ἀληθ-ής G0227
True, genuine, real -- of statements, persons, or realities that are unconcealed and not false
From the root meaning 'unconcealed' (a-lethes, that which does not escape notice), this adjective describes what is true, genuine, and real as opposed to false or merely apparent. Jesus is called a true teacher (Matt 22:16, Mark 12:14), God is declared true when he speaks (John 3:33, Rom 3:4), and the word characterizes faithful testimony (John 5:31-32). In Paul's ministry the contrast sharpens: 'as deceivers, yet true' (2 Cor 6:8). Translations are strikingly uniform -- 'verdadero/a' (spa), 'vrai' (fra), 'wahr' (deu) -- reflecting the word's semantic stability across its New Testament occurrences.
1. true — True, real, or genuine in the primary sense -- applied to statements, testimony, teachings, and divine realities that correspond to fact and are not deceptive. Jesus is acknowledged as one who teaches 'the way of God in truth' (Matt 22:16), God is declared 'true' when every person is a liar (Rom 3:4), and Jesus affirms that his witness is 'true' (John 5:31-32, 8:26). Spanish 'verdadera/verdad,' French 'vrai,' and German 'wahr' all uniformly render this broad sense. 24×
AR["الحَقيقيَّةُ","حَقًّا","حَقٌّ","حَقِيقِيٌّ","حَقّ","صادِقٌ","صادِقَةٌ","صَادِقٌ","صَدْقًا"]·ben["সত্য"]·DE["wahr"]·EN["true","true-things"]·FR["vrai"]·heb["אֱמֶת","אֱמֶת,","אֲמִתִּי","אֲמִתִּית","כִּי"]·HI["सच","सचचे,","सच्चा","सच्ची","सच्ची।","सच्चे","सत्य;"]·ID["benar","benar.","benar;","jujur"]·IT["alēthē","alēthēs","verace","vero"]·jav["leres","leres.","leres;","nyata","saestu","temen"]·KO["진실한","진실한,","진실한-것","참되게","참되다","참되시다","참되시다고","참되었다","참된","참된-것을"]·PT["verdade","verdadeiras","verdadeiro","verdadeiro;"]·RU["истинен","истинная","истинно","истинное","истинное.","истинной","истинный","правду"]·ES["verdad","verdadera","verdaderas","verdadero"]·SW["kweli","mkweli","wa-kweli","wewe"]·TR["doğru","doğru;","gercek","gerçek"]·urd["سچ","سچا","سچّی","سچی","سچے","کہا","ہے"]
Matt 22:16, Mark 12:14, John 3:33, John 4:18, John 5:31, John 5:32, John 6:55, John 6:55, John 7:18, John 8:13, John 8:14, John 8:17 (+12 more)
▼ 1 more sense below
Senses
2. true — True in the sense of truthful, veracious, or sincere as applied to persons and their character -- emphasizing personal integrity rather than propositional accuracy. Paul describes his ministry as commending himself 'as truthful' despite being called a deceiver (2 Cor 6:8), and in Rom 3:4 God himself is declared 'veraz' (spa) -- truthful in his very nature. The Spanish distinction between 'verdadero' (sense 1) and 'veraz' (sense 2) captures this subtle shift from factual truth to personal veracity. 2×
AR["صادِقاً","صادِقينَ"]·ben["সত্য,","সত্য;"]·DE["wahr"]·EN["true"]·FR["vrai"]·heb["אֱמִתִּי","אֲמִתִּיים"]·HI["सच्चा","सच्चे"]·ID["benar","benar,"]·IT["vero"]·jav["leres;","sayektos,"]·KO["참되시고","참된-자들"]·PT["verdadeiro","verdadeiros"]·RU["истинные","истинным"]·ES["veraces","veraz"]·SW["wa-kweli","wa-kweli;"]·TR["doğru","gerçek"]·urd["سچا","سچّے"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἀληθ-ής [ᾰ], Doric dialect ἀλᾱθής, ές, (λήθω, ={λανθάνω}: ἀληθὲς τὸ μὴ λήθῃ ὑποπῖπτονRefs:—unconcealed, so true, real, opposed to false, apparent: __I Refs 8th c.BC+; ἀληθέϊ λόγῳ χρᾶσθαιRefs 5th c.BC+ __I.2 of persons, etc., truthful, honest (not in Refs 8th c.BC+; οἶνος ἀ. `in vino veritas', Refs 5th c.BC+ __I.3 of oracles, true, unerring, ἀλαθέα μαντίων θῶκονRefs 5th c.BC+; of dreams, Refs 4th…