To announce
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G5537 is a Greek verb used for receiving an authoritative warning or instruction and, in other contexts, for bearing a designation or being called by a name. Matthew 2:12 says the magi were warned in a dream not to return to Herod and therefore traveled home by another route, making the warning protective in a context of royal threat.
Reader summary
Full entry for χρηματίζω (G5537) · Open the biblical lexicon
G5537 is a Greek verb used for receiving an authoritative warning or instruction and, in other contexts, for bearing a designation or being called by a name. Matthew 2:12 says the magi were warned in a dream not to return to Herod and therefore traveled home by another route, making the warning protective in a context of royal threat.
The BSB source-word alignment has 9 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include having been warned (2), instructed [him] (1), revealed (1), she is called (1), warned [them] (1).
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 2:12. Its strongest book concentrations include Hebrews (3), Acts (2), Matthew (2), Luke (1).
G5537 is a Greek verb used for receiving an authoritative warning or instruction and, in other contexts, for bearing a designation or being called by a name. Matthew 2:12 says the magi were warned in a dream not to return to Herod and therefore traveled home by another route, making the warning protective in a context of royal threat. Hebrews 11:7 says Noah responded in reverent faith after being warned about events not yet seen.
Acts 11:26 says the disciples were first called Christians at Antioch, using the distinct naming sense rather than a private revelation. Other passages concern Simeon's Spirit-given disclosure, Moses warned about the tabernacle pattern, Cornelius instructed to send for Peter, and hearers refusing the One who warns. G5537 opens divine communication, prudent response, naming, faith, and accountability.
It corrects word studies that turn every occurrence into an oracle and contemporary claims that a warning from God may bypass Scripture, evidence, consent, or safety review.
G5537 can denote receiving a divine response, warning, instruction, or disclosure, and it can also mean being called or designated by a name. Grammar and context distinguish communication from naming and identify the recipient and response.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they withdrew to their country by another route.
The magi receive a dream warning not to return to Herod and choose another route, protecting the child from a violent ruler.
By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in godly fear built an ark to save his family. By faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
Noah responds in reverent faith to God's warning about things not yet seen and prepares an ark for his household.
And when he found him, he brought him back to Antioch. So for a full year they met together with the church and taught large numbers of people. The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch.
The disciples receive the designation Christians at Antioch after sustained teaching in a multiethnic church.
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders ItA compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
Greek word. Divine communication through official pronouncement; God's authoritative instruction or warning to people.
Textus Receptus witness, full corpusGreek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
9 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
I warn, am publicly called
Read verseI warn, am publicly called
Read verseI warn, am publicly called
Read verseI warn, am publicly called
Read verseI warn, am publicly called
Read verseI warn, am publicly called
Read verseI warn, am publicly called
Read verseI warn, am publicly called
Read verseI warn, am publicly called
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.
How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
How this verb appears across 6 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
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)
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Showing 4 selected witnesses from 9 lexical occurrence verses.
χρηματίζω is built from this root:
G5537 connects communication with responsible response. The magi's warning changes their route because Herod poses a real threat, and Matthew's narrative confirms the warning within God's protection of Jesus. Noah's warning produces costly preparation grounded in faith. Acts 11 uses the same verb family for a public designation, reminding readers not to import revelation into every occurrence.
Modern believers may experience a strong concern, but they do not occupy the narrator's position. A warning should be stated with humility, checked against Scripture and available facts, and never used to seize another person's agency. Credible danger merits practical safety action even when its source is ordinary observation rather than a claimed revelation.
Conversely, spiritual language should not replace emergency services, medical evaluation, safeguarding, or qualified investigation. Communities honor God's speech by refusing manipulation. They can pray, test, document, consult, and act proportionately while admitting what remains uncertain.
Matt.2.12
G5537 developed through official response and designation language. In the New Testament it often appears passively for being warned, instructed, or divinely informed, while Acts 11:26 and Romans 7:3 use the separate sense of being called or designated.
God warns through prophets, dreams, law, wisdom, and providential signs across the Old Testament. The New Testament locates such warnings within Christ's coming and apostolic witness while commanding believers to test claims and heed the One who speaks.