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Greek · G3140 · unreviewed

μαρτυρέω

To testify

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μαρτυρέω G3140
Pronunciation martyréō

What does μαρτυρέω (martyréō) mean in the Bible?

μαρτυρέω (martyréō) is a Greek word meaning "to testify". μαρτυρέω, -ῶ (μάρτυς), [in LXX chiefly for עֵד (עֵד (Gen. King's mission defined by truth proclamation. This term runs through the canonical themes of Kingdom, Revelation.

Full entry for μαρτυρέω (G3140) · Browse the biblical lexicon

Meaning

to testify
Extended definition

To testify is to publicly affirm what one has directly witnessed or personally knows to be true.

(μάρτυς), [in LXX chiefly for עֵד (עֵד (Gen.31:47-48, al.), also for עוּד hi. (Gen.43:3, La 2:13), עָנָה (Num.35:30) ;]

aprop., to be a witness, bear witness, testify: absol. (find., al.), Jhn.15:27, Act.26:5; parenthetical (Bl., § 79, 7; MM, xvi), 2Co.8:3; with dative of person(s) (comm. and incomm.; El., § 37, 2), Act.22:5, Heb.10:15; id. before ὅτι, Mat.23:31, Rom.10:2, al.; accusative and inf., Act.10:43; with accusative of thing(s) (cl.), Jhn.3:11, Rev.22:16, 20; with accusative cogn., before περί, Jhn.5:32, 1Jn.5:10; with dative of thing(s), Jhn.5:33, Act.14:3, al.; before περί, with genitive (of person(s) and of thing(s)), Jhn.1:7-8, 15 2:25 18:23 21:24, al.; id. before ὅτι, Jhn.5:36 7:7; ὅτι, Jhn.1:34 4:44 al.; ὅτι recit., Jhn.4:39; κατά before ὅτι, 1Co.15:15; pass., Heb.7:8; ptcp., Rom.3:21; impers., Heb.7:17;
bin late Gk., to witness favourably, give a good report, approve (Bl., § 54, 3; MM, xvi; Deiss., BS, 265): with dative of person(s), Luk.4:22; before ἐπί with dative of thing(s), Heb.11:4; pass., Act.6:3; before ἐν, 1Ti.5:10, Heb.11:2; διά, with genitive of thing(s), Heb.11:39; with genitive of person(s), Act.10:22, al.; impers., III Jn 12 (cf. ἐπι, συν-επι-, κατα-, συν-μαρτυρέω)
Source: STEPBible TBESG + Abbott-Smith
Why This Word Matters
King's mission defined by truth proclamation.
Foundation of apostolic authority.
Emphasizes eyewitness confirmation of Jesus’ death. John 19:31–42
Grammatical Forms

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

Tenses
Present Aorist Perfect Imperfect Future
Voices
Active Passive
Indicative states a fact or reality 46×
Present Active John 1:15 · John 3:32 · John 5:32 · John 5:36 · John 8:18 · John 10:25 · Acts 22:5 · Heb 10:15 · John 7:7 · Rom 10:2 · 2 Cor 8:3 · Gal 4:15 · Col 4:13 · Rev 22:18 · John 3:11 · 1 John 1:2 23×
Aorist Active John 1:32 · John 4:44 · John 13:21 · Acts 15:8 · Rev 1:2 · 1 Cor 15:15 · 3 John 1:6 7×
Perfect Active John 5:33 · John 5:37 · John 19:35 · 1 John 5:9 · 1 John 5:10 · John 1:34 · John 3:26 7×
Perfect Passive Heb 11:5 · 3 John 1:12 2×
Imperfect Active Luke 4:22 · John 12:17 2×
Aorist Passive Heb 11:2 · Heb 11:4 2×
Future Active John 15:26 1×
Imperfect Passive Acts 16:2 1×
Present Passive Heb 7:17 1×
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 20×
Present Active John 5:32 · John 8:18 · John 21:24 · Rev 22:20 · John 4:39 · John 5:39 · Acts 14:3 · Heb 11:4 · 1 John 5:6 · 1 John 5:7 · 3 John 1:3 11×
Present Passive Acts 10:22 · Acts 22:12 · Heb 7:8 · Rom 3:21 · 1 Tim 5:10 · Acts 6:3 6×
Aorist Active Acts 13:22 · 1 Tim 6:13 2×
Aorist Passive Heb 11:39 1×
Subjunctive possibility, probability, or purpose 6×
Aorist Active John 1:7 · John 1:8 · John 2:25 · John 18:37 4×
Present Active John 5:31 · John 8:14 2×
Infinitive verbal noun — the action in abstract 3×
Aorist Active Acts 23:11 · Rev 22:16 2×
Present Active Acts 26:5 1×
Imperative command or strong request 1×
Aorist Active John 18:23 1×
76 total occurrences across all forms in the biblical text Morphology: MorphGNT SBLGNT — CC BY-SA 3.0
Discourse Aspect

How this verb appears across 75 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).

Aspect
completed 9 ongoing 23 prospective 1 resultant 9 imperative 1 background 3 subjunctive 6 infinitive 3 participle 20
Tense
present 43 aorist 19 perfect 9 imperfect 3 future 1
Voice
active 62 passive 13
Mood
indicative 45 participle 20 subjunctive 6 infinitive 3 imperative 1
NT Occurrences
Matthew 23:31 μαρτυρεῖτε present active indicative ongoing Luke 4:22 ἐμαρτύρουν imperfect active indicative background John 1:15 μαρτυρεῖ present active indicative ongoing John 1:32 ἐμαρτύρησεν aorist active indicative completed John 1:34 μεμαρτύρηκα perfect active indicative resultant John 1:7 μαρτυρήσῃ aorist active subjunctive subjunctive John 1:8 μαρτυρήσῃ aorist active subjunctive subjunctive John 2:25 μαρτυρήσῃ aorist active subjunctive subjunctive John 3:11 μαρτυροῦμεν present active indicative ongoing John 3:26 μεμαρτύρηκας perfect active indicative resultant John 3:28 μαρτυρεῖτε present active indicative ongoing John 3:32 μαρτυρεῖ present active indicative ongoing John 4:39 μαρτυρούσης present active participle participle John 4:44 ἐμαρτύρησεν aorist active indicative completed John 5:31 μαρτυρῶ present active subjunctive subjunctive John 5:32 μαρτυρῶν present active participle participle John 5:32 μαρτυρεῖ present active indicative ongoing John 5:33 μεμαρτύρηκε perfect active indicative resultant John 5:36 μαρτυρεῖ present active indicative ongoing John 5:37 μεμαρτύρηκεν perfect active indicative resultant John 5:39 μαρτυροῦσαι present active participle participle John 7:7 μαρτυρῶ present active indicative ongoing John 8:13 μαρτυρεῖς present active indicative ongoing John 8:14 μαρτυρῶ present active subjunctive subjunctive John 8:18 μαρτυρῶν present active participle participle John 8:18 μαρτυρεῖ present active indicative ongoing John 10:25 μαρτυρεῖ present active indicative ongoing John 12:17 ἐμαρτύρει imperfect active indicative background John 13:21 ἐμαρτύρησεν aorist active indicative completed John 15:26 μαρτυρήσει future active indicative prospective John 15:27 μαρτυρεῖτε present active indicative ongoing John 18:23 μαρτύρησον aorist active imperative imperative John 18:37 μαρτυρήσω aorist active subjunctive subjunctive John 19:35 μεμαρτύρηκεν perfect active indicative resultant John 21:24 μαρτυρῶν present active participle participle Acts 6:3 μαρτυρουμένους present passive participle participle Acts 10:22 μαρτυρούμενός present passive participle participle Acts 10:43 μαρτυροῦσιν present active indicative ongoing Acts 13:22 μαρτυρήσας aorist active participle participle Acts 14:3 μαρτυροῦντι present active participle participle +35 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
Kingdom Revelation
Biblical Occurrences

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

Additional Occurrences
John 18:28-40 ματ...έω martyréō
to bear witness
John 21:20-25 ματ...έω martyréō
to bear witness
New Testament Witnesses
John 19:31–42 μαρτυρέω martyréō Indicative · Perfect Active
bear witness
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.

μαρτυρέω · μαρτυρία G3140, G3141
testify, testimony, witness
μαρτυρία · μαρτυρέω G3141, G3140
testimony, witness, testify
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 16 — The Gospel Enters Macedonia: Opened Hearts, Broken Chains, and Household Faith Acts 26 — Paul Before Agrippa: The Risen Christ Sends Light to Jews and Gentiles Acts 6 — Word Ministry, Servant Leadership, and Stephen’s Faithful Witness John 12 — The Anointed King, the Lifted-Up Son of Man, and the Hour of Glory John 13 — The Servant-Lord, the Washed Disciples, and the New Command of Love John 15 — The True Vine, Abiding Fruitfulness, Christlike Love, and the World’s Hatred John 18 — The Arrested King: Betrayal, Sovereign Surrender, Denial, Trial, and the Kingdom Not of This World John 19 — The Crucified King: Behold the Man, Behold Your King, It Is Finished, and the Pierced Son John 21 — The Risen Lord Restores, Commissions, Shepherds, and Testifies through His Witness John 5 — The Son Who Gives Life, Judges, and Is Witnessed by the Father John 7 — The Feast, the Divided Crowd, and the Living Water of Jesus John 8 — The Light of the World, True Freedom, and the I AM Before Abraham

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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