Word

ἀκούω

akoúō · G191 · Greek · 428 occurrences

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Meanings

to hear, hearing

The basic sense of the verb for hearing, in its various senses

Examples
Matthew 2:18 “A VOICE WAS HEARD IN RAMAH, WEEPING AND GREAT MOURNING, RACHEL WEEPING FOR HER CHILDREN; AND SHE REFUSED TO BE COMFORTED, BECAUSE THEY WERE NO MORE.”
Matthew 8:10 Now when Jesus heard this, He was amazed and said to those who were following, “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel.
Matthew 9:12 But when Jesus heard this, He said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick.
to be able to hear, faculty of hearing

To have the faculty of hearing in contrast with being deaf

Examples
Matthew 11:5 those who are BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT and those who limp walk, those with leprosy are cleansed and those who are deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM.
Mark 7:37 And they were utterly astonished, saying, “He has done all things well; He makes even those who are deaf hear, and those who are unable to talk, speak.”
Luke 7:22 And He answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: people who were blind receive sight, people who limped walk, people with leprosy are cleansed and people who were deaf hear, dead people are raised up, and people who are poor have the gospel preached to them.
to receive news, to hear

To receive information about something, normally by word of mouth

Examples
Matthew 2:3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
Matthew 2:22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Then after being warned by God in a dream, he left for the regions of Galilee,
Matthew 4:12 Now when Jesus heard that John had been taken into custody, He withdrew into Galilee;
to accept, to listen to, to listen and respond, to pay attention and respond, to heed

To believe something and to respond to it on the basis of having heard

Examples
Matthew 7:24 “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts on them, will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
Matthew 10:14 “And whoever does not receive you nor listen to your words, as you leave that house or city, shake the dust off your feet.
Matthew 11:15 “The one who has ears to hear, let him hear.
to pay attention to and obey

To listen or pay attention to a person, with resulting conformity to what is advised or commanded

Examples
Matthew 17:5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice from the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him!”
Mark 9:7 Then a cloud formed, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud: “This is My beloved Son; listen to Him!”
Luke 8:21 But He answered and said to them, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.”
to understand, to comprehend

To hear and understand a message

Examples
Matthew 13:13 “Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
Mark 4:9 And He was saying, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Mark 4:23 “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”
to hear a case, to provide a legal hearing, to hear a case in court

To give a judicial hearing in a legal matter

Examples
John 7:51 “Our Law does not judge the person unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing, does it?”
Acts 24:4 “But, that I may not weary you further, I beg you to grant us a brief hearing, by your kindness.
Acts 25:22 Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I also would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” he said, “you shall hear him.”
to hear in secret

(An idiom, literally: to hear into the ear) To hear something in a secret setting

Examples
Matthew 10:27 “What I tell you in the darkness, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim on the housetops.
to be slow to understand, to be mentally dull

(An idiom, literally: to hear heavily with the ears) To be mentally slow or dull in comprehending

Examples
Matthew 13:15 FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES, OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT SEE WITH THEIR EYES, HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART, AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.’
Acts 28:27 FOR THE HEARTS OF THIS PEOPLE HAVE BECOME INSENSITIVE, AND WITH THEIR EARS THEY HARDLY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES; OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT SEE WITH THEIR EYES, AND HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.”’
to listen carefully, to listen and listen

(A Semitic idiom, literally: to hear with hearing) To listen intently and with presumed continuity

Examples
Matthew 2:9 After hearing the king, they went on their way; and behold, the star, which they had seen in the east, went on ahead of them until it came to a stop over the place where the Child was to be found.

How it’s used In 14 roles

Every occurrence, grouped by the words it is grammatically related to.

the word studied the word it goes with

Who or what does itSubject

424 occurrences in 72 groups

Not stated (participle) 98
Not stated: you (more than one) 58
Not stated: I 40
Not stated (infinitive) 29
Not stated: they 28
Not stated: he, she or it 22
Other words · 44 groups that occur once or twice (54) 54

What it acts on, or what is saidObject

291 occurrences in 81 groups

λόγοςword, saying, message 35
λέγωto say 32
ὅςwho, which, that 30
αὐτόςhe, she, it, same 25
φωνήvoice, sound 22
οὗτοςthis 16
Other words · 60 groups that occur once or twice (75) 75

To or for whomIndirect object

4 occurrences in 1 groups

αὐτόςhe, she, it, same 4

With prepositionsPrepositional phrases

67 occurrences in 60 groups

ἐνin+ σύyou 4
ἀπόfrom+ ἀρχήbeginning, ruler 4
παράfrom, with, beside+ πατήρfather 3
Other words · 57 groups that occur once or twice (64) 64

With adverbsAdverbs

59 occurrences in 23 groups

οὐnot 22
μήnot 5
πῶςhow? by what means? 4
σήμερονtoday 4
ἔτιstill 3
καίand 3
Other words · 17 groups that occur once or twice (21) 21

Named alongside itApposition

22 occurrences in 18 groups

ὅςwho, which, that 3
φωνήvoice, sound 3
Other words · 16 groups that occur once or twice (19) 19

What it doesIt is the subject

16 occurrences in 12 groups

Other words · 12 groups that occur once or twice (17) 17

What is done to itIt is the object

55 occurrences in 32 groups

λέγωto say 10
ἔπωto say 5
λαλέωto speak 3
ποιέωto do, to make 3
ἀπαγγέλλωto tell 3
Other words · 27 groups that occur once or twice (33) 33

It is given or told toIndirect object

2 occurrences in 2 groups

δίδωμιto give, to grant 1
μαρτυρέωto testify, to witness 1

Second object ofSecond object

1 occurrences in 1 groups

ἀποκρίνομαιto answer 1

What it is said to bePredicate

4 occurrences in 3 groups

μακάριοςblessed, happy 2
δίκαιοςrighteous 1
ὅμοιοςlike 1

What is said to be itIt is the predicate

10 occurrences in 5 groups

οὗτοςthis 6
ἑτοιμάζωto prepare, to make ready 1
κἀγώI too 1
ὁδόςway, road 1
πρῶτοςfirst 1

After prepositionsPrepositional phrases

12 occurrences in 8 groups

ἐπίon 7
ἐνin 4
διάthrough 2
ὑπέρfor 2
ὑπόby, under 2
ἀπόfrom 2

In phrases “… of it”It is the genitive

4 occurrences in 4 groups

καταστροφήruin, destruction 1
μάρτυςwitness 1
οὖςear 1
πολύςmany 1

When two words share a role, as in “Paul and Barnabas said”, the verse appears under each, so a section’s counts can add up to more than the number of occurrences.

MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.

Contrasting words 1 word

συνίημι syníēmi · G4920 · to understand, to comprehend, to perceive: While ἀκούω (akoúō, G191) denotes auditory reception (hearing sound or words), συνίημι (syníēmi, G4920) denotes mental comprehension (grasping meaning). The two are regularly contrasted in Scripture to describe the difference between mere hearing and true understanding, particularly in contexts addressing spiritual perception or the failure to grasp divine truth despite exposure to teaching.

In the other Testament 3 words

שָׁמַע shâmaʻ · H8085 · to hear, to listen, to cause to hear: Greek ἀκούω and Hebrew שָׁמַע are direct cross-linguistic translation equivalents for the semantic domain of auditory perception and attentive response, with both encompassing literal hearing, obedient listening, and the idiomatic extension to understanding/heeding.
קָשַׁב qâshab · H7181 · to listen attentively, to pay attention: קָשַׁב (qâshab, H7181) קָשַׁב specifically emphasizes attentive, focused hearing (attending/hearkening), whereas ἀκούω (akoúō, G191) ἀκούω covers the broader range of hearing including simple auditory perception; קָשַׁב is the Hebrew near-equivalent when ἀκούω carries the intensified sense of listening carefully or giving heed.
שְׁמַע shᵉmaʻ · H8086 · hear, obey: Greek ἀκούω and Hebrew שְׁמַע are direct translation equivalents denoting the act of hearing, with both extending into obedience/heeding as a natural semantic extension of responsive hearing.

Semantic domains 10 entries

To hear, hearing{N:001}24.52: In Matthew 2:3, “when Herod the king heard (akoúsas) this, he was troubled,” using the verb for the ordinary act of perceiving something spoken.
To be able to hear, faculty of hearing24.58: In Mark 7:37, the crowd marvels that Jesus “makes even those who are deaf hear (akoúein), and those who are unable to talk, speak,” where the verb names the restored physical capacity to hear.
To listen carefully, to listen and listen24.63: In Matthew 13:13, Jesus says of the crowds that “while hearing they do not hear (akoúontes ouk akoúousin), nor do they understand,” where the doubled construction emphasizes intensive, repeated listening that still fails to take hold.
To hear in secret24.67: In Matthew 10:27, Jesus tells the disciples, “what you hear (akoúete) whispered in your ear, proclaim on the housetops,” where the verb names something heard privately and secretly, in contrast to public proclamation.
To accept, to listen to, to listen and respond, to pay attention and respond, to heed31.56: In Luke 10:16, Jesus tells His messengers, “the one who listens to you (ho akoúōn hymōn) listens to Me,” where hearing implies receiving and heeding the message, not merely registering sound.
To understand, to comprehend32.1: In 1 Corinthians 14:2, of one who speaks in a tongue Paul writes that “no one understands (akoúei),” using the verb for cognitive comprehension rather than the physical act of hearing sound.
To be slow to understand, to be mentally dull32.46: In Matthew 13:15, Isaiah's words are applied to the crowds: “with their ears they scarcely hear (bareōs ḗkousan),” where the verb, modified by “heavily/with difficulty,” marks a dulled, resistant capacity to understand.
To receive news, to hear33.212: In Colossians 1:4, Paul writes, “since we heard (akoúsantes) of your faith in Christ Jesus,” where the verb describes receiving a report about someone rather than directly perceiving sound.
To pay attention to and obey36.14: In Acts 3:23, Moses' words are quoted: “every soul that does not listen to (akoúsē) that prophet shall be utterly destroyed,” where hearing means obeying, and failing to hear means refusing to obey.
To hear a case, to provide a legal hearing, to hear a case in court56.13: In Acts 25:22, Agrippa tells Festus, “I also would like to hear (akoúsai) the man myself,” requesting a formal legal hearing of Paul's case.

Word family 11 words

Words formed from the same root. They share a form, not always a meaning.

ἀκούωakoúō · G191ἀκοή akoḗ · G189 · to hear, hearing, ability to hear · 24×ὑπακούω hypakoúō · G5219 · to obey, obedience, to answer the door · 21×ὑπακοή hypakoḗ · G5218 · to obey, obedience · 15×εἰσακούω eisakoúō · G1522 · to listen to, to heed, to pay attention to what is said · 5×παρακοή parakoḗ · G3876 · to refuse to listen, to refuse to obey, disobedience · 3×παρακούω parakoúō · G3878 · to refuse to listen, to refuse to obey, disobedience · 3×ὑπήκοος hypḗkoos · G5255 · obedient · 3×διακούομαι diakoúomai · G1251 · to hear a case, to provide a legal hearing, to hear a case in court · 1×ἐπακούω epakoúō · G1873 · to listen to, to heed, to pay attention to what is said · 1×προακούω proakoúō · G4257 · to hear before · 1×

Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon (on the use of the present in a perfect sense cf. Winers Grammar, 274f (258); Buttmann,…

(on the use of the present in a perfect sense cf. Winers Grammar, 274f (258); Buttmann, 203 (176)); imperfect ἤκουον; future (in best Greek usage) ἀκούσομαι, Jn 5:25 R G L, 28 R G L; Acts 3:22; Acts 7:37 R G; ; (); Acts 25:22; ; (Rom 10:14 Tdf.), and (a later form) ἀκούσω, Mt 12:19; Mt 13:14 (both from the Sept.); (Jn 10:16; Jn 16:13 Tr WH marginal reading; Acts 28:26); Rom 10:14 (R G); and T Tr WH in Jn 5:25, Jn 5:28 (cf. Winers Grammar, 82 (79); Buttmann, 53 (46) (Veitch, under the word)); (1 aorist ἤκουσα, Jn 3:32, etc.); perfect ἀκήκοα; passive (present ἀκούομαι; 1 future ἀκουσθήσομαι; 1 aorist ἠκούσθην; (from Homer down); to hear.
I. absolutely
1. to be endowed with the faculty of hearing (not deaf): Mk 7:37; Lk 7:22; Mt 11:5.
2. to attend to (use the faculty of hearing), consider what is or has been said. So in exhortations: ἀκούετε, Mk 4:3; ἀκούσατε, Jas 2:5; ὁ ἔχων ὦτα ἀκούειν ἀκουέτω, Mt 11:15; Mt 13:9 (in both T WH omit; Tr brackets ἀκούειν); Mk 4:23; Lk 14:35 (34); ὁ ἔχων οὖς ἀκουσάτω, Rev 2:7, Rev 2:11, Rev 2:17, Rev 2:29; Rev 3:6, Rev 3:13, Rev 3:22, etc.
3. tropically, to understand, perceive the sense of what is said: Mt 13:15; Mk 8:18; 1 Cor 14:2.
II. with an object (Buttmann, § 132, 17; Winer's Grammar, 199 (187f));
1. ἀκούω τί, to hear something;
a. to perceive by the ear what is announced in one's presence (to hear immediately): τήν φωνήν, Mt 12:19; Jn 3:8; Rev 4:1; Rev 5:11; Rev 18:4; Acts 22:9, etc.; τόν ἀσπασμόν, Lk 1:41 (cf. Lk 1:44); Γαλιλαίαν, the name 'Galilee,' Lk 23:6 (T WH omits; Tr mrg; brackets Γαλιλαίαν; cf. Buttmann, 166 (145)); ἀνάστασιν νεκρῶν, the phrase 'ἀνάστασιν νεκρῶν,' Acts 17:32; τόν λόγον, Mk 5:36 (R G L) (on this passage see παρακούω, 2); Mt 19:22; Jn 5:24, etc.; τούς λόγους, Acts 2:22; Acts 5:24; Mt 7:24; ῤήματα, 2 Cor 12:4; τί λέγουσιν, Mt 21:16; passive, Mt 2:18; Rev 18:22f; τί ἐκ τίνος, 2 Cor 12:6 (R G); followed by ὅτι (Buttmann, 300 (257f)), Acts 22:2; Mk 16:11; Jn 4:42; Jn 14:28.
b. to get by hearinq, learn (from the mouth of the teacher or narrator): Acts 15:17; Mt 10:27 (ὁ εἰς τό οὖς ἀκούετε, what is taught you secret); Rom 15:21; Eph 1:13; Col 1:6; Jn 14:24; 1 Jn 2:7, 1 Jn 2:24; 1 Jn 3:11; Χριστόν i. e. to become acquainted with Christ from apostolic teaching, Eph 4:21 (cf. μαθεῖν τόν Χριστόν, Eph 4:20 (Buttmann, 166 (144) note; Winer's Grammar, 199 (187) note)); passive, Lk 12:3; Heb 2:1; τί with the genitive of person from whom one hears, Acts 1:4; τί παρά τίνος, Jn 8:26, Jn 8:40; Jn 15:15; Acts 10:22; Acts 28:22; 2 Tim 2:2 (Thucydides 6, 93; Xenophon, an. 1, 2, 5 (here Dindorf omits παρά); Plato, rep. 6, p. 506 d., others; (Buttmann, 186 (145); Winer's Grammar, 199 (188))); (παρά τίνος, without an object expressed, Jn 1:40 (41)); ἐκ τίνος, Jn 12:34 (ἐκ τοῦ νόμου, from attendance on its public reading); ἀπό with the genitive of person, 1 Jn 1:5; with περί τίνος added, Acts 9:13; followed by ὅτι, Mt 5:21, Mt 5:27, Mt 5:33, Mt 5:38, Mt 5:43.
c. ἀκούω τί, a thing comes to one's ears, to find out (by hearsay), learn, (hear ((of)) mediately): with the accusative of thing, τά ἔργα, Mt 11:2; ὅσα ἐποίει, Mk 3:8 (Treg. text ποιεῖ); πολέμους, Lk 21:9; Mt 24:6; Mk 13:7; to learn, absol, viz. what has just been mentioned: Mt 2:3; Mt 22:7 (R L); Mk 2:17; Mk 3:21; Gal 1:13; Eph 1:15; Col 1:4; Phm 1:5, etc. followed by ὅτι, Mt 2:22; Mt 4:12; Mt 20:30; Mk 6:55; Mk 10:47; Jn 4:47; Jn 9:35; Jn 11:6; Jn 12:12; Gal 1:23; περί τίνος, Mk 7:25; τί περί τίνος, Lk 9:9; Lk 16:2; Lk 23:8 (R G L); followed by an accusative with participle (Buttmann, 303 (260)): Lk 4:23; Acts 7:12; 2 Thess 3:11; 3 Jn 1:4; followed by an accusative with an infinitive in two instances (cf. Buttmann, the passage cited): Jn 12:18; 1 Cor 11:18. passive: Acts 11:22 (ἠκούσθη ὁ λόγος εἰς τά ὦτα τῆς ἐκκλησίας was brought to the ears); 1 Cor 5:1 (ἀκούεται πορνεία ἐν ὑμῖν); Mt 28:14 (ἐάν ἀκουσθῇ τοῦτο ἐπί (L Tr WH marginal reading ὑπό) τοῦ ἡγεμόνος); Mk 2:1; Jn 9:32 ἠκούσθη ὅτι.
d. to give ear to teaching or teacher: τούς λόγους, Mt 10:14; to follow with attentive hearing, τόν λόγον, Jn 8:43; τά ῤήματα τοῦ Θεοῦ, Jn 8:47.
e. to comprehend, understand, (like Latin audio): Mk 4:33; Gal 4:21 ((Lachmann marginal reading ἀναγινώσκετε) yet cf. Meyer at the passage); (Gen 11:7).
2. ἀκούειν is not joined with the genitive of the object unless one hear the person or thing with his own ears (Buttmann, 166 (114));
a. with the genitive of a person; simply; α. to perceive anyone's voice: οὗ, i. e., of Christ, whose voice is heard in the instruction of his messengers (Lk 10:16), Rom 10:14 (Winer's Grammar, 199 (187) note{2}), β. to give ear to one, listen, hearken, (German ihm zuhoren, ihn anhoren): Mt 2:9; Mk 7:14; Mk 12:37; Lk 2:46; Lk 10:16; Lk 15:1; Lk 19:48; Lk 21:38; Acts 17:32; Acts 24:24 (in both these passages τίνος περί τίνος); ; Jn 6:60. γ. to yield to, hear and obey, hear to one, (German auf einen horen): Mt 17:5 (Mk 9:7; Lk 9:35); Jn 3:29; Jn 10:8; Acts 3:22; Acts 4:19; Acts 7:37 (R G); 1 Jn 4:5f. Hence, δ. its use by John in the sense to listen to, have regard to, of God answering the prayers of men: Jn 9:31; Jn 11:41; 1 Jn 5:14f (the Sept. render שָׁמַע by εἰσακούω). ε. with the genitive of person and participle (Buttmann, 301 (259)): Mk 14:58; Lk 18:36; Jn 1:37; Jn 7:32; Acts 2:6, Acts 2:11; Rev 16:5; ἤκουσα τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου λέγοντος, Rev 16:7 G L T (Tr WH the Sinaiticus manuscript), a poetic personification; cf. DeWette at the passage, Winers Grammar, § 30, 11.
b. with the genitive of a thing: τῆς βλασφημίας, Mk 14:64 (Lachmann τήν βλασφημίαν, as in Mt 26:65; the accusative merely denotes the object; τῆς βλασφημίας is equiv, in sense to αὐτοῦ βλασφημοῦντος (cf. Buttmann, 166 (145))); τῶν λόγων, Lk 6:47 (Mt 7:24 τούς λόγους); Jn 7:40 (L T Tr WH the Sinaiticus manuscript, but R G τόν λόγον (cf. Buttmann, as above)); συμφωνίας καί χορῶν, Lk 15:25; τοῦ στεναγμοῦ, Acts 7:34; τῆς ἀπολογίας, Acts 22:1. The frequent phrase ἀκούειν τῆς φωνῆς (equivalent to שָׁמַע, Ex 18:19) means α. to perceive the distinct words of a voice: Jn 5:25, Jn 5:28; Acts 9:7; Acts 11:7; Acts 22:7; Heb 3:7, Heb 3:15; Heb 4:7; Rev 14:13; Rev 21:3. β. to yield obedience to the voice: Jn 5:25 (οἱ ἀκούσαντες namely, τῆς φωνῆς); Jn 10:16, Jn 10:27; Jn 18:37; Rev 3:20. In Jn 12:47; Jn 18:37; Lk 6:47; Acts 22:1, it is better to consider the pronoun μου which precedes as a possessive genitive rather than, with Buttmann, 167 (145f), to assume a double genitive of the object, one of the person and one of the thing. The Johannean phrase ἀκούειν παρά τοῦ Θεοῦ, or τί παρά Θεοῦ, signifies a. to perceive in the soul the inward communication of God: Jn 6:45.
b. to be taught by God's inward communication: Jn 8:26, Jn 8:40 (so, too, the simple ἀκούειν in Jn 8:30); to be taught by the devil, according to the reading of L T Tr WH, ἠκούσατε παρά τοῦ πατρός, in Jn 8:38. For the rest cf. Buttmann, 165 (144ff); 301 (258ff) (Compare: διακούω, εἰσακούω, ἐπακούω, παρακούω, προακούω, ὑπακούω.)

Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (1889), public domain

Topical studies with this word 7 entries

Hear225 occurrences Accept As True63 occurrences Understand17 occurrences Lack of Capacity for Understanding2 occurrences Inform, Announce113 occurrences Obey, Disobey17 occurrences Judicial Hearing, Inquiry4 occurrences

Meanings adapted from the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament, © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0 and the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew (from the Semantic Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew), © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0; MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.

Sources

eRhema lexical overview, based on the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew and the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament (© United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Macula Hebrew and Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0); released under CC BY-SA 4.0