ἀρνέομαι G0720
Deny, disavow (a person or truth); renounce, deny oneself (repudiate claims or desires); refuse, reject (decline what is offered).
The Greek verb arneomai is the New Testament's word for the shattering act of denial — most memorably Peter's threefold 'I do not know the man' (Matt 26:70-74). Appearing 33 times, it covers the full range from personal disavowal to theological renunciation to outright refusal. Its most frequent sense is the denial of association with a person or the repudiation of a truth: to deny Christ (Matt 10:33), to deny the faith (1 Tim 5:8; Rev 2:13). But it also serves for self-denial — 'let him deny himself and take up his cross' (Luke 9:23) — and for Titus 2:12's call to renounce ungodliness. Spanish negar/renunciar, French nier/renier, and German verleugnen all orbit the core of disavowal, while the refusal sense in Hebrews 11:24 (Moses 'refused' to be called Pharaoh's grandson) pushes toward Spanish rehusar and a distinct volitional register.
Senses
1. deny, disavow — To deny, disavow, or repudiate — declaring something untrue or disowning association with a person, especially in the context of denying Christ or the faith. This dominant sense (28 occurrences) encompasses Peter's threefold denial (Matt 26:70, 72; Mark 14:68, 70; Luke 22:57; John 18:25, 27), Jesus' warning 'whoever denies Me before men, I will deny before My Father' (Matt 10:33), the denial of the Holy and Righteous One (Acts 3:13-14), and the eschatological warning that denying Christ leads to being denied by Him (2 Tim 2:12; Rev 3:8). Spanish negar, French nier/renier, German verleugnen, Arabic أَنْكَرَ, and Korean 부인하다 all converge on the act of repudiation. The word carries immense theological weight — to deny is to sever relationship. 28×
amh["የሚክዱ"]·AR["أَنْكَروها", "أَنْكَرَ", "أَنْكَرْتُمْ", "تُنْكِرَ", "تُنْكِرْ", "سَيَنْكِرُنا", "منكرين", "يُنكِرونَ", "يُنكِرُ", "يُنْكِرونَهُ", "يُنْكِرْ"]·ben["অস্বীকার-করতে", "অস্বীকার-করবে", "অস্বীকার-করবেন", "অস্বীকার-করল", "অস্বীকার-করলে", "অস্বীকার-করলেন", "অস্বীকার-করে", "অস্বীকার-করেছে।", "অস্বীকারকারী", "তুমি-অস্বীকার-করেছ", "যে-অস্বীকার-করে"]·ces["zapírající"]·dan["fornægtende."]·DE["verleugnen", "verleugnend", "verleugnet"]·ell["αρνούμενοι."]·EN["denied", "denying", "having-denied", "he-denied", "they-deny", "will-deny", "you-denied", "you-deny"]·FR["nier", "reniant.", "renier"]·guj["નકારનારા."]·hat["nye"]·hau["suna-yin-mūsu"]·heb["יְכַחֵשׁ", "כְּפַרְתֶּם", "כִּחֵשׁ", "כָּפַר", "כָּפַרְתָּ", "כֹּפְרִים", "כּוֹפְרִים", "מַכְחִישִׁים", "מַכְחִישׁ", "מכחישים", "תִּכְפֹּר"]·HI["इनकअर-करते,", "इनकअर-करेग", "इनकअर-किय.", "इनकार-करते।", "इनकार-करेगा", "इनकार-किया", "इनकार-किया,", "इन्कार-करने-पर", "इन्कार-करने-वाला", "इन्कार-किया", "तूने-इन्कार-किया", "माँगा"]·hun["megtagadók"]·ID["Dia-menyangkal", "akan-menyangkal", "dia-menyangkal", "engkau-menyangkal", "kamu-menyangkal", "menyangkal", "menyangkal,", "mereka-menyangkal,", "sambil-menyangkal"]·IT["negare", "rinnegando", "rinnegare"]·jav["Selak", "badhé-nyélaki", "nyangkal", "nyangkal,", "nyelaki", "nyelaki,", "nyélaki,", "nyélaki.", "panjenengan-nyelaki", "piyambakipun-nyangkal,", "selak", "sèlèh"]·JA["否定する者たち"]·KO["부인하고", "부인하는", "부인하는-자", "부인하는-자들이라", "부인하시리라", "부인하였다", "부인한-자들", "부인한다", "부인할-것이다", "부인했다", "판단했음에도"]·mar["नाकारणारे।"]·mya["ငြင်းပယ်လျက်"]·nld["verloochenende"]·nor["fornektende"]·pnb["انکار-کردے"]·pol["zapierający-się"]·PT["negam,", "negando", "negará", "negaste", "negastes", "negou", "negou,", "negues", "que-nega"]·ron["tăgăduind."]·RU["Отрицавших", "Отрёкся", "отвергающие", "отвергшие", "отреклись", "отреклись,", "отречётся", "отречёшься-от", "отрицают", "отрицающий", "отрицающий,", "отрёкся"]·ES["Negó", "habiendo-negado", "negando", "negando.", "negará", "negaste", "negasteis", "negó", "niega", "niegan", "niegues"]·SW["Akakana", "akakana", "alikana", "anayekana", "anayemkana", "atatukana", "hakukana", "hukuikana", "mlimkana", "utanikataa", "wakiikana", "wakimkana", "wanamkana", "wote-wakikana"]·swe["förnekande"]·tam["மறுதலிக்கிறவர்கள்"]·tel["తిరస్కరించుచున్నారు"]·tgl["itinatanggi"]·TH["ปฏิเสธ"]·TR["inkar-edecek", "inkar-eden", "inkar-edenler.", "inkar-ediyorlar,", "inkar-etmiş", "inkâr-edeceksin", "inkâr-ederken", "inkâr-etmedi", "inkâr-etti", "inkâr-ettin", "inkâr-ettiniz", "o", "İnkâr-etti"]·ukr["відкидаючи"]·urd["انکار کیا", "انکار-کرتے-ہیں", "انکار-کرنے-والا", "انکار-کرنے-والے", "انکار-کرنے-پر", "انکار-کرے", "انکار-کرے-گا", "انکار-کِیا", "انکار-کیا", "انکار-کیا،", "انکار-کیے-ہوئے"]·VI["chối-bỏ"]·yor["tí-wọ́n-ń-sẹ́."]·yue["否認"]·ZH["否认着"]
Matt 10:33, Matt 10:33, Matt 26:70, Matt 26:72, Mark 14:68, Mark 14:70, Luke 8:45, Luke 12:9, Luke 22:57, John 1:20, John 13:38, John 18:25 (+16 more)
2. renounce, deny oneself — To renounce or deny oneself — repudiating one's own claims, desires, or former way of life as an act of discipleship or moral transformation. Three occurrences mark key ethical turning points: Jesus' call to self-denial as the prerequisite for following Him (Luke 9:23, 'let him deny himself'), Paul's insistence that God 'cannot deny Himself' (2 Tim 2:13, meaning He cannot be untrue to His own nature), and the programmatic statement of Christian ethics in Titus 2:12, 'denying ungodliness and worldly desires.' Spanish renunciar, French renoncer, and German sich verleugnen/entsagen shift toward vocabulary of voluntary renunciation, distinguishing this from the betrayal connotation of sense 1. 3×
AR["أَنْ-يَنْكِرَ", "فَلْيُنْكِرْ", "مُنكِرينَ"]·ben["অস্বীকার-করতে", "অস্বীকার-করুক", "অস্বীকার-করে"]·DE["verleugnen", "verleugnet"]·EN["having-denied", "let-him-deny", "to-deny"]·FR["renier"]·heb["יְכַחֵשׁ", "לְ-כַחֵשׁ", "שׁוֹלְלִים"]·HI["इनकअर-करके", "इनकअर-करन", "इन्कार-करे"]·ID["menyangkal", "menyangkali", "menyangkallah"]·IT["negare"]·jav["nyélaki", "sèlèhna"]·KO["부인하고", "부인하기를", "부인하여"]·PT["negar", "negue", "renunciando"]·RU["да-отречётся", "отвергнув", "отречься"]·ES["habiendo-renunciado", "negar", "niéguese"]·SW["ajikane", "kujikana", "tukiikana"]·TR["inkar-etmek", "inkâr-etsin", "reddederek"]·urd["انکار-کرتے-ہوئے", "انکار-کرنا", "انکار-کرے"]
3. refuse, reject — To refuse or reject — declining something offered, proposed, or expected, with a volitional emphasis on the act of saying no. Only two clear occurrences: Moses 'refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter' (Heb 11:24), a deliberate choice of identity, and Israel's leaders who 'rejected' Moses as ruler (Acts 7:35). Spanish rehusar, French refuser, and German sich weigern introduce refusal vocabulary absent from the denial senses, confirming a distinct speech-act: not repudiating a truth or a person, but declining a status, role, or offer. 2×
AR["أَنْكَرُوهُ", "رَفَضَ"]·ben["অস্বীকার-করলেন", "অস্বীকার-করেছিল"]·DE["verleugnen", "verleugnet"]·EN["refused", "they-denied"]·FR["nier", "renier"]·heb["דָּחוּ", "מֵאֵן"]·HI["अस्वीकार-किया", "इन्कार-किया"]·ID["menolak", "mereka-menolak,"]·IT["negare", "rinnegare"]·jav["nampik", "nulak,"]·KO["거부했다", "거절하였으니"]·PT["negaram", "recusou"]·RU["отвергли", "отказался"]·ES["negaron", "rehusó"]·SW["alikataa", "walimkataa"]·TR["reddetti", "reddettiler"]·urd["انکار-کیا", "رد-کیا-تھا"]
Related Senses
H0559 1. say, speak, tell (5297×)G3004 1. say, tell, speak (2226×)H1696 1. speak, say, tell (Piel) (1105×)H7121 1. call, summon, name (575×)H6680 1. command, order, charge (483×)H6030b 1. answer, respond, reply (289×)G2980 1. speak, talk (277×)G4102 1. faith, trust, belief (239×)H5046 1. Hifil: to tell, report (237×)G4100 1. believe / have faith in (233×)G0611 1. answer or respond verbally (232×)H1288 1. Piel: bless, invoke blessing (227×)H7650 1. swear, take an oath (Niphal) (154×)H3789 1. Qal passive participle: written, recorded (112×)H1984b 1. praise, laud (Piel) (111×)H0982 1. trust in, rely on (105×)H7592 1. ask, inquire, question (96×)H3034 1. give thanks, praise (Hifil) (94×)G1321 1. teach, instruct actively (92×)H3789 2. Qal active: write, compose (89×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἀρνέομαι, future -ήσομαιRefs 5th c.BC+ (ἀπ-), NTaorist passive ἠρνήθην frequently in Attic dialect, Refs 5th c.BC+: also aorist middle ἠρνησάμηνRefs 8th c.BC+; rare in Trag. and Attic dialect, Refs 5th c.BC+: perfect ἤρνημαιRefs 4th c.BC+:—deny, disown, τεὸν ἔπος ἀρνήσασθαιRefs 8th c.BC+; ἀρνούμενοι ἔπαινοι negative praises, Refs 1st c.AD+ __2 refuse, τόξον.. δόμεναί τε καὶ ἀρνήσασθαιRefs 8th…