G1097 G1097
To know, recognize, understand, perceive, or learn; spanning relational acquaintance, intellectual comprehension, passive recognition, and discovery
Ginosko is the primary Greek verb for knowing in the New Testament, carrying a warmth and directness that its more intellectual cousin oida often lacks. Where oida tends toward propositional awareness, ginosko implies experiential, relational, or perceptual knowledge — you ginosko a person, a truth you have wrestled with, a mystery now revealed. Jesus 'knew their thoughts' (Matt 12:15), Paul 'knew nothing against himself' (1 Cor 4:4), and the great Johannine declaration asks that the world 'may know that you sent me' (John 17:23). Arabic distributes the semantic field across 'arafa (acquaintance), fahima (comprehension), and 'ulima (passive being known), illuminating distinctions that Greek packs into one verb.
1. know, be acquainted with — To know through experience, relationship, or acquaintance — the broad active-voice sense covering the vast majority of occurrences (196x). This is personal, engaged knowing: Jesus knows his sheep (John 10:14, 27), disciples know the truth (John 8:32), and believers know God (1 John 4:8). Arabic 'arafa 'to know by acquaintance,' Korean alda, and Spanish conocer/saber all converge here. The sense spans present knowledge (Matt 12:15), past recognition (Matt 16:8), aorist realization (Matt 22:18), and perfect settled conviction, making it the default cognitive verb of the New Testament. 196×
AR["أن-تَعلَمَ","أنْ-أعْرِفَ","أَعْرِفَهُ","أَن-تَعرِفوا","أَن-تَعرِفُوا","أَن-نَعرِفَ","أَنْ-تَعْرِفُوا","أَنْ-يَعْرِفَ","أَنْ-يَعْلَمَ","لِتَعْرِفَ","وَتَعرِفوا","يَعرِف","يَعلَمُها","يَعْرِفُ","يَعْرِفُهَا"]·ben["জানতে","জানতে,","জানতে।","জানে","জানেন","বা","সে-জানে"]·DE["erkennen","erkennt"]·EN["he-knows","knows","to-know"]·FR["connaître"]·heb["יוֹדֵעַ","לָדַעַת"]·HI["जअन्न","जअन्नअ","जानता","जानता-है","जानना","जानने-को","या"]·ID["dia-ketahui","ia-ketahui","mengenal","mengetahui","mengetahui,","mengetahui.","tahu","untuk-mengetahui"]·IT["conoscere"]·jav["dipunmangertosi","mangertos","mangertos,","mangertos.","mangertosi","mangertosi,","pirsa","piyambakipun-mangertos","sumerep"]·KO["때들-을","아신다","알","알기","알기-위하여","알기를","알기를,","알는","알다","알도록","알지-못한다"]·PT["conhece","conhecer","conhecer.","saber"]·RU["знает","знать","не-знает","познать","познать.","узнать","узнать,"]·ES["conoce","conocer","sabe","saber"]·SW["anajua","ananijua","atajua","ijui","kujua","kujua.","kumjua","kuyajua,"]·TR["biliyor","bilmek","bilmeni","bilmeye","bilmeyi","bilmez","bilmiyor","veya"]·urd["جانتا","جانتا-ہے","جاننا","جاننا٬","جاننے-کو"]
Matt 12:15, Matt 13:11, Matt 16:3, Matt 16:8, Matt 22:18, Matt 24:32, Matt 24:50, Matt 26:10, Mark 8:17, Mark 13:28, Mark 15:45, Luke 8:10 (+38 more)
▼ 5 more senses below
Senses
2. be known, be made known — To be known, be recognized, be made known — passive and middle-passive forms where the subject is the object of another's knowing. 'Nothing is hidden that will not be made known' (Matt 10:26; Luke 12:2). A tree 'is known' by its fruit (Matt 12:33; Luke 6:44). Arabic ma'ruf 'known,' Korean allyeojida 'to become known,' and Spanish ser conocido confirm the passive orientation. The passive often carries revelatory force in Luke's writing: what is concealed will inevitably come to light (Luke 8:17). 13×
AR["المَعروفَةُ","تُعرَفُ","عُرِفتُم-مِنَ","عُرِفَ","عُلِمَ","لِيَكُنْ-مَعْروفًا","مَعْروفٌ","يُعرَفَ","يُعرَفُ","يُعلَمُ","يُعْرَفَ"]·ben["চেনা-যায়","জানা","জানা-গেল","জানা-যাক","জানা-যাবে","জানা-যায়","জানা-হবে","জানা-হয়ে","তিনি-চেনা-গেলেন","পরিচিত-হয়েছে"]·DE["erkennen","erkennt"]·EN["being-known","has-been-known","having-been-known","he-was-known","is-known","let-be-known","was-made-known","will-be-known"]·FR["connaître"]·heb["יִוָּדַע","נִכַּר","נִכָּר","נוֹדְעִים","נוֹדְעָה","נוֹדַע","נוֹדַעַת","תִּוָּדַע"]·HI["जअनि-जअये","जअने-गये","जाना-गया","जाना-गया-है","जाना-जाएगा","जाना-जाता-है","जो-जानी-जाती-है","पहचअनअ-जअतअ-है"]·ID["Dia-dikenali","akan-diketahui","biarlah diketahui","dikenal","diketahui"]·IT["conoscere"]·jav["badhé-dipunmangertosi","badhé-kasumerepan.","dipun-mangertosi","dipun-tepangi","dipun-wanuhi","dipunmangertosi","katepangan.","kawuningan","sampun-dipuntepangi"]·KO["알려져서","알려졌다","알려지느니라","알려지지","알려지지-않을","알려진","알려진다","알리어지라","알리오"]·PT["conhecida","foi-conhecido","seja-conhecida","seja-conhecido","será-conhecido","tendo-sido-conhecidos"]·RU["будет-узнано","познаваемое","познан","познанные","познаётся","пусть-будет-известна","стало-известно","станет-известным","узнается","узнан-был"]·ES["conocida","es-conocido","fue-conocida","fue-conocido","ha-sido-conocido","habiendo-sido-conocidos","sea-conocido","será-conocido"]·SW["alivyotambuliwa","amejulikana","hutambuliwa.","ilijulikana","inayojulikana","itajulikana","julikana.","kujulikana","mkijulikana","ujulikane","unajulikana"]·TR["bilinecek","bilinecek,","bilinmeyecek","bilinmiştir","bilinsin","konuşulan-","o-","tanınarak","tanındı","tanınır","tanınır.","öğrenildi"]·urd["جانا-جائے","جانا-جائے-گا","جانا-جاتا","جانا-گیا-ہے","جانی-جائے-گی","جانے-جا-کر","ظاہر-ہو","معلوم-ہوئی","پہچانا-جاتا-ہے","پہچانا-گیا","کیونکہ"]
Matt 10:26, Matt 12:33, Luke 6:44, Luke 8:17, Luke 12:2, Luke 24:35, Acts 9:24, 1 Cor 8:3, 1 Cor 14:7, 1 Cor 14:9, 2 Cor 3:2, Gal 4:9 (+1 more)
3. understand, comprehend — To understand or comprehend the meaning of something — a deeper cognitive grasp beyond mere acquaintance. The disciples 'did not understand' Jesus's saying about the leaven of the Pharisees (John 8:27, 43). They fail to 'know' the parable's meaning (John 10:6). But after the resurrection, they 'understood' what Scripture had foretold (John 12:16). Arabic fahima 'to comprehend,' Korean kkaedat-da 'to realize,' and Swahili -elewa/-fahamu mark comprehension rather than acquaintance. John's Gospel especially exploits the gap between knowing-about and truly understanding (John 10:38; 14:7). 8×
AR["أَعْرِفُ","تَعرِفونَ","تَعلَموا","تَفْهَمُ","فَهِمَ","يَعرِفوا","يَفْهَمْ"]·ben["আমি-জানি","জানলেন","তোমরা-জানতে-থাকো","বুঝল","বুঝল-তারা","বুঝলেন","বোঝ"]·DE["erkennen","erkennt"]·EN["I-know","do-you-understand","knew","might-understand","they-knew"]·FR["connaître"]·heb["אֲנִי-יוֹדֵעַ","הֵבִינוּ","יָדְעוּ","יָדַע","מֵבִין","מַכִּירִים-אַתֶּם","תָּכִירוּ"]·HI["जानते-रहो","समझता-हूँ","समझता-है","समझते?","समझा","समझे"]·ID["aku-mengerti;","engkau-mengerti","kamu-mengenal","kamu-mengerti","mengerti","mereka-mengerti","tahu"]·IT["conoscere"]·jav["kula-mangertos;","mangertos","mangertos,","mangertos-panjenengan","mangretos?","sumerep"]·KO["깨닫기를","깨닫지","깨닫지-못하노니","아느냐","알았다","알지","알지-못하는가","알지-못했다"]·PT["compreendo;","conhecendo","entendeis","entenderam","entendes","soube"]·RU["-знаю","знаешь","знали","не-понял","понимаете","поняли","узнали"]·ES["conocieron","conoció","conocéis","entendieron","entiendes","entiendo","sigais-conociendo"]·SW["alijua","hawakuelewa","mnaelewa","mwendelee-kujua","sijui","unaelewa","walijua"]·TR["anladılar","anlamadı","anlıyor-musun","anlıyorum","biliyorsunuz","bilmeye-devam-edin"]·urd["جانتے-رہو","سمجھا","سمجھتا-ہے","سمجھتے","سمجھے","میں-سمجھتا؛"]
4. learn, find out, discover — To learn, find out, or discover — the ingressive moment of coming to know something previously unknown. When Jesus asks 'how many loaves do you have? Go and find out' (Mark 6:38), the verb captures the transition from ignorance to knowledge. In Acts 17:13, the Thessalonian Jews 'learned' that Paul was preaching in Berea. English 'finding out' and 'learned,' Spanish supieron, and the aorist tense profile all confirm the punctiliar, discovery-oriented reading. This is ginosko at the threshold between not-knowing and knowing. 2×
AR["عَرَفوا","عَلِمَ"]·ben["জানল","জেনে"]·DE["erkennen","erkennt"]·EN["finding-out","learned"]·FR["connaître"]·heb["יָדְעוּ"]·HI["कहते-हैं","जाना"]·ID["setelah-mengetahui","tahu"]·IT["conoscere"]·jav["pirsa","sasampunipun-mangertos,"]·KO["알게-되었다","알고서,"]·RU["узнав","узнали"]·ES["sabiendo","supieron"]·SW["walijua","walipojua"]·TR["öğrendiler","öğrenince"]·urd["جان-کر","جانا"]
5. sense 5 — To perceive or sense directly — immediate physical or intuitive awareness. Mark 5:29 says the woman with the hemorrhage 'knew in her body that she was healed.' This is neither intellectual comprehension nor relational acquaintance but visceral, embodied perception. Spanish conoció and German erkennen here carry the sense of felt awareness. The aorist tense marks the instant of recognition — she perceived at once that healing had occurred, prior to any cognitive processing. 1×
AR["عَلِمَتْ"]·ben["জানল"]·DE["erkennen"]·EN["she-knew"]·FR["connaître"]·heb["יָדְעָה"]·HI["कि"]·ID["dia-merasakan"]·IT["conoscere"]·jav["ngrasakaken"]·KO["알았다"]·PT["conheceu"]·RU["почувствовала"]·ES["conoció"]·SW["alijua"]·TR["anladı"]·urd["جانا"]
6. sense 6 — To have known previously, to acknowledge or recognize in hindsight — a perfective sense where knowing carries the weight of prior relationship and its obligations. Romans 1:21 states that humanity 'having known God, did not glorify him as God.' The participial form gnontes carries a concessive force: despite possessing genuine knowledge of God through creation, they refused to honor him. Arabic ma'rifatan 'with prior knowledge' and Spanish habiendo conocido mark the culpable dimension — this is not ignorance but willful suppression of acknowledged truth. 1×
AR["عارِفينَ"]·ben["জেনেও"]·DE["erkennen"]·EN["having-known"]·FR["connaître"]·heb["יוֹדְעִים"]·HI["जानते-हुए-भी"]·ID["walaupun-mengenal"]·IT["conoscere"]·jav["mangertos"]·KO["알았으되"]·PT["tendo-conhecido"]·RU["познав"]·ES["habiendo-conocido"]·SW["wakimjua"]·TR["bilenler"]·urd["جانتے-ہوئے"]
Related Senses
H3045 1. Qal: to know, perceive, understand (829×)H5315 1. soul, inner being (647×)H3820a 1. heart, inner self (mind/will/emotion) (572×)H4672 1. Qal: find, discover (289×)G1492 1. know facts or truths (285×)H3824 1. heart, inner self (mind/will/emotion) (250×)H1245 1. seek, search for (200×)H2142 1. Qal: remember, recall (173×)G2588 1. heart (inner self, mind, will) (158×)H0977 1. choose, select (Qal active) (145×)G2147 1. find, discover (144×)G5590 1. soul, inner self (100×)H4672 2. Niphal: be found, be discovered (99×)H1875 1. seek, search for (96×)H5315 2. life, vitality (94×)H1847 1. knowledge, discernment (90×)H2450 1. wise, prudent (84×)H7911 1. Qal: to forget (83×)H3684 1. fool, dullard (70×)G2212 1. seek, search for, look for (64×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
Included with: γιγνώσκω, Doric dialect Refs 5th c.BC+, Aeolic dialect, Ionic dialect, and after Refs 4th c.BC+ γινώσκω, but γιγνώσκω in early Attic dialect Inscrr., as Refs (κατα-), etc.: future γνώσομαι Refs 8th c.BC+, Doric dialect 3rd.pers. singular γνωσεῖται Refs is falsa lectio in Refs 5th c.BC+; Cretan dialect form ἀνα-γνώοντι uncertain in Refs: perfect ἔγνωκα Refs 5th c.BC+: aorist 2 ἔγνων…