Word Study for G4909 (συνευδοκέω)

syneudokéō /soon-yoo-dok-eh'-o/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom σύν and εὐδοκέω

Meaningto think well of in common, i.e. assent to, feel gratified with

KJV usageallow, assent, be pleased, have pleasure.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of syneudokéō — 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 syneudokéō, represented by G4909, means to think well of in common or to feel gratified with. It is translated as to assent to, allow, be pleased, or have pleasure. It appears 6 times across 6 unique verses, indicating a specific and focused application in scripture.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical usage, G4909 often carries a sense of moral approval or active consent, sometimes with severe consequences. It describes Saul consenting to the death of Stephen, an act that coincided with the start of a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem (Acts 8:1, Acts 22:20). The word is also used to condemn those who, despite knowing God's judgment that certain actions are worthy of death, not only commit them but also have pleasure in others who do them Romans 1:32. In a different context, it describes the positive agreement of an unbelieving spouse who is pleased to live with a believer, thereby sanctioning the marriage 1 Corinthians 7:12-13.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the contexts in which G4909 is found:

G337 anairéō (slay, put to death): This term for violent killing is directly linked to G4909 in Paul's testimony, where he recounts consenting to Stephen's death and guarding the clothes of those who slew him Acts 22:20.
G1375 diōgmós (persecution): The consent to Stephen's death is immediately followed by a great persecution against the church, showing how assent to violence can lead to wider affliction Acts 8:1.
G4238 prássō (commit, practise): This word describes the habitual performance of actions. It is used in connection with G4909 to show that taking pleasure in those who commit evil is a condemnable act in itself Romans 1:32.
G615 apokteínō (kill): Jesus uses this word when accusing the leaders of their complicity, stating they allow the deeds of their fathers who killed the prophets Luke 11:48.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G4909 centers on the moral responsibility of agreement and approval.

Culpability by Consent: The word demonstrates that one can be held accountable not just for their own actions, but for approving of or consenting to the sins of others. This is powerfully illustrated by Saul consenting to Stephen's martyrdom Acts 22:20 and by the condemnation of those who have pleasure in unrighteousness Romans 1:32.
Generational Complicity: In Luke 11:48, Jesus uses the term to show that by building sepulchres for the prophets their fathers killed, the current generation was allowing or approving of those past deeds, thereby sharing in the guilt.
Sanctifying Agreement: In a positive application, the word is used in 1 Corinthians to establish marital stability. The unbeliever who is pleased to remain provides the necessary consent for the union to continue under God's blessing 1 Corinthians 7:12-13.

Summary

In summary, G4909 is a potent term that moves beyond passive acceptance to active, heartfelt agreement. It serves as a crucial theological marker for understanding accountability, showing that one's consent can either align them with sinful acts, like the persecution of the church, or affirm a righteous state, as in a sanctified marriage. The word underscores that what a person approves of is as morally significant as what they do.

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

Present Active Indicative 3rd Singular 2×
Present Active Participle Nominative Singular Masculine 2×
Present Active Indicative 2nd Plural 1×
Present Active Indicative 3rd Plural 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.
Active: The subject performs the action.
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 6 verses across 4 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Acts and 1 Corinthians (2 verses each); never once in the other 23.

Luke

Acts

Romans

1 Corinthians

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.