Word Study for G3539 (νοιέω) | Strong's Concordance

noiéō /noy-eh'-o/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom νοῦς

Meaningto exercise the mind (observe), i.e. (figuratively) to comprehend, heed

KJV usageconsider, perceive, think, understand.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of noiéō — 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 noiéō, represented by G3539, refers to the exercise of the mind, specifically to comprehend, heed, perceive, or understand. It appears 19 times across 14 unique verses in the Bible. The term describes an active mental process of observation and comprehension, moving beyond mere seeing to true understanding.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, G3539 is used in several key contexts. It is foundational to understanding God through His creation, as His invisible attributes are "clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made" Romans 1:20. The word is also tied directly to faith, as in Hebrews 11:3, where "we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God." In prophetic passages, readers are explicitly called to engage their minds: "whoso readeth, let him understand" Matthew 24:15. Conversely, Jesus uses the term to rebuke the disciples' spiritual dullness when they fail to grasp the meaning of His miracles, asking, "Do ye not yet understand?" Matthew 16:9.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the meaning of G3539:

G4920 syníēmi (to comprehend; understand): This word implies a putting together of facts to arrive at comprehension. It is used alongside G3539 in Mark 8:17 when Jesus asks the disciples if they fail to perceive or understand.
G801 asýnetos (without understanding): This is the direct antonym, describing those who are foolish or unintelligent. Jesus asks the disciples if they are "so without understanding also" before challenging them to perceive the truth Mark 7:18.
G2529 kathoráō (clearly see): This term for distinct apprehension is used in conjunction with G3539 to show that God's attributes are not only visible in creation but are also meant to be mentally grasped Romans 1:20.
G1097 ginṓskō (to "know"): While G3539 often refers to the act of comprehension, G1097 can describe a deeper, more absolute or relational knowledge, such as knowing God himself John 17:3.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G3539 is significant, highlighting the connection between the mind and spiritual truth.

Accountability through Revelation: The ability to understand God's power and divine nature through creation makes humanity "without excuse" G379 for not acknowledging Him Romans 1:20.
Spiritual Blindness: A failure to understand is often depicted not as a simple lack of intellect, but as a spiritual condition of a hardened heart and blinded eyes, which prevents people from converting to be healed John 12:40.
Active Mental Engagement: Scripture calls for believers to actively engage their minds. Paul instructs Timothy to "consider what I say" so that the Lord might grant him understanding 2 Timothy 2:7. True perception requires more than passive hearing; it requires mental exercise.

Summary

In summary, G3539 is more than a simple word for thinking; it represents a crucial spiritual activity. It signifies the mental and spiritual process of comprehending God's revelation, whether in creation, scripture, or the person of Christ. The use of noiéō demonstrates that biblical faith is not a blind leap but involves an active, engaged mind that perceives and understands divine truth, leading to accountability and a deeper relationship with 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 14 occurrences, inflected in 8 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Present Active Indicative 2nd Plural 5×
Present Active Imperative 3rd Singular 2×
Present Active Indicative 1st Plural 2×
Aorist Active Infinitive 1×
Aorist Active Subjunctive 3rd Plural 1×
Present Active Imperative 2nd Singular 1×
Present Active Participle Nominative Plural Masculine 1×
Present Passive Participle Nominative Plural Neuter 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
Neuter: Neuter 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.
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.
Subjunctive: Possibility or purpose — "might", "should".
Infinitive: The verb as a noun — "to do".
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.

Related Words

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 14 verses across 8 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Matthew (4 verses); never once in the other 19.

Matthew

Mark

John

Romans

Ephesians

1 Timothy

2 Timothy

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, 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.