mark 4:24 46×
Imperfect Active Mark 6:55 · Mark 11:14 · Luke 16:14 · Acts 2:6 · Acts 10:46 · Acts 15:12 · Acts 22:22 · Mark 6:20 · Mark 12:37 · Luke 10:39 · Acts 16:14 11×
Perfect Active John 4:42 · Acts 6:11 · Acts 6:14 · 1 John 1:1 · 1 John 1:3 · 1 John 1:5 · John 5:37 · 1 John 4:3 · Rom 15:21 9×
Future Active John 5:25 · John 5:28 · John 10:16 · Matt 12:19 · John 16:13 · Matt 13:14 · Acts 28:26 7×
Future Middle Acts 21:22 · Acts 28:28 · Acts 3:22 · Acts 17:32 · Acts 25:22 5×
Aorist Passive Matt 2:18 · Mark 2:1 · John 9:32 · Acts 11:22 4×
Future Passive Luke 12:3 1×
Present Passive 1 Cor 5:1 1×
Infinitive verbal noun — the action in abstract 37×
Present Active Matt 24:6 · Mark 4:9 · Mark 4:23 · Mark 4:33 · Mark 7:37 · Luke 5:1 · Luke 5:15 · Luke 8:8 · Luke 14:35 · Luke 15:1 · Luke 21:38 · Luke 23:8 · John 6:60 · John 8:43 · John 9:27 · Acts 4:19 20×
Aorist Active Matt 12:42 · Matt 13:17 · Luke 6:18 · Luke 10:24 · Luke 11:31 · Acts 10:22 · Acts 10:33 · Acts 13:7 · Acts 13:44 · Acts 15:7 · Acts 19:10 · Acts 22:14 · Acts 24:4 · Acts 25:22 · Acts 26:3 · Acts 28:22 17×
Imperative command or strong request 32×
Aorist Active Matt 13:18 · Matt 21:33 · Mark 7:14 · Luke 18:6 · Acts 2:22 · Acts 7:2 · Acts 13:16 · Acts 15:13 · Acts 22:1 · Jas 2:5 · Rev 2:7 · Rev 2:11 · Rev 2:17 · Rev 2:29 · Rev 3:6 · Rev 3:13 19×
Present Active Matt 11:15 · Matt 13:9 · Matt 13:43 · Mark 4:9 · Mark 4:23 · Luke 8:8 · Luke 14:35 · Matt 15:10 · Matt 17:5 · Mark 4:3 · Mark 9:7 · Luke 9:35 · Mark 12:29 13×
Subjunctive possibility, probability, or purpose 27×
Aorist Active Matt 13:15 · Mark 4:15 · Mark 4:16 · Mark 6:11 · Luke 8:13 · Acts 28:27 · Rom 10:14 · 2 Tim 4:17 · Matt 10:14 · Matt 18:15 · Matt 18:16 · John 7:51 · John 12:47 · Acts 3:23 · Rev 3:20 · Mark 13:7 20×
Aorist Passive Matt 28:14 · Rev 18:22 · Rev 18:23 4×
Present Active Phil 1:27 · 3 John 1:4 · Mark 4:12 3×
427 total occurrences across all forms in the biblical text Morphology: MorphGNT SBLGNT — CC BY-SA 3.0
Discourse Aspect

How this verb appears across 411 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).

Aspect
completed 108 ongoing 43 prospective 13 resultant 8 imperative 32 background 11 subjunctive 27 infinitive 36 participle 133
Tense
aorist 260 present 118 future 13 imperfect 11 perfect 9
Voice
active 395 passive 11 middle 5
Mood
indicative 183 participle 133 infinitive 36 imperative 32 subjunctive 27
NT Occurrences
Matthew 2:18 ἠκούσθη aorist passive indicative completed Matthew 2:22 ἀκούσας aorist active participle participle Matthew 2:3 ἀκούσας aorist active participle participle Matthew 2:9 ἀκούσαντες aorist active participle participle Matthew 4:12 Ἀκούσας aorist active participle participle Matthew 5:21 Ἠκούσατε aorist active indicative completed Matthew 5:27 Ἠκούσατε aorist active indicative completed Matthew 5:33 ἠκούσατε aorist active indicative completed Matthew 5:38 Ἠκούσατε aorist active indicative completed Matthew 5:43 Ἠκούσατε aorist active indicative completed Matthew 7:24 ἀκούει present active indicative ongoing Matthew 7:26 ἀκούων present active participle participle Matthew 8:10 ἀκούσας aorist active participle participle Matthew 9:12 ἀκούσας aorist active participle participle Matthew 10:14 ἀκούσῃ aorist active subjunctive subjunctive Matthew 10:27 ἀκούετε present active indicative ongoing Matthew 11:15 ἀκουέτω present active imperative imperative Matthew 11:2 ἀκούσας aorist active participle participle Matthew 11:5 ἀκούουσιν present active indicative ongoing Matthew 12:19 ἀκούσει future active indicative prospective Matthew 12:24 ἀκούσαντες aorist active participle participle Matthew 12:42 ἀκοῦσαι aorist active infinitive infinitive Matthew 13:13 ἀκούοντες present active participle participle Matthew 13:14 ἀκούσετε future active indicative prospective Matthew 13:15 ἤκουσαν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 13:15 ἀκούσωσιν aorist active subjunctive subjunctive Matthew 13:16 ἀκούουσιν present active indicative ongoing Matthew 13:17 ἀκοῦσαι aorist active infinitive infinitive Matthew 13:17 ἀκούετε present active indicative ongoing Matthew 13:17 ἤκουσαν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 13:18 ἀκούσατε aorist active imperative imperative Matthew 13:19 ἀκούοντος present active participle participle Matthew 13:20 ἀκούων present active participle participle Matthew 13:22 ἀκούων present active participle participle Matthew 13:23 ἀκούων present active participle participle Matthew 13:43 ἀκουέτω present active imperative imperative Matthew 13:9 ἀκουέτω present active imperative imperative Matthew 14:1 ἤκουσεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 14:13 Ἀκούσας aorist active participle participle Matthew 14:13 ἀκούσαντες aorist active participle participle +371 more occurrences

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)

Canonical Themes
MessiahRevelation
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
Luke 8:16–18 ἀκούετε akoúō
hear
Luke 8:19–21 ἀκούοντες akoúō Participle · Present Active
hearing
Mark 9:2–8 ἀκούετε akoúō Imperative · Present Active
listen
Additional Occurrences
Luke 8:19–21 ἀκούοντες akoúō
Hearing
Luke 9:28–36 ἀκούετε akoúō
Listen
Mark 9:2–8 ἀκούω akoúō
to hear, listen
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.

ἀκοή · ἀκούω G189, G191
Hear, hear with the ear
ἀκούω · λόγος · θεός G191, G3056, G2316
hearing the word of God
ἀκούω · πᾶς · οὗτος G191, G3956, G3778
were hearing all these things
ἀκούω · συνίημι G191, G4920
hear and understand
ἀκούω · φῶς G191, G5457
will be heard in the light
ἐρωτάω · ἀκούω G2065, G191
ask those who have heard
ἔχω · οὖς · ἀκούω G2192, G3775, G191
the one having ears to hear
οὐ · ἀκούω G3756, G191
do not listen
οὖς · ἀκούω G3775, G191
ears / hear
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 28 — Paul in Rome: The Kingdom Proclaimed Without Hindrance John 11 — The Resurrection and the Life, the Raising of Lazarus, and the Plot to Kill Jesus John 18 — The Arrested King: Betrayal, Sovereign Surrender, Denial, Trial, and the Kingdom Not of This World John 5 — The Son Who Gives Life, Judges, and Is Witnessed by the Father John 9 — The Man Born Blind, the Light of the World, and the Blindness of Religious Unbelief Luke 10 — The Kingdom Mission Expanded, Mercy Defined, and the Better Portion Chosen Luke 11 — Prayer, Kingdom Conflict, True Hearing, and the Exposure of Hypocrisy Luke 8 — The Word Heard, the Kingdom Revealed, and the Lord’s Authority Displayed Luke 9 — The Christ Revealed, the Cross Announced, and the Jerusalem Road Begun Mark 12 — The Rejected Son, the Greatest Commandment, the Lord of David, and the Widow’s Offering Mark 4 — The Mystery of the Kingdom: Hearing, Fruitfulness, and the Lord over the Storm Mark 8 — Seeing Jesus Clearly: Bread, Blindness, Confession, Cross, and Discipleship Mark 9 — Glory, Unbelief, Suffering, Humility, and Radical Discipleship Matthew 11 — The Messiah Question, the Rejected Generation, and Rest for the Weary Matthew 15 — Tradition, the Heart, Gentile Faith, and the Compassionate Bread of the Messiah Matthew 17 — The Glory of the Son, the Coming of Elijah, the Failure of Little Faith, and the Son’s Humble Freedom Matthew 18 — Kingdom Humility, Care for the Little Ones, Discipline, and Forgiveness in Christ’s Community Matthew 7 — Kingdom Discernment, the Narrow Way, and the Wise Builder Romans 10 — Christ the End of the Law and the Righteousness Received by Faith

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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