Word Study for G3058 (λοιδορέω)

loidoréō /loy-dor-eh'-o/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom λοίδορος

Meaningto reproach, i.e. vilify

KJV usagerevile.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of loidoréō — 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 loidoréō, represented by G3058, is defined as to reproach or vilify, with its most common translation being revile. It appears 4 times across 4 unique verses in the Bible, consistently denoting an act of harsh verbal abuse or contempt.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical usage, G3058 illustrates hostile confrontation. In John's gospel, the Pharisees reviled the man healed by Jesus, using the slur to enforce a division between a disciple of Jesus and a disciple of Moses John 9:28. The term is also used to describe an offense against religious authority, as when Paul is accused of reviling God's high priest Acts 23:4. The apostles' experience reflects this hostility, as they endure being reviled for their work and faith 1 Corinthians 4:12. Christ himself serves as the primary example of one who was reviled but did not retaliate 1 Peter 2:23.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the context and response to being reviled:

G486 antiloidoréō (to rail in reply): This is the direct, retaliatory response that Christ chose not to engage in. When he was reviled, he did not revile again 1 Peter 2:23.
G2127 eulogéō (to speak well of, i.e. ... to bless): This is presented as the proper counter-action to being reviled. The apostolic instruction is, "being reviled, we bless" 1 Corinthians 4:12.
G3958 páschō (to ... suffer): This word is closely associated with being reviled, as seen in the example of Christ, who, "when he suffered, he threatened not" 1 Peter 2:23.
G1377 diṓkō (to ... persecute): This action is often paired with reviling. Paul links the two hardships, stating, "being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it" 1 Corinthians 4:12.
G546 apeiléō (to menace... threaten): Like reviling in return, this is another worldly response that Christ rejected while he suffered 1 Peter 2:23.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G3058 is primarily found in the Christian's response to it.

The Example of Christ: The cornerstone of the teaching is Christ's conduct. When he was reviled, he entrusted himself to God rather than retaliating with insults or threats 1 Peter 2:23.
Apostolic Instruction: The expected response for a believer is not retaliation but blessing. This turns an act of hostility into an opportunity for demonstrating a higher, counter-intuitive standard of conduct 1 Corinthians 4:12.
A Mark of Opposition: Being reviled is presented as a common experience for those who follow Christ, whether it is the apostles themselves or those who confess faith in him (John 9:28; 1 Corinthians 4:12).

Summary

In summary, G3058 is a potent term for verbal hostility and vilification directed at God's people and at Christ himself. Its significance in scripture lies less in the act itself and more in the prescribed, non-retaliatory response. The word is consistently used to frame a central tenet of Christian ethics: to endure unjust reproach and to answer it not with more hostility, but with a blessing, following the pattern set by Jesus.

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 4 occurrences, inflected in 4 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Aorist Active Indicative 3rd Plural 1×
Present Active Indicative 2nd Singular 1×
Present Passive Participle Nominative Plural Masculine 1×
Present Passive Participle Nominative Singular Masculine 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
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.
Aorist: Action viewed as a single whole — usually a simple past event.
Active: The subject performs the action.
Passive: The subject is acted upon.
Indicative: A plain statement of fact.
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 4 verses across 4 of the 27 books. 4 books tie for most frequent (1 verse each); never once in the other 23.

John

Acts

1 Corinthians

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, 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.