σύνεσις
sýnesis · G4907 · Greek · 7 occurrences
Meanings
-
understanding, what is understood
(Derivative of συνίημι ‘to understand,’) That which is understood or comprehended
ExamplesEphesians 3:4 By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,
-
to be able to comprehend, to understand, to be intelligent, insight, intelligence
To be able to understand and evaluate
ExamplesMark 12:33 and to love Him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
Luke 2:47 And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers.
1 Corinthians 1:19 For it is written: “I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE, AND THE UNDERSTANDING OF THOSE WHO HAVE UNDERSTANDING, I WILL CONFOUND.”
How it’s used In 5 roles
Every occurrence, grouped by the words it is grammatically related to.
the word studied the word it goes with
Whose, or of whatGenitive or possessive
3 occurrences in 3 groups
- ἐγώI, we 1
- συνετόςintelligent 1
- αὐτόςhe, she, it, same 1
Words describing itAdjectives, demonstratives, participles
1 occurrences in 1 groups
- πνευματικόςspiritual 1
What is done to itIt is the object
3 occurrences in 3 groups
- ἀθετέωto reject, to set aside 1
- δίδωμιto give, to grant 1
- νοέωto perceive 1
After prepositionsPrepositional phrases
3 occurrences in 3 groups
- ἐνin 2
- ἐπίon 2
- ἐκfrom 1
In phrases “… of it”It is the genitive
1 occurrences in 1 groups
- πληροφορίαcomplete certainty, assurance 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.
In the other Testament 4 words
- תָּבוּן tâbûwn · H8394 · understanding, discernment, insight
- Hebrew תָּבוּן (tâbûwn, H8394) denotes practical understanding, wisdom, and skillful discernment, rendered by Greek σύνεσις (sýnesis, G4907) which emphasizes the intellectual faculty of comprehension and the mental synthesis that produces insight—both terms center on cognitive understanding though the Hebrew ranges more broadly into practical wisdom applications while the Greek focuses more narrowly on the intellectual act of putting together knowledge.
- בִּינָה bîynâh · H998 · understanding, discernment, insight
- Hebrew בִּינָה (bîynâh, H998) and Greek σύνεσις (sýnesis, G4907) both denote intellectual understanding or discernment as a mental faculty, with σύνεσις emphasizing the synthetic cognitive act of putting concepts together and בִּינָה denoting the capacity for insight or discrimination; both terms refer to intelligence as the ability to comprehend and draw connections rather than mere factual knowledge.
- מַדָּע maddâʻ · H4093 · knowledge, learning, thought
- מַדָּע (maddâʻ, H4093) emphasizes accumulated knowledge or information as content, while σύνεσις (sýnesis, G4907) emphasizes the synthesizing mental faculty or understanding that processes information; both denote cognitive capacities but distinguish factual knowledge from integrative intelligence.
- שֶׂכֶל sekel · H7922 · good sense, understanding, insight
- Greek σύνεσις emphasizes the cognitive act of bringing together (συν-) understanding, while Hebrew שֶׂכֶל focuses on practical wisdom and prudent discernment; both denote mental comprehension and intelligence as a faculty.
Semantic domains 2 entries
- To be able to comprehend, to understand, to be intelligent, insight, intelligence32.26
- Luke records that at age twelve, Jesus was found in the temple, and “all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers” (Luke 2:47).
- Understanding, what is understood32.6
- Paul writes, “when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ” (Ephesians 3:4).
Word family 4 words
Words formed from the same root. They share a form, not always a meaning.
Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon συνέσεως, ἡ (συνίημι, which see); 1. a running together, a flowing together: of two…
1. a running together, a flowing together: of two rivers, Homer, Odyssey 10, 515.
2.
a. from Pindar down, understanding: Lk 2:47; 1 Cor 1:19 (from Isa 29:14); Eph 3:4; Col 2:2; 2 Tim 2:7; πνευματικῇ, Col 1:9.
b. the understanding, i. e. the mind so far forth as it understands: Mk 12:33; Wis. 4:11. (The Sept. for בִּינָה, תֲּבוּנָה, דַּעַת, מַדַע, שֵׂכֶל, etc.; also for מַשׂכִיל, a poem.) (Synonym: see σοφία, at the end; cf. Lightfoot on Col 1:9; Schmidt, chapter 147, 8.)
Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (1889), public domain
Topical studies with this word 2 entries
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
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