Word Study for G103 (ᾄδω) | Strong's Concordance

áidō /ad'-o/ Ask about this word

Roota primary verb

Meaningto sing

KJV usagesing.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of áidō — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Greek word áidō, represented by G103, is a primary verb with the base definition to sing. It appears 5 times across 5 unique verses, highlighting its specific use in contexts of worship and praise. While not frequent, its occurrences are significant, describing both earthly instruction for believers and celestial acts of worship.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical text, G103 is used to command a specific form of worship. Believers are instructed to engage in "singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord" Colossians 3:16 and "singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord" Ephesians 5:19. The verb also features prominently in the book of Revelation to describe heavenly praise. Redeemed beings in heaven "sung a new song" to the Lamb for his redemptive work Revelation 5:9, and later they "sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb" Revelation 15:3.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words provide a fuller picture of the nature of biblical song and worship:

G5603 ōidḗ (song): This word, which is derived from áidō, is a general term for any words sung. It is often the direct object of the verb "to sing," as seen in the "new song" sung in heaven Revelation 5:9 and "the song of the Lamb" Revelation 15:3.
G5568 psalmós (psalm): Described as a sacred ode, often accompanied by an instrument, this word specifies a particular type of song. It is used alongside áidō when believers are told to teach one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs Colossians 3:16.
G5215 hýmnos (hymn): Defined as a religious ode, this term is used in parallel with psalms and songs as a vehicle for worship and mutual admonishment among believers Ephesians 5:19.
G5567 psállō (make melody, sing psalms): This verb, which involves playing a stringed instrument, is paired directly with áidō to create a fuller expression of worship: "singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord" Ephesians 5:19.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G103 is demonstrated in its specific applications.

Heartfelt Worship: The act of singing is not merely an external performance but an internal expression of devotion. It is something to be done "with grace in your hearts" Colossians 3:16 and "in your heart to the Lord" Ephesians 5:19.
Celestial Praise: In Revelation, singing is the primary activity of those in heaven. The redeemed are shown singing before the throne in response to God's salvation Revelation 14:3.
A Response to Redemption: The content of the songs is directly tied to God's redemptive acts. Heavenly beings sing a new song because the Lamb was slain and has "redeemed us to God by thy blood" Revelation 5:9.

Summary

In summary, G103 is a focused verb that captures the essential act of worshipful singing. While its usage is limited, it connects the instruction for the church on earth with the reality of praise in heaven. It underscores that singing is a central, heartfelt response to the character and redemptive work of God, finding its ultimate fulfillment in the eternal songs of the redeemed.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists one rendering for this word. It is counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the number is how many of them use it. Select it to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Greek New Testament, this word appears as a verb across 5 occurrences, inflected in 2 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it. These are this word’s own inflections, not words built from it — for those, see Related Words.

ᾄδουσιν
ᾄδοντες

Related Words

1 entry in Strong’s name this word as its origin. These are its derivatives — a different relationship from the inflected forms above, which are this same word bent by grammar.

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 5 verses across 3 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Revelation (3 verses); never once in the other 24.

Ephesians

Colossians

Revelation

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.