Word Study for G3670 (ὁμολογέω)

homologéō /hom-ol-og-eh'-o/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom a compound of the base of ὁμοῦ and λόγος

Meaningto assent, i.e. covenant, acknowledge

KJV usagecon- (pro-)fess, confession is made, give thanks, promise.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of homologéō — 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 homologéō, represented by G3670, is a compound word meaning to assent, covenant, or acknowledge. It appears 26 times across 21 unique verses in scripture. The term encompasses a range of actions from making a promise Matthew 14:7 to giving thanks Hebrews 13:15 or making a public confession Romans 10:10.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

The use of G3670 spans several critical contexts in the New Testament. It is foundational to the concept of salvation, where one must confess with the mouth the Lord Jesus to be saved Romans 10:9. It is also central to the believer's relationship with God, as in the call to confess our sins to receive forgiveness and cleansing 1 John 1:9. The term also describes a public declaration of faith, such as the "good profession" made before many witnesses 1 Timothy 6:12. In a different sense, it can be used to describe a false profession, where individuals profess to know God but deny Him by their works Titus 1:16.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words clarify the meaning of confessing and acknowledging truth:

G3671 homología (confession, professed): The direct noun form of G3670, this word refers to the confession or profession itself. It is used alongside its verb counterpart to describe professing a good profession 1 Timothy 6:12.
G720 arnéomai (to deny, refuse): This word serves as a direct antonym. Scripture often contrasts confessing with denying, as seen when individuals profess to know God but deny him in their works Titus 1:16 or when John the Baptist confessed and denied not John 1:20.
G4100 pisteúō (to have faith, believe): This term is frequently linked with G3670 to connect internal faith with external confession. Salvation involves both to believe in the heart and to confess with the mouth Romans 10:9.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G3670 is significant, establishing core principles of Christian faith and practice.

The Basis of Salvation: A foundational theological concept is that confession is intrinsically linked to salvation. Scripture states that one must confess with the mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in the heart that God raised him from the dead to be saved Romans 10:9, as "confession is made unto salvation" Romans 10:10.
Mutual Acknowledgment: G3670 establishes a principle of reciprocal acknowledgment between Christ and believers. Those who confess Jesus before men will be confessed by Him before the Father in heaven Matthew 10:32. This confession signifies an indwelling of God in the believer 1 John 4:15.
A Condition for Forgiveness: The act of confessing is a prerequisite for receiving God's forgiveness and purification. Believers are instructed that if they confess their sins, God is faithful and just to forgive them and cleanse them from all unrighteousness 1 John 1:9.
An Act of Worship: Confession extends beyond doctrinal statements to acts of worship. Believers are encouraged to offer a "sacrifice of praise," which is defined as "the fruit of our lips giving thanks" to His name Hebrews 13:15.

Summary

In summary, G3670 homologéō is a significant term that conveys a binding agreement or acknowledgment. It is not merely speaking, but aligning one's words with an inner reality, whether that is faith in Christ for salvation Romans 10:9, repentance from sin 1 John 1:9, or a false claim to know God Titus 1:16. The act of confessing defines a believer's identity, secures their relationship with God, and serves as a fundamental expression of faith and worship.

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 26 occurrences, inflected in 16 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Aorist Active Indicative 3rd Singular 4×
Aorist Active Subjunctive 3rd Singular 3×
Future Active Indicative 1st Singular 3×
Future Active Indicative 3rd Singular 2×
Present Active Indicative 3rd Plural 2×
Present Active Indicative 3rd Singular 2×
Aorist Active Indicative 2nd Singular 1×
Aorist Active Participle Nominative Plural Masculine 1×
Aorist Active Subjunctive 2nd Singular 1×
Imperfect Active Indicative 3rd Plural 1×
Present Active Indicative 1st Singular 1×
Present Active Participle Genitive Plural Masculine 1×

+ 4 rarer forms

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Genitive: Possession or source — often "of".
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.
Indicative: A plain statement of fact.
Subjunctive: Possibility or purpose — "might", "should".
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 21 verses across 10 of the 27 books. Most frequent in 1 John (5 verses); never once in the other 17.

Matthew

Luke

John

Acts

Romans

1 Timothy

Titus

Hebrews

1 John

2 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.