Greek word · G4909

συνευδοκέω

syneudokeō

to agree to

To agree with, consent to, approve of, take sides with, be pleased along with. In legal papyri it is used for a party giving formal consent, for example to a contract or a sale.

Appears 6 times in 6 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

συν-ευ-δοκέω, -ῶ

[in LXX: 1Ma.1:57, 1Ma.4:28 א1, 2Ma.11:24 2Mac 11:35 * ;]

to join in approving, consent, agree to or with: absol., Acts 22:20; with dative of person(s), Romans 1:32; with dative of thing(s), Luke 11:48, Acts 8:1; with inf., 1 Corinthians 7:12-13 (chiefly in late writers).†

(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 1:32

Range of meaning

To agree with, consent to, approve of, take sides with, be pleased along with. In legal papyri it is used for a party giving formal consent, for example to a contract or a sale.

Against the English

BSB/NIV/WEB 'approve of'. ESV 'give approval to'. NASB 'give hearty approval'. KJV 'have pleasure in'. YLT 'have delight with'. NLT moves it to 'encourage others to do them'. The KJV and YLT wording can sound like enjoying something privately. The Greek word is about endorsing it and siding with the people who do it.

How it drifted

In 1611 'have pleasure in' could mean 'be favourable toward, approve'. Today it sounds more like enjoyment or gratification, which moves the sense from endorsement to feeling.

Used elsewhere in the period

Luke 11:48: you 'approve of the deeds of your fathers' who killed the prophets. Acts 8:1 and 22:20: Saul 'approving' Stephen's execution. 1 Cor 7:12–13: an unbelieving spouse who 'consents' to stay. 1 Macc 1:57: whoever 'consented to the law' was put to death. 1 Clement 35:6 echoes this verse: 'not only those who do them but also those who approve of them'.

From the study of Acts 8:1

Range of meaning

Built from syn ('together with') + eudokeō ('to be well pleased, think good, approve'). It means to agree with, approve of, give one's consent to, or be content alongside others in what they do. In legal and business papyri it can mean formally agreeing to an arrangement. In moral settings it means siding with an action and sharing responsibility for it.

Against the English

KJV and WEB 'was consenting' and YLT 'was assenting' were accurate in older English. To modern ears, though, 'consenting' sounds like passive permission, simply not objecting. NASB's 'in hearty agreement' and the 'approved' wording of ESV and NIV better capture the 'well pleased' element.

How it drifted

In modern English 'consent' has narrowed toward a yes-or-no permission given to a request, as in legal or medical consent. The Greek is about approving and joining in someone else's act.

Used elsewhere in the period

NT uses: Luke 11:48 (Jesus: 'you are witnesses and approve the deeds of your fathers, for they killed the prophets'); Acts 8:1; Acts 22:20 (Paul about himself: 'I myself was standing by and approving, and keeping the garments of those who killed him'); Rom 1:32 (those who not only do such things 'but also approve of those who practise them'); 1 Cor 7:12–13 (a spouse who agrees to live with a believer). In the Septuagint (the Greek Old Testament) it appears in 1 Macc 1:57 and 2 Macc 11:24, 35 for siding with, or agreeing to, a law or policy.

Where it appears

Luke · 1

  1. Luke 11:48 συνευδοκεῖτε you consent

    So you are witnesses consenting to the deeds of your fathers: They killed the prophets, and you build their tombs.

Acts · 2

  1. Acts 8:1 συνευδοκῶν consenting

    And Saul was there, giving approval to Stephen’s death. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.

    Here: Literally 'being well pleased along with' the people doing the killing. It means active, shared approval, not grudging permission. Paul later uses the same word about himself at this scene (Acts 22:20).

  2. Acts 22:20 συνευδοκῶν consenting

    And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and watching over the garments of those who killed him.’

Romans · 1

  1. Romans 1:32 συνευδοκοῦσιν they are approving

    Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things are worthy of death, they not only continue to do these things, but also approve of those who practice them.

    Here: Literally 'be well pleased together with'. It means to side with, give approval to and endorse, as Saul 'approved' Stephen's killing (Acts 8:1). Here it is public approval of other people's wrongdoing, not private enjoyment.

1 Corinthians · 2

  1. 1 Corinthians 7:12 συνευδοκεῖ consents

    To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If a brother has an unbelieving wife and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her.

  2. 1 Corinthians 7:13 συνευδοκεῖ consents

    And if a woman has an unbelieving husband and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him.

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