What does κλῆσις (klēsis) mean in the Bible?
G2821 speaks of a calling, summons, or vocation, especially the divine call that gathers and identifies God's people. In Paul, calling begins with God, not with a believer's self-definition or platform.
Greek · G2821
κλῆσις
An invitation (figuratively)
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κλῆσις G2821
Pronunciation klēsis
What does κλῆσις (klēsis) mean in the Bible?
G2821 speaks of a calling, summons, or vocation, especially the divine call that gathers and identifies God's people. In Paul, calling begins with God, not with a believer's self-definition or platform.
Reader summary
Full entry for κλῆσις (G2821) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G2821?
The BSB source-word alignment has 11 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include calling (8), call (1), situation (1), were called (1).
Where does κλῆσις (klēsis) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Romans 11:29. Its strongest book concentrations include Ephesians (3), 1 Corinthians (2), 2 Peter (1), 2 Thessalonians (1).
What This Word Actually Means
G2821 speaks of a calling, summons, or vocation, especially the divine call that gathers and identifies God's people. In Paul, calling begins with God, not with a believer's self-definition or platform. It is irrevocable where God's covenant faithfulness is in view, humbling where human status would boast, and ethically serious where the church is told to walk worthy of what it has received.
The word helps teachers hold together grace and responsibility. Calling does not mean private ambition with religious language placed over it. It means God's summons that creates a people, gives them a new identity in Christ, and then calls their life into step with that grace.
How the Bible Uses It
G2821 gathers Paul's language of divine summons, identity, and worthy conduct. It is not self-appointed destiny language, but grace-originated identity that bears visible fruit.
- Rom.11.29
For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable.
Paul says God's gifts and calling are irrevocable in the argument about Israel, mercy, and God's faithfulness. The word carries divine initiative, not human self-invention.
- 1Cor.1.26
Brothers, consider the time of your calling: Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were powerful; not many were of noble birth.
Paul tells the Corinthians to consider their calling, where God chose the foolish and weak to shame worldly measures of strength. Calling humbles status rather than baptizing it.
- Eph.4.1
As a prisoner in the Lord, then, I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling you have received:
Paul urges believers to walk worthy of the calling they have received. The word joins identity and conduct without making conduct the cause of the call.
Book contextPassage context
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It calling 8× 1 Corinthians 1:26, Ephesians 1:18, Ephesians 4:1, Philippians 3:14
call 1× Romans 11:29
situation 1× 1 Corinthians 7:20
were called 1× Ephesians 4:4
Show sample aligned rows
Romans 11:29 κλῆσις to call Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular 1 Corinthians 1:26 κλῆσιν to calling Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular 1 Corinthians 7:20 κλήσει to situation Noun - Dative Feminine Singular Ephesians 1:18 κλήσεως to calling Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular Ephesians 4:1 κλήσεως to calling Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular Ephesians 4:4 κλήσεως to were called Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular Philippians 3:14 κλήσεως to calling Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular 2 Thessalonians 1:11 κλήσεως to calling Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular 2 Timothy 1:9 κλήσει to calling Noun - Dative Feminine Singular Hebrews 3:1 κλήσεως to calling Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Romans 11:29
Aligned rows 11
Books represented 8
Romans 1 1 Corinthians 2 Ephesians 3 Philippians 1 2 Thessalonians 1 2 Timothy 1 Hebrews 1 2 Peter 1
Source forms
κλήσεως 6x klēseōs Ephesians 1:18, Ephesians 4:1, Ephesians 4:4, Philippians 3:14
κλήσει 2x klēsei 1 Corinthians 7:20, 2 Timothy 1:9
κλῆσιν 2x klēsin 1 Corinthians 1:26, 2 Peter 1:10
κλῆσις 1x klēsis Romans 11:29
Parsing patterns
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular 6x Ephesians 1:18, Ephesians 4:1, Ephesians 4:4, Philippians 3:14
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular 2x 1 Corinthians 1:26, 2 Peter 1:10
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular 2x 1 Corinthians 7:20, 2 Timothy 1:9
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular 1x Romans 11:29
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Use calling language to humble and steady believers, not to inflate personal destiny.
- Keep the order clear: God's call creates identity, and worthy conduct responds to that grace.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not make G2821 mean that every personal ambition is God's call. Paul's use begins with God's saving summons, not self-authorization.
- Do not separate calling from conduct. Ephesians 4 ties the received calling to a worthy walk.
Book contextPastoral applicationPassage context
Evidence Summary
Greek word. God's sovereign summons to salvation, emphasizing the calling itself rather than mere invitation.
Strong's G2821
Lexical occurrences 11 verses Greek text appearances 11 times Word forms 4 forms 11 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 Source Gloss
an invitation (figuratively)
Extended definition Source: STEPBible TBESG + Abbott-Smith
God's sovereign summons to salvation, emphasizing the calling itself rather than mere invitation.
a calling, call; in NT, always of the Divine call to salvation: Rom.11:29, 1Co.1:26 7:20, Eph.1:18 4:1, 4, Php.3:14, 2Th.1:11, 2Ti.1:9, Heb.3:1, 2Pe.1:10 (Cremer, 332).
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
11 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Romans 11:29 Noun Nominative Singular Feminine
κλῆσις klhsiv
a calling, summons
Read verse 1 Corinthians 1:26 Noun Accusative Singular Feminine
κλῆσιν klhsin
a calling, summons
Read verse 1 Corinthians 7:20 Noun Dative Singular Feminine
κλήσει klhsei
a calling, summons
Read verse Ephesians 1:18 Noun Genitive Singular Feminine
κλήσεως klhsewv
a calling, summons
Read verse Ephesians 4:1 Noun Genitive Singular Feminine
κλήσεως klhsewv
a calling, summons
Read verse Ephesians 4:4 Noun Genitive Singular Feminine
κλήσεως klhsewv
a calling, summons
Read verse Philippians 3:14 Noun Genitive Singular Feminine
κλήσεως klhsewv
a calling, summons
Read verse 2 Thessalonians 1:11 Noun Genitive Singular Feminine
κλήσεως klhsewv
a calling, summons
Read verse 2 Timothy 1:9 Noun Dative Singular Feminine
κλήσει klhsei
a calling, summons
Read verse Hebrews 3:1 Noun Genitive Singular Feminine
κλήσεως klhsewv
a calling, summons
Read verse 2 Peter 1:10 Noun Accusative Singular Feminine
κλῆσιν klhsin
a calling, summons
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 this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
This word appears as a noun across 4 case and number patterns. The form changes show how the word functions in a sentence; they do not change the basic lexical meaning by themselves.
Form patterns 4 Aligned forms 11 Case pattern Genitive (6) Number pattern Singular (11)
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Nominative · Singular · Feminine Rom 11:29 1×
Genitive · Singular · Feminine Eph 1:18 · Eph 4:1 · Eph 4:4 · Phil 3:14 · 2 Thess 1:11 · Heb 3:1 6×
Dative · Singular · Feminine 1 Cor 7:20 · 2 Tim 1:9 2×
Accusative · Singular · Feminine 1 Cor 1:26 · 2 Pet 1:10 2×
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Divine call to salvation demonstrates God's choice of the weak and lowly
The hope of God's calling as part of spiritual inheritance and enlightenment
Believers exhorted to walk worthy of the divine calling they have received
Showing 3 selected witnesses from 11 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
κλῆσις is built from this root:
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
For the Preacher and Teacher
G2821 gives teachers a way to speak about identity without drifting into self-invention. Paul uses calling to humble the wise and strong, to secure confidence in God's faithfulness, and to summon the church into conduct fitting the gospel. The call comes before the walk, but the walk must answer the call. This matters because Christian vocation can be distorted in two directions.
Some turn calling into ambition, as if desire and opportunity prove divine authorization. Others turn calling into passivity, as if grace has no claim on conduct. Paul's use of G2821 resists both errors. The God who calls also forms a people whose life should fit that calling.
Anchor passage
Eph.4.1
Doctrinal connections
- Rom.11.29 - Paul says God's gifts and calling are irrevocable in the argument about Israel, mercy, and God's faithfulness. The word carries divine initiative, not human self-invention.
- 1Cor.1.26 - Paul tells the Corinthians to consider their calling, where God chose the foolish and weak to shame worldly measures of strength. Calling humbles status rather than baptizing it.
- Eph.4.1 - Paul urges believers to walk worthy of the calling they have received. The word joins identity and conduct without making conduct the cause of the call.
Calling or summons from God is the reviewed display gloss for G2821. In this Pauline-focused companion, local STEP TAGNT evidence shows about 9 Pauline use(s), with common forms including N-GSF 5, N-DSF 2, N-ASF 1, N-NSF 1. Treat these form signals as support for reading the passage, not as a replacement for context.
From Old to New Testament
The Pauline trajectory moves from God's initiating call to the church's worthy walk. Calling is grace before it is task, but grace never leaves the called people unchanged.
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
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain