To defend oneself
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G626 means to make a defense, answer charges, or speak in one's own behalf, especially in judicial or accusatory settings. Jesus promises persecuted disciples Spirit-given speech before authorities, Acts records Paul offering a formal defense, and 2 Corinthians distinguishes ministry aimed at edification from mere self-justification.
Reader summary
Full entry for ἀπολογέομαι (G626) · Open the biblical lexicon
G626 means to make a defense, answer charges, or speak in one's own behalf, especially in judicial or accusatory settings. Jesus promises persecuted disciples Spirit-given speech before authorities, Acts records Paul offering a formal defense, and 2 Corinthians distinguishes ministry aimed at edification from mere self-justification.
The BSB source-word alignment has 10 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include [and] began his defense (1), could make [his] defense (1), defending [them] (1), defense (1), how to defend yourselves (1).
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Luke 12:11. Its strongest book concentrations include Acts (6), Luke (2), 2 Corinthians (1), Romans (1).
G626 means to make a defense, answer charges, or speak in one's own behalf, especially in judicial or accusatory settings. Jesus promises persecuted disciples Spirit-given speech before authorities, Acts records Paul offering a formal defense, and 2 Corinthians distinguishes ministry aimed at edification from mere self-justification. The verb concerns reasoned response, not physical violence, and it does not forbid legal counsel, careful documentation, truthful preparation, trauma-informed support, or safeguarding reports.
Nor does it guarantee acquittal or make every self-defense truthful. G626 helps teachers address testimony, due process, conscience, public witness, and accountable explanation while rejecting institutional cover-ups, intimidation of complainants, reckless improvisation, victim silence, and the use of spiritual promises to deny people representation or preparation in high-stakes proceedings.
G626 belongs to courtroom, authority, accusation, conscience, and apostolic-accountability settings. It can describe faithful testimony or self-serving defense, so truth, purpose, evidence, and audience must be examined.
When you are brought before synagogues, rulers, and authorities, do not worry about how to defend yourselves or what to say.
Jesus tells disciples brought before religious and civil authorities not to be anxious about how to defend themselves because the Holy Spirit will teach them what to say.
So make up your mind not to worry beforehand how to defend yourselves.
Within warnings of arrest and persecution, Jesus directs disciples not to premeditate their defense and promises wisdom their adversaries cannot refute.
When the governor motioned for Paul to speak, he began his response: “Knowing that you have been a judge over this nation for many years, I gladly make my defense.
Paul begins a formal defense when Governor Felix signals him to speak, using the lawful hearing to answer accusations.
Have you been thinking all along that we were making a defense to you? We speak before God in Christ, and all of this, beloved, is to build you up.
Paul denies that his whole appeal is mere self-defense before the Corinthians and says his speech before God aims to build them up.
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. Defense speech requiring argument and explanation, not mere denial or excuse
Defense speech requiring argument and explanation, not mere denial or excuse
(ἀπό, λόγος), [in LXX: Jer.12:1 (רִיב) Jer.31:6, 2Ma.13:26 * ;]
Textus Receptus witness, full corpusGreek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
10 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
I give a defense, defend myself
Read verseI give a defense, defend myself
Read verseI give a defense, defend myself
Read verseI give a defense, defend myself
Read verseI give a defense, defend myself
Read verseI give a defense, defend myself
Read verseI give a defense, defend myself
Read verseI give a defense, defend myself
Read verseI give a defense, defend myself
Read verseI give a defense, defend myself
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 10 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 10 lexical occurrence verses.
G626 places defensive speech inside accountable settings. Jesus prepares disciples for coercive authorities and promises that the Spirit will sustain their witness. His words relieve anxious dependence on rhetorical mastery; they do not prohibit lawyers, records, safeguarding preparation, or careful truth-telling in every modern proceeding. Acts shows Paul making substantive defenses through legal processes even when authorities are compromised.
Second Corinthians warns that speech can become self-protective performance rather than service to others. Churches need all of these insights. An accused person should have a fair opportunity to respond, but office, eloquence, and spiritual language are not evidence of innocence. Complainants and witnesses must not be pressured into private confrontation or silence.
Institutions should preserve records, separate pastoral care from investigation, use qualified independent reviewers, comply with reporting law, avoid retaliation, and communicate without prejudging facts. The Spirit's help is not a substitute for due process, and preparation is not unbelief. G626 supports courageous, truthful testimony under pressure while exposing defenses designed to protect reputation, donors, or power at the expense of people harmed.
Luke.12.11
G626 is a Greek middle verb used for answering in one's defense, responding to accusations, or offering an explanation. Its forensic color does not mean physical self-defense, and the verb alone does not establish the truth of the defense.
Old Testament law and wisdom require truthful witnesses, impartial hearings, and protection against false accusation. New Testament G626 appears in persecution promises, legal speeches, conscience language, and apostolic accountability, extending those concerns into public witness.