Word Study for G312 (ἀναγγέλλω)

anangéllō /an-ang-el'-lo/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom ἀνά and the base of ἄγγελος

Meaningto announce (in detail)

KJV usagedeclare, rehearse, report, show, speak, tell.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of anangéllō — 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 anangéllō, represented by G312, means to announce (in detail). Formed from ἀνά and the base of ἄγγελος, it appears 20 times across 18 unique verses in the Bible. Its fundamental meaning involves the act of declaring, rehearsing, reporting, showing, or telling information, often with a sense of thoroughness or official capacity.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, G312 is used to convey both divine revelation and human testimony. It describes the work of the Holy Spirit, who will shew believers things to come John 16:13. Jesus uses the term to promise he will shew his followers plainly of the Father John 16:25. The apostles also declare the foundational message that God is light 1 John 1:5. On a human level, church leaders rehearsed all that God had done with them Acts 14:27, and a man healed by Jesus was instructed to tell his friends what the Lord had done for him Mark 5:19.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the meaning of announcing or declaring truth:

G2097 euangelízō (to announce good news ("evangelize") especially the gospel): This word specifies that the announcement is good news. In 1 Peter 1:12, the things now reported G312 were delivered by those who have preached the gospel G2097.
G1321 didáskō (to teach (in the same broad application)): This verb highlights the instructional aspect of a declaration. Paul states that he shewed and taught the believers in Ephesus publickly and from house to house Acts 20:20.
G1843 exomologéō (to acknowledge or (by implication, of assent) agree fully): This term is linked to the act of confessing what is being announced. Many who believed came, confessed G1843, and shewed G312 their deeds Acts 19:18.
G1860 epangelía (an announcement (for information, assent or pledge; especially a divine assurance of good)): This noun often represents the content of what is declared. The apostles declare G312 the message G1860 they heard from God 1 John 1:5.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G312 is significant, highlighting key aspects of communicating divine truth.

Divine Revelation: The word is crucial to understanding the role of the Holy Spirit in revealing truth. The Spirit is sent to shew what he receives from Christ John 16:14, including "things to come" John 16:13.
Apostolic Proclamation: It defines the core mission of the apostles. Paul fulfilled his duty to declare unto the believers "all the counsel of God" Acts 20:27. Similarly, the apostles declare the essential message about God's nature 1 John 1:5.
Testifying to God's Works: The term is used when believers report on God's actions. After their missionary journey, the apostles rehearsed all that God had done with them and how He had opened the "door of faith" to the Gentiles Acts 14:27.

Summary

In summary, G312 is more than a simple word for telling. It functions as a bridge between an event and its proclamation, whether it is a divine truth being revealed for the first time or a past miracle being reported. The word connects the work of the Holy Spirit John 16:13 to the responsibility of believers Mark 5:19, underscoring the vital importance of clearly and thoroughly communicating the message, counsel, and actions of God.

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 18 occurrences, inflected in 11 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Future Active Indicative 3rd Singular 4×
Aorist Active Indicative 3rd Plural 3×
2nd Aorist Passive Indicative 3rd Singular 2×
Aorist Active Infinitive 2×
Aorist Active Imperative 2nd Singular 1×
Aorist Active Indicative 3rd Singular 1×
Future Active Indicative 1st Singular 1×
Imperfect Active Indicative 3rd Plural 1×
Present Active Indicative 1st Plural 1×
Present Active Participle Nominative Plural Masculine 1×
Present Active Participle Nominative Singular Masculine 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.
Imperfect: Ongoing or repeated action in the past — "was doing".
Future: Action yet to take place.
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.
Imperative: A command or entreaty.
Infinitive: The verb as a noun — "to do".
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 18 verses across 7 of the 27 books. Most frequent in John and Acts (6 verses each); never once in the other 20.

Mark

John

Acts

Romans

2 Corinthians

1 Peter

1 John

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.