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G1870

ἐπαισχύνομαι

epaischýnomai /ep-ahee-skhoo'-nom-ahee/ Ask about this word
to feel shame for something
be ashamed.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of epaischýnomai — 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 epaischýnomai, represented by G1870, means to feel shame for something. It appears 21 times across 9 unique verses in the Bible, often highlighting a crucial choice between allegiance to God and fear of worldly opinion. The term is a compound, built from ἐπί and αἰσχύνομαι, and conveys a deep sense of being ashamed.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In scripture, G1870 is used to contrast worldly shame with divine power and acceptance. Paul declares he is not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation Romans 1:16. Jesus warns that he will be ashamed of anyone who is ashamed of him and his words in an "adulterous and sinful generation" (Mark 8:38, Luke 9:26). Conversely, the word is used to express divine affirmation; God is not ashamed to be called the God of the faithful Hebrews 11:16, and Jesus is not ashamed to call the sanctified his brethren Hebrews 2:11. This concept is also applied personally, as Paul commends Onesiphorus, who "was not ashamed of my chain" 2 Timothy 1:16.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words provide deeper context for the concept of being unashamed:

  • G1411 dýnamis (power): The reason not to be ashamed of the gospel is its divine power. Paul states it is the power of God for salvation Romans 1:16 and encourages Timothy to partake in afflictions according to the power of God 2 Timothy 1:8.
  • G1391 dóxa (glory): The consequence of being ashamed of Christ is being rejected when He returns in His Father's glory (Mark 8:38, Luke 9:26). This word for glory highlights the ultimate, apparent honor that far outweighs any temporary shame.
  • G1198 désmios (prisoner): Paul directly links being unashamed with his status as a prisoner for Christ. He urges Timothy not to be ashamed of him, the Lord's prisoner 2 Timothy 1:8, setting a standard for loyalty that defies social disgrace.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G1870 is significant, centering on the believer's public allegiance and God's corresponding acceptance.

  • Identification with the Gospel: To be unashamed is to fully identify with the gospel message, recognizing it not as a source of disgrace, but as the very power G1411 of God for salvation G4991 Romans 1:16.
  • Allegiance to Christ: A core theme is the reciprocal nature of allegiance. Those who are ashamed of Christ before men will find Christ is ashamed of them before the Father Mark 8:38. This frames faith as a public and unwavering commitment.
  • Divine Acceptance: The word is powerfully reversed when applied to God. God is not ashamed to be the God of those who desire the heavenly G2032 city He has prepared Hebrews 11:16. Likewise, Jesus is not ashamed to call the sanctified His brethren G80 Hebrews 2:11, showing that faithfulness in the face of shame is met with divine honor and kinship.

Summary

In summary, G1870 defines a critical aspect of discipleship. It moves beyond a mere feeling to an act of loyalty and public identification with Christ, His message, and His people, regardless of potential disgrace or suffering. The use of this word illustrates that while the world may offer reasons to feel shame, the gospel offers the power, glory, and ultimate acceptance of God, who is never ashamed of His own.

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 11 occurrences, inflected in 7 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.

  • ἐπαισχυνθῇ
  • ἐπαισχυνθήσεται
  • ἐπαισχύνομαι
  • ἐπαισχύνεται
  • ἐπαισχύνθη
  • ἐπαισχυνθῇς
  • ἐπαισχύνεσθε;

Related Words

Related

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 9 verses across 5 of the 27 books. Most frequent in 2 Timothy (3 verses); never once in the other 22.

1
Mark
1
Luke
2
Romans
3
2 Timothy
2
Hebrews

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.