Greek · G2491

Ἰωάννης

Joannes (i.e. Jochanan), the name of four Israelites

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Ἰωάννης G2491
Pronunciation Iōánnēs

What does Ἰωάννης (Iōánnēs) mean in the Bible?

Ioannes names John, but the New Testament does not attach one role to every occurrence of the name. The same Greek name can refer to John the Baptist, John son of Zebedee, John as part of Simon Peter's family identification, or the John who writes from Patmos.

Reader summary

Full entry for Ἰωάννης (G2491) · Open the biblical lexicon

Questions this entry answers

What does Ἰωάννης (Iōánnēs) mean in the Bible?

Ioannes names John, but the New Testament does not attach one role to every occurrence of the name. The same Greek name can refer to John the Baptist, John son of Zebedee, John as part of Simon Peter's family identification, or the John who writes from Patmos.

How does the BSB render G2491?

The BSB source-word alignment has 135 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include John (95), John’s (12), of John (12), [son] of John (3), [him] (2).

Where does Ἰωάννης (Iōánnēs) appear in Scripture?

The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 3:1. Its strongest book concentrations include Luke (31), Mark (26), Matthew (26), Acts (24).

Are there verse guides for Ἰωάννης (Iōánnēs)?

This entry includes 10 verse guides that explain exact original-language forms in context.

What This Word Actually Means

Ioannes names John, but the New Testament does not attach one role to every occurrence of the name. The same Greek name can refer to John the Baptist, John son of Zebedee, John as part of Simon Peter's family identification, or the John who writes from Patmos. That means the interpreter must move from the name to the scene before making claims. In John 1, the name belongs to the witness sent from God who testifies to the light and points away from himself to Jesus.

In Acts, John stands beside Peter as a public witness after the resurrection. In Revelation, John receives and bears testimony in exile. The name helps readers track faithful witnesses, but the passage decides which John is in view.

Sources