ἀκοή G0189
Hearing (the act or faculty); a report, news, or message heard; the ear as organ of hearing
Akoe spans the full range from the physical faculty of hearing to the content of what is heard. In Romans 10:17 Paul writes that 'faith comes from hearing' (ex akoes), where the word bridges the act of listening and the message proclaimed. Matthew 4:24 uses it for the 'report' or 'fame' of Jesus spreading through Syria. Mark 7:35 employs it concretely for the ear itself being opened. German consistently renders 'Gehor' across all senses, while Spanish helpfully distinguishes 'oido' (ear/hearing organ) from 'fama' (report) and 'anuncio' (proclamation).
Senses
1. act or faculty of hearing — The act, process, or faculty of hearing -- the capacity to perceive and receive sound or speech. Romans 10:17 makes this theologically central: faith arises through hearing the word of Christ. Paul's quotation of Isaiah in Acts 28:26 ('hearing you will hear but not understand') layers the faculty with ironic spiritual deafness. Spanish 'de oido' and French 'ouie' preserve the sensory focus. 11×
AR["السَّمعِ", "السَّمَاعِ", "السَّمْعُ", "السَّمْعِ", "سَماعِ", "سَمعًا", "سَمعٌ", "سَمعُ"]·ben["কানে", "শোনার", "শ্রবণ", "শ্রবণ,", "শ্রবণ?", "শ্রবণে", "শ্রবণের"]·DE["Gehoer", "Gehör"]·EN["In-hearing", "With-hearing", "hearing", "of-hearing"]·FR["ouïe"]·heb["בִּשְׁמִיעָה", "שְׁמִיעַת", "שְׁמִיעָה", "שְׁמוּעָה", "שָׁמוֹעַ"]·HI["सुनना", "सुनने", "सुनने-के", "सुनने-से", "सुननेसे", "सुन्ने", "सुन्ने-क", "सुन्ने-से"]·ID["Dengan-pendengaran", "pendengaran", "pendengaran,", "pendengaran?"]·IT["udito"]·jav["Mawi-pamireng", "Mireng", "pamireng", "pamireng,", "pamireng?", "pangrungu", "pawarta", "pawarta,", "talingan,"]·KO["듣는-것에,", "들음", "들음으로", "들음으로부터", "들음은", "들음의", "들음이냐", "들음이면"]·PT["Com-audição", "Ouvindo", "audição,", "audição?", "de-ouvir", "ouvir", "pelo-ouvido", "pregação", "pregação,"]·RU["-слова", "-слышание", "Слухом", "слух,", "слух?", "слухом", "слышания"]·ES["Con-oído", "De-oído", "de-oído", "oída", "oído", "oír"]·SW["Kwa-kusikia", "kusikia", "kusikia,", "kusikia?", "la-kusikia"]·TR["duyma", "duymadan", "duymanın", "duyuyla", "duyuşundan", "işiteceksiniz", "işitilen", "işitme-", "tüm-", "İşitmekle"]·urd["سننا", "سننے", "سننے-سے،", "سننے-کا", "سُنائی", "کانوں-سے"]
2. report, news, message — A report, piece of news, rumor, or proclamation -- what is heard rather than the act of hearing. Jesus' fame (akoe) goes throughout Syria (Matt 4:24); disciples hear 'reports of wars' (Matt 24:6; Mark 13:7). Spanish distinguishes this sense with 'fama' and 'anuncio,' while the underlying Greek relies on context to shift from faculty to content. 7×
AR["أَخبارَ", "أَخْبَارَ", "خَبَرَ", "خَبَرُهُ", "رِسَالَةِ", "سَمْعِ"]·ben["খবর", "গুজব", "শোনা-কথা", "শ্রবণে"]·DE["Gehoer", "Gehör"]·EN["report", "rumors"]·FR["ouïe"]·heb["שְׁמוּעָה", "שְׁמוּעָתֵנוּ", "שְׁמוּעוֹת", "שֵׁמַע"]·HI["अफवाहें", "अफ़वाहें", "चरच", "प्रसिद्धि", "संदेश", "संदेश-पर", "सुनाई"]·ID["berita", "kabar", "kabar-kabar"]·IT["udito"]·jav["kabar", "pawarta", "pawartos", "pawartosipun"]·KO["들은-것을", "소문", "소문-이", "소문들을", "소문을"]·PT["fama", "pregação", "rumores"]·RU["молва", "молву", "слухи", "слышанному"]·ES["anuncio", "fama", "proclamación", "rumores"]·SW["habari", "sifa", "za-vita"]·TR["duyduğumuza", "habere", "haberi", "haberini", "haberleri", "haberlerini", "şöhreti"]·urd["خبر", "خبریں", "سُننے-پر", "شہرت", "پیغام"]
3. ear, organ of hearing — The physical ear, the bodily organ of hearing, sometimes standing metonymically for receptive attention. In Mark 7:35 Jesus opens a deaf man's akoe (ears). In 2 Timothy 4:3-4 people 'turn away their ears' from truth, gathering teachers who tickle them. Spanish 'oidos' (ears) and the plural usage mark this concrete, anatomical sense. 6×
AR["آذانَهُم", "آذانِ", "أُذُنَاهُ", "الأَسْمَاعِ"]·ben["কান", "কান;", "কানগুলি", "কানে"]·DE["Gehoer", "Gehör"]·EN["ears", "hearing"]·FR["ouïe"]·heb["אָזְנֵי", "אָזְנֵינוּ", "אָזְנַיִם", "אֹזֶן"]·HI["कअनोन", "कअनोन;", "कानों", "कानों-में", "ठीक-से"]·ID["itu", "mendengar", "pendengaran", "telinga"]·IT["udito"]·jav["kuping", "kupingipun,", "pamireng", "talingan", "talingan;"]·KO["귀-가", "귀-를", "귀들", "귀들-이", "귀에", "들음에서"]·PT["ouvidos"]·RU["слух", "слухом", "уши"]·ES["oído", "oídos"]·SW["kusikia", "masikio"]·TR["kulaklarda", "kulakları", "kulaklarımıza", "kulaklarına", "kulaklarını"]·urd["سننا", "لوگوں", "کان", "کانوں", "کانوں-سے"]
Related Senses
H0559 1. say, speak, tell (5297×)G3004 1. say, tell, speak (2226×)H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)H1696 1. speak, say, tell (Piel) (1105×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)H8085 1. Qal: hear, perceive aurally (921×)H0859a 1. you (2nd person masculine singular pronoun) (743×)H0398 1. eat (consume food) (697×)H4191 1. die (Qal: natural/general death) (645×)H7121 1. call, summon, name (575×)H6680 1. command, order, charge (483×)G3708 1. see, perceive visually (419×)G0191 1. hear, perceive sound (360×)H???? 3. (352×)H6030b 1. answer, respond, reply (289×)G2980 1. speak, talk (277×)G3708 2. behold, look (exclamatory) (256×)H5046 1. Hifil: to tell, report (237×)H7272 1. foot (body part) (236×)G0611 1. answer or respond verbally (232×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἀκοή, ἡ, Epic dialect ἀκουή· (ἀκοϝ, compare ἀκούω):— hearing, sound heard, ἕκαθεν δέ τε γίγνετ᾽ ἀ.Refs 8th c.BC+ __2 thing heard, tidings, μετὰ πατρὸς ἀκουὴν ἱκέσθαι, βῆναι, Refs 8th c.BC+; κατὰ τὴν Σόλωνος ἀκοήν according to Solon's story, Refs 5th c.BC+; report, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἀ. σοφοῖς thing for wise men to listen to, Refs; ἀκοῇ ἱστορεῖν, παραλαβεῖν τι by hearsay, Refs 5th c.BC+; τὰς ἀ. τῶν…