Greek word · G189

ἀκοή

akoē

hearing

Built on the verb akouō, "to hear". Greek historians used it for "hearsay" (knowledge by report rather than by seeing).

Appears 24 times in 22 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

ἀκοή, -ῆς, ἡ

(ἀκούω), [in LXX: Exodus 15:26, al. for שׁמע, its parts and derivatives, exc. Deuteronomy 11:22 (שׁמר) ;]

1. hearing, the sense of hearing: 1 Corinthians 12:17, 2 Peter 2:8; "Hebraic dative," ἀκοῇ ακούειν (frequently in LXX; V. M, Pr., 14, 75), Matthew 13:14, Acts 28:26.

2. organ of hearing, the ear (Arist., al.; MM, VGT, see word): 2 Timothy 4:3-4; pl., Mark 7:35, Luke 7:1, Acts 17:20, Hebrews 5:11.

3. a thing heard, i.e.,

(a) a message, teaching: John 12:38 and Romans 16:16,17" (LXX), Galatians 3:2,5 R, mg.; λόγος ἀκοῆς, 1 Thessalonians 2:13, Hebrews 4:2;

(b) a report, rumour: with genitive, of person(s), Matthew 4:24, 14:1, 24:6; Mark 1:28 13:7 (Cremer, 82, 623; MM, VGT, see word).†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Romans 10:17

Range of meaning

Built on the verb akouō, "to hear". In the biblical period its range ran from the faculty of hearing (1 Cor 12:17), to the ears themselves (Mark 7:35, "his ears were opened"), to the act of hearing, to what is heard: a report, news, rumour, or reputation (Mark 1:28, "the report of him went out"; Matt 24:6, "reports of wars"). Greek historians used it for "hearsay" (knowledge by report rather than by seeing).

Against the English

KJV, ESV, NASB and BSB keep "hearing". This preserves Paul's repetition but makes most readers think only of the act of listening. NIV ("hearing the message... the message is heard") and NRSV ("what is heard") bring out the content sense. YLT has "report". In German, Luther chose "Predigt" (preaching).

How it drifted

English "hearing" has lost its old sense of "news, tidings". KJV readers also cannot see that v.16 ("who hath believed our report?") and v.17 ("by hearing") use the same Greek word, so Paul's inference from Isaiah disappears.

Used elsewhere in the period

Isaiah 53:1 in the Greek Old Testament (the Septuagint): "Lord, who has believed our akoē?". Here akoē translates Hebrew shemuʿah, "report, news, tidings". This is the line Paul has just quoted. Compare 1 Sam 2:24 LXX ("the report I hear is not good"). In Paul: 1 Thess 2:13, logon akoēs, "the word of hearing", meaning the message you heard from us; Gal 3:2, 5, ex akoēs pisteōs, "from the hearing/message of faith", a closely parallel and much-debated phrase. Hebrew thought joins hearing and obeying in one verb, shamaʿ ("Hear, O Israel", Deut 6:4). Paul's Greek echoes this: v.16 says Israel did not hyp-ēkousan, literally "hear-under", i.e. obey.

From the study of Hebrews 5:11

Range of meaning

(1) The faculty of hearing; (2) the ear as the organ of hearing; (3) what is heard: a report, a message, preaching. The plural often means 'ears'.

Against the English

'Of hearing' (KJV, ESV, BSB) is accurate. NIV and NLT turn it into a verb ('try to understand', 'listen'). That captures the sense but loses the link to the letter's recurring vocabulary of hearing.

Used elsewhere in the period

Common in the Septuagint and the New Testament. Hebrews 4:2 uses it for 'the word of hearing' (the message heard) that did not benefit the wilderness generation because it was not 'mixed with faith' in those who heard. Paul uses it for 'the hearing of faith' (Galatians 3:2) and 'faith comes from hearing' (Romans 10:17).

From the study of 1 Thessalonians 2:13

Range of meaning

Hearing as a sense; the ear; and especially what is heard: a report, rumour, or proclaimed message.

Against the English

The BSB, ESV, NIV and others turn it into a verb ('which you heard from us'), which is good English. The WEB's 'the word of the message' and the YLT's 'the word of hearing' keep the noun, which in Christian vocabulary had become almost technical for 'the preached message'.

Used elsewhere in the period

Isa 53:1 LXX: 'Lord, who has believed our akoē (report)?' Paul quotes this in Rom 10:16–17 and adds that 'faith comes from akoē, and akoē through the word of Christ'. Gal 3:2, 5 speaks of 'the hearing of faith'. Hebrews 4:2 has 'the word of hearing'.

Where it appears

Matthew · 4

  1. Matthew 4:24 ἀκοὴ news

    News about Him spread all over Syria, and people brought to Him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering acute pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and He healed them.

    Here: Literally 'the hearing': what people heard and passed on about him. It means word of mouth, not celebrity.

  2. Matthew 13:14 ἀκοῇ In hearing

    In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.

    Here: 'With hearing.' Pairing a noun with a verb from the same root copies a Hebrew way of adding emphasis (Hebrew shim'u shamoa'). It means 'you will hear, really hear'. They truly do hear the words.

  3. Matthew 14:1 ἀκοὴν news

    At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus

    Here: The word means what is heard: the spoken reports about Jesus' deeds passed from mouth to mouth. Because Herod "heard the hearing", the Greek makes a small play on sound.

  4. Matthew 24:6 ἀκοὰς rumors

    You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come.

    Here: 'Reports' or 'news': things heard. It plays on the verb 'to hear' just before it. The word does not mean the report is false. It means the news reaches you second-hand, usually from far away.

Mark · 3

  1. Mark 1:28 ἀκοὴ news

    And the news about Jesus spread quickly through the whole region of Galilee.

  2. Mark 7:35 ἀκοαί, ears,

    Immediately the man’s ears were opened and his tongue was released, and he began to speak plainly.

  3. Mark 13:7 ἀκοὰς rumors

    When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come.

    Here: Literally 'hearings', meaning things heard: reports, news, word going around. It echoes the verb just used ('when you hear… hearings'). It does not by itself suggest the reports are false.

Luke · 1

  1. Luke 7:1 ἀκοὰς hearing

    When Jesus had concluded His discourse in the hearing of the people, He went to Capernaum.

John · 1

  1. John 12:38 ἀκοῇ report

    This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: “Lord, who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

    Here: Literally 'the hearing'. In Septuagint usage it means the thing heard, a report or tidings. It translates Hebrew shemu'ah, 'news, message'. In John's setting it is the message Jesus spoke.

Acts · 2

  1. Acts 17:20 ἀκοὰς ears

    For you are bringing some strange notions to our ears, and we want to know what they mean.”

  2. Acts 28:26 ἀκοῇ In hearing

    ‘Go to this people and say, “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.”

    Here: 'With hearing.' The noun is paired with the verb from the same root to copy a Hebrew way of adding emphasis: 'you will hear and hear', 'you will certainly hear'.

Romans · 3

  1. Romans 10:16 ἀκοῇ report

    But not all of them welcomed the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?”

    Here: 'The thing heard': a spoken message or report. It echoes hyp-akouō earlier in the verse and leads into v. 17, 'faith comes from akoē'.

  2. Romans 10:17 ἀκοῆς ἀκοὴ hearing

    Consequently, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

    Here: The same word Isaiah uses one verse earlier ("our report"). It covers both the act of hearing and the message that is heard. Paul draws on both: faith comes from a proclaimed message received by listening.

1 Corinthians · 2

  1. 1 Corinthians 12:17 ἀκοή; ἀκοή, hearing?, [were] hearing,

    If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?

Galatians · 2

  1. Galatians 3:2 ἀκοῆς hearing

    I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law, or by hearing with faith?

    Here: Can mean the act of hearing or the thing heard, the message or proclamation. Either way it points to Paul's preaching of the crucified Christ, which had been 'placarded' before their eyes (3:1).

  2. Galatians 3:5 ἀκοῆς hearing

    Does God lavish His Spirit on you and work miracles among you because you practice the law, or because you hear and believe?

    Here: Either the act of hearing or the message that was heard (the gospel report). Which one Paul means here is debated.

1 Thessalonians · 1

  1. 1 Thessalonians 2:13 ἀκοῆς [by your] hearing

    And we continually thank God because, when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it truly is, the word of God, which is also now at work in you who believe.

    Here: 'Of hearing': the message as something heard and proclaimed. 'The word of hearing' means 'the message you heard preached'.

2 Timothy · 2

  1. 2 Timothy 4:3 ἀκοήν· ear;

    For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires.

    Here: The faculty of hearing, here the 'ear'. The word comes back in verse 4: they 'turn their hearing away' from the truth. The ear that itches for pleasant sounds is the same ear that turns away from truth.

  2. 2 Timothy 4:4 ἀκοὴν hearing

    So they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

    Here: The faculty of hearing or the ear itself, and the direct object of 'turn away'. It repeats the same word from verse 3 ('itching in the hearing'): the ear that wanted to be scratched is the ear that now gets turned away.

Hebrews · 2

  1. Hebrews 4:2 ἀκοῆς of [their] hearing

    For we also received the good news just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, since they did not share the faith of those who comprehended it.

    Here: 'The word of hearing' is a Hebrew-flavoured way of saying 'the message they heard' or 'the proclaimed message'. It picks up 'Today, if you hear his voice' from Psalm 95, which this whole section expounds.

  2. Hebrews 5:11 ἀκοαῖς. hearings.

    We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain, because you are dull of hearing.

    Here: Plural, 'in the hearings' or 'in your ears'. It names the sluggish part. In a letter built around 'Today, if you hear his voice' (3:7, 15; 4:7), poor hearing is a serious charge, not a small one.

2 Peter · 1

  1. 2 Peter 2:8 ἀκοῇ hearing

    (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)—

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.