Word Study for G3049 (λογίζομαι)

logízomai /log-id'-zom-ahee/ Ask about this word

Rootmiddle voice from λόγος

Meaningto take an inventory, i.e. estimate (literally or figuratively)

KJV usageconclude, (ac-)count (of), + despise, esteem, impute, lay, number, reason, reckon, suppose, think (on).

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of logízomai — 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 logízomai, represented by G3049, is a versatile term meaning to take an inventory, estimate, or reckon. It appears 49 times across 40 unique verses, indicating its significant role in biblical thought. Its usage spans from the simple act of thinking or concluding to the profound theological concept of imputation, where something is credited or accounted to a person's record.

The core meaning of G3049 stems from the root lógos (G3056), which signifies "reason" or "word." When combined with the middle voice ending, logízomai conveys a subjective mental activity – not merely a detached calculation, but an active engagement of one's reasoning faculties to come to a conclusion, often with personal conviction or estimation. This can range from a simple mental processing, like "thinking no evil" 1 Corinthians 13:5, to a profound act of spiritual discernment, where one "reckons" or "accounts" a truth to be so, as with Abraham's faith. It implies a deliberate, internal assessment or a conscious determination of value or truth for oneself.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, G3049 is used to convey several distinct actions. It describes a focused mental process, as believers are instructed to think on things that are true, honest, and just Philippians 4:8. It is also used to express a calculated conclusion, as Paul reckons that present sufferings are not worthy to be compared with future glory Romans 8:18. Most significantly, it is used to describe the divine act of crediting or imputing. Abraham's faith, for example, was counted for righteousness Romans 4:5, and God does not impute the trespasses of the world to those in Christ 2 Corinthians 5:19.

Beyond its use in divine imputation and personal spiritual reckoning, G3049 frequently describes how individuals perceive or evaluate others, or even themselves, highlighting the subjective nature of human judgment. Paul exhorts believers to "account of us, as of the ministers of Christ" 1 Corinthians 4:1, indicating a proper estimation of their role. Conversely, he challenges those who "think of us as if we walked according to the flesh" 2 Corinthians 10:2, exposing a misjudgment. The word also appears in contexts of self-assessment, such as Paul's declaration, "I count not myself to have apprehended" Philippians 3:13, demonstrating a humble and realistic appraisal of his spiritual progress. Furthermore, it can convey a prophetic or dire accounting, as when Christ was "reckoned among the transgressors" Luke 22:37 or when believers are "accounted as sheep for the slaughter" Romans 8:36, showing how one might be categorized or valued in a negative sense by the world, often in fulfillment of scripture.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words clarify the context and impact of logízomai:

G1343 dikaiosýnē (righteousness): This is the state of equity or justification that is often the result of God's 'reckoning'. Faith is counted G3049 for righteousness Romans 4:5.
G4100 pisteúō (to have faith): This is the foundation upon which God's reckoning is based. Abraham believed God, and this action was accounted to him for righteousness Galatians 3:6.
G2038 ergázomai (to toil, work): This is presented as the opposite basis for receiving God's favor. For one who works, the reward is not reckoned as grace, but for the one who believes, faith is counted for righteousness Romans 4:4-5.
G3053 logismós (reasoning, thought): This noun, derived directly from G3049, refers to the act or result of reckoning, calculation, or reasoning. While G3049 is the verb of the mental process, G3053 represents the conclusion or thought itself, often implying a deliberated judgment or a developed line of reasoning.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G3049 is immense, particularly in the doctrine of justification.

Divine Imputation: This is the central concept where God legally credits something to a person's account. He imputes righteousness without works Romans 4:6 and chooses not to impute sin Romans 4:8. This divine accounting is the basis for a believer's right standing.
Justification by Faith: The word is foundational to understanding that salvation is not earned. It is repeatedly shown that faith is what God counts or imputes as righteousness, a principle established with Abraham Romans 4:3 and extended to all who believe Romans 4:24.
A Believer's Reckoning: Christians are called to apply this same kind of 'accounting' to their own lives. They are to reckon themselves dead to sin but alive to God Romans 6:11, seeing their spiritual reality from God's perspective.
The Cost of Discipleship and Prophetic Fulfillment: G3049 is employed to describe the often-negative accounting or valuation by the world that believers, or even Christ Himself, endure. Christ was "reckoned among the transgressors" Luke 22:37, a fulfillment of prophecy that highlights His identification with humanity's fallen state. Similarly, believers are "accounted as sheep for the slaughter" Romans 8:36, underscoring the reality that following Christ can lead to suffering and death, and that such trials are part of God's sovereign plan, even when seemingly unjust by human standards. This usage extends the concept of reckoning beyond positive imputation to encompass the divine permission of negative societal or worldly accounting for redemptive purposes.

Summary

The Greek term G3049 logízomai is a profoundly significant word in the New Testament, functioning as a linguistic bridge between common mental processes and deep theological truths. At its foundation, it denotes a deliberate act of mental computation, estimation, or conclusion, reflecting a subjective engagement with reason to determine value or reality. This can manifest in simple thought, as when believers are urged to "think on these things" Philippians 4:8, or in a personal conviction, such as Paul's reckoning of present sufferings against future glory Romans 8:18. The root lógos (G3056) underscores this connection to rational thought and assessment.

The theological weight of G3049 is most pronounced in the doctrine of justification, where it describes God's divine act of imputation. Abraham's faith, not his works, was "counted for righteousness" Romans 4:3, establishing a paradigm for all believers. God "imputes righteousness without works" Romans 4:6 and chooses "not imputing their trespasses unto them" 2 Corinthians 5:19, thus providing the legal and spiritual basis for salvation by grace through faith. This divine accounting calls believers to a corresponding self-reckoning, where they "reckon yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God" Romans 6:11, aligning their perspective with God's declared truth.

Beyond these central themes, G3049 also illuminates the complexities of human perception and judgment. It is used to describe how individuals "account of us, as of the ministers of Christ" 1 Corinthians 4:1, revealing the importance of proper estimation. Conversely, it exposes human fallibility when one might "think of us as if we walked according to the flesh" 2 Corinthians 10:2, or when there is a tendency to "think any thing as of ourselves" 2 Corinthians 3:5, highlighting the need for divine sufficiency. Furthermore, the word carries a poignant significance in describing the cost of discipleship and prophetic fulfillment, as seen in Christ being "reckoned among the transgressors" Luke 22:37 and believers being "accounted as sheep for the slaughter" Romans 8:36.

In essence, G3049 moves from the practicalities of mental calculation to the heart of the gospel, defining God's method of making humanity righteous and shaping the believer's mindset in response. It encompasses both divine and human acts of accounting, from the crediting of righteousness to the estimation of others and the profound implications of being valued, or devalued, in service to Christ. This rich semantic range, further clarified by its derivative G3053 logismós, underscores its indispensable role in understanding New Testament theology and the Christian walk.

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 42 occurrences, inflected in 21 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.

ἐλογίσθη
λογίζομαι
λογίζεται
λογιζέσθω
λογίσηται
λογισθῆναι
λογίζεσθε
λογισάμενος
λογίσασθαί
λογισθείη
ἐλογίσθημεν
λογισθήσεται;
ἐλογιζόμην
διελογίζοντο
λογιζόμεθα
λογίζεσθε
λογίζῃ
λογιζομένους
λογιζομένῳ
λογιζόμενος
λογίζεσθαι

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 40 verses across 12 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Romans (19 verses); never once in the other 15.

Mark

Luke

Acts

Romans

1 Corinthians

2 Corinthians

Galatians

Philippians

2 Timothy

Hebrews

James

1 Peter

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.