Word Study for G1843 (ἐξομολογέω)

exomologéō /ex-om-ol-og-eh'-o/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom ἐκ and ὁμολογέω

Meaningto acknowledge or (by implication, of assent) agree fully

KJV usageconfess, profess, promise.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of exomologéō — 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 exomologéō, represented by G1843, is defined as to acknowledge or agree fully. Appearing 11 times across 11 unique verses, its meaning is applied in scripture as to confess, profess, or promise. The word communicates a full and open acknowledgment, whether of sin, faith, or agreement.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical usage, G1843 carries several distinct applications. It is used to describe the act of confessing sins as a component of being baptized (Matthew 3:6, Mark 1:5). It also appears as an instruction for believers to confess their faults to one another James 5:16. Beyond admitting wrongdoing, the term signifies a declaration of faith, such as the proclamation that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord Philippians 2:11. It is also translated as thank, where Jesus acknowledges the Father (Matthew 11:25, Luke 10:21), and in one case, it is used to mean promised in the context of an agreement to betray Jesus Luke 22:6.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the context and meaning of G1843:

G266 hamartía (a sin): This word for sin is what is being acknowledged in contexts like baptism, where people were confessing their sins Matthew 3:6.
G3900 paráptōma (a side-slip... error or... transgression): Translated as faults, this is what believers are instructed to confess to each other, alongside the call to pray for one another James 5:16.
G1392 doxázō (to render... glorious): This term for glorifying is tied to confession as an act of worship. The Gentiles are to glorify God, which is linked to the scriptural promise, "I will confess to thee among the Gentiles" Romans 15:9.
G5567 psállō (to... play on a stringed instrument... celebrate the divine worship): This word for singing is paired directly with G1843 as a form of praise, where one is to confess to God and sing to His name Romans 15:9.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G1843 is significant, highlighting the importance of open acknowledgment in one's relationship with God and others.

Repentance and Forgiveness: The word is integral to repentance, connecting the act of confessing sins with baptism Mark 1:5 and confessing faults with mutual prayer and healing James 5:16.
Worship and Profession: G1843 elevates from an admission of sin to a declaration of worship. This is seen in the universal future confession of Christ's lordship Philippians 2:11 and in its pairing with acts of glorifying and singing to God Romans 15:9.
Divine Acknowledgment: The term is used not only by humans toward God but also by Christ. Jesus uses it to thank the Father, acknowledging His sovereignty Luke 10:21. Christ also promises to confess the names of the faithful before the Father and His angels Revelation 3:5.

Summary

In summary, G1843 is a powerful term expressing full acknowledgment. It ranges from the personal confession of sins required for repentance to the universal profession of Jesus as Lord. It serves as a cornerstone for understanding key Christian practices like baptism, relational accountability, and worship. Whether it is a believer confessing a fault, Jesus thanking the Father, or the promise that Christ will confess his followers, exomologéō reveals that open acknowledgment is fundamental to biblical faith.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Greek New Testament, this word appears as a verb across 11 occurrences, inflected in 8 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Present Middle Participle Nominative Plural Masculine 3×
Present Middle Indicative 1st Singular 2×
Aorist Active Indicative 3rd Singular 1×
Aorist Middle Subjunctive 3rd Singular 1×
Future Active Indicative 1st Singular 1×
Future Middle Indicative 1st Singular 1×
Future Middle Indicative 3rd Singular 1×
Present Middle Imperative 2nd Plural 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
1st: First person — the speaker ("I"/"we").
2nd: Second person — the one addressed ("you").
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Present: Action in progress or repeated — happening now or continually.
Future: Action yet to take place.
Aorist: Action viewed as a single whole — usually a simple past event.
Active: The subject performs the action.
Middle: The subject acts on or for itself.
Indicative: A plain statement of fact.
Imperative: A command or entreaty.
Subjunctive: Possibility or purpose — "might", "should".
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.

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 11 verses across 8 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Matthew, Luke, and Romans (2 verses each); never once in the other 19.

Matthew

Mark

Luke

Acts

Romans

Philippians

James

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, 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.