Greek word · G3687
ὀνομάζω
onomazō
to name
Present passive participle of ὀνομάζω, 'to name, call, give a name to'. Passive: 'being named, bearing the name, called'. It can be neutral ('known as') and in some contexts suggests 'so-called', a name without the reality.
Appears 10 times in 10 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·
What it means
ὀνομάζω
(ὄνομα), [in LXX for זָכַר, נָקַב, קָרָא ;]
1. to name, mention, or address by name: Acts 19:13; pass., Romans 15:20, Ephesians 1:21 5:3; of the use of the Divine name in praise and worship, 2 Timothy 2:19 (LXX, Numbers 16:26; cf. Isaiah 52:11, Amos 6:10).
2. to name, call, give a name to: Mark 3:14 (T, R, txt. om.), Luke 6:13-14; pass., 1 Corinthians 5:11; before ἐξ (cl.), Ephesians 3:15 (cf. ἐπ-ονομάζω).†
(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 1 Corinthians 5:11
- Range of meaning
Present passive participle of ὀνομάζω, 'to name, call, give a name to'. Passive: 'being named, bearing the name, called'. It can be neutral ('known as') and in some contexts suggests 'so-called', a name without the reality.
- Against the English
BSB/NIV/NLT 'claims to be' and NASB 'so-called' lean toward the person being a fraud. ESV 'bears the name of' and KJV/WEB 'is called' are more neutral. The Greek stresses that the community recognises this person as a member.
- How it drifted
Modern English 'claims to be a Christian' suggests a hypocrite whose faith is unreal. Paul is not ruling on whether the person is truly a believer. He is saying who falls under the community's responsibility: anyone who goes by the family name.
- Used elsewhere in the period
Compare 2 Tim 2:19, 'everyone who names the name of the Lord', and Eph 3:15, 'every family is named'. The construction is common in Hellenistic Greek for being known by a title.
From the study of 2 Timothy 2:19
- Range of meaning
To name, call by name or pronounce a name. 'To name the name of the Lord' is a Greek Old Testament idiom for invoking, confessing or worshipping the Lord by name.
- Against the English
NIV's 'confesses' captures the meaning. BSB's 'calls on' borrows Joel 2:32 / Rom 10:13 wording, which uses a different verb (ἐπικαλέομαι). KJV, WEB and ESV keep the literal 'names the name'.
- Used elsewhere in the period
Isa 26:13 in the Greek Old Testament: 'O Lord, besides you we know no other; we name your name' (τὸ ὄνομά σου ὀνομάζομεν). Lev 24:16 and Amos 6:10 use it for uttering the divine name. Josh 23:7 forbids 'naming' other gods. The Hebrew idiom behind it is hizkîr šēm, 'to make mention of the name'.
From the study of Ephesians 3:15
- Range of meaning
To give a name, to call by name, to mention by name, and in the passive 'to be named' or 'to bear a name.' In Jewish usage, naming carries the idea of bringing into being, assigning a role, and exercising authority.
- Against the English
English "is named" can sound like mere labelling. BSB/NASB/NIV "derives its name" brings out the 'from' (ex) and the sense of origin better. Neither fully conveys that in the biblical world a name was identity and naming was an act of authority.
- Used elsewhere in the period
Adam names the animals, a sign of his authority over them (Genesis 2:19-20). God 'calls them all by name' of the stars (Isaiah 40:26; Psalm 147:4), showing he made and rules them. Ephesians itself uses the same verb in 1:21: Christ is seated above 'every name that is named, not only in this age but in the one to come,' in a list of spiritual powers. Ancestral naming was normal: Israelite clans bore the name of their founder (Levites, Kohathites), and Roman gentes did the same (the Julii claimed descent from Iulus).
Where it appears
Mark · 1
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Mark 3:14 ὠνόμασεν He called [them]
He appointed twelve of them, whom He designated as apostles, to accompany Him, to be sent out to preach,
Luke · 2
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Luke 6:13 ὠνόμασεν· He named:
When daylight came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also designated as apostles:
Here: He gave them the name. Naming someone was an act of authority that set their role. The same verb comes next in verse 14: "Simon, whom he named Peter."
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Luke 6:14 ὠνόμασεν He named
Simon, whom He named Peter, and his brother Andrew; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew;
Here: 'He named.' The tense presents the naming as a single event and does not say when it happened. It repeats the verb just used for naming the Twelve 'apostles' (6:13).
Acts · 1
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Acts 19:13 ὀνομάζειν to invoke
Now there were some itinerant Jewish exorcists who tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those with evil spirits. They would say, “I command you by Jesus, whom Paul proclaims.”
Here: "To name": to say a name out loud as the working part of the act. In their hands, saying the name is meant to do the job.
Romans · 1
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Romans 15:20 ὠνομάσθη was named
In this way I have aspired to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation.
Here: 'Was named': where Christ had already been spoken of and called on by name, meaning where a group already confessed and worshiped him. The aorist passive looks at it as something that had already happened in that place.
1 Corinthians · 1
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1 Corinthians 5:11 ὀνομαζόμενος being designated
But now I am writing you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a verbal abuser, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.
Here: 'Who is named/called a brother.' The person is recognised as a member and carries the family name. The word does not in itself say the claim is fake.
Ephesians · 3
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Ephesians 1:21 ὀνομαζομένου being named
far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.
Here: 'Being named': any name that is spoken, given as a title, or called on. In Ephesus the word could suggest names invoked in prayers, oaths and spells (compare Acts 19:13). The present tense means any name in use at all.
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Ephesians 3:15 ὀνομάζεται, is named,
from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.
Here: Present tense, passive voice: "is named," with God implied as the source. In the biblical world, naming something meant giving it its identity and showing authority over it, so this says more than that a label is attached.
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Ephesians 5:3 ὀνομαζέσθω should be named
But among you, as is proper among the saints, there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed.
Here: 'Let it be named', a present-tense command meaning 'never let it be named'. These things should be so foreign to the community that they are not even spoken of, or said to exist, among them.
2 Timothy · 1
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2 Timothy 2:19 ὀνομάζων is naming
Nevertheless, God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord must turn away from iniquity.”
Here: 'Naming' the Lord means speaking his name in worship, oath or confession, and so publicly claiming him as your Lord. The present tense describes a habit: those who keep doing this.
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.