δοκέω G1380
To think, suppose; to seem or appear; impersonally, to seem good or decide; to be reputed or esteemed.
This versatile Greek verb moves fluidly between the inner world of thought and the outer world of appearance. When Jesus asks 'What do you think?' (Matt 17:25; 22:42), the word invites genuine deliberation. When something 'seems' a certain way (Matt 18:12), the focus shifts to perception and impression. Luke uses the impersonal construction 'it seemed good to me' (Luke 1:3) to introduce his Gospel, and the Jerusalem council employs the same form for their communal decision (Acts 15:25, 28). Paul then stretches the word further in Galatians 2, where 'those who seemed to be something' — the reputed pillars — are weighed and found genuinely authoritative. French consistently translates with 'penser,' collapsing these nuances, while Spanish distinguishes 'pensar' from 'parecer' — a telling divergence.
Senses
1. think, suppose, believe — The cognitive core: to think, suppose, or hold an opinion. This is the most frequent sense (37 occurrences), used when someone forms a judgment or entertains a belief. Jesus' pointed 'Do you think...?' (Matt 3:9; 26:53) and Paul's rhetorical challenges deploy this sense to provoke reflection. English 'think,' Spanish 'pensáis,' and German 'meinen' all point to the same deliberative mental act, while French 'penser' serves as a broad catch-all across multiple senses. 37×
AR["أَتَظُنُّونَ", "تَظُنُّونَ", "تَظُنّونَ", "ظَانِّينَ", "ظَنَّتْ", "يَظُنُّ"]·ben["তোমরা-মনে-কর", "তোমরা-মনে-করো", "মনে-কর", "মনে-করিয়া", "মনে-করে", "মনে-করো"]·DE["meinen", "meint"]·EN["Think-you", "do-you-think", "he-seems", "seems", "supposing", "think", "think-you", "thinking", "thinks", "you-think"]·FR["penser"]·heb["חָשְׁבוּ", "חוֹשְׁבִים", "חוֹשֵׁב", "חוֹשֶׁבֶת", "נִדְמֶה"]·HI["क्या-तुम-सोचते-हो", "तुम-सोचते-हो", "समझता-है", "समझते-हुए", "समझते-हो", "सोचकर", "सोचत-है", "सोचते-हो"]·ID["Kamu-menyangka", "berpikir", "ia-pikir", "kamu-mengira", "kamu-menyangka", "kamu-pikir", "kamu-sangka", "menganggap", "mengira"]·IT["pensare"]·jav["Punapa-panjenengan-ngira", "nginten", "ngira", "ngrumaosi", "panjenengan-kinten", "panjenengan-nganggep", "panjenengan-ngira", "panjenengan-nyana", "punapa-panjenengan-ngira", "rumaos"]·KO["생각하고", "생각하느냐", "생각하는", "생각하는가", "생각하며", "생각하면", "생각하였다", "생각한다", "생각한다면"]·PT["Pensais", "julga", "pensa", "pensais", "pensando"]·RU["Думаете", "думает", "думаете", "думая", "подумавшие", "считает"]·ES["Pensáis", "habiendo-pensado", "parece", "pensando", "pensáis", "piensa"]·SW["Mnadhani", "Mwana", "akidhani", "anadhani", "mnadhani", "mnafikiri", "wakidhani", "wakifikiri"]·TR["Sanıyorsunuz", "dusunurse", "sanarak", "sandığı", "sandığınız", "sanırsa", "sanıyor-musunuz", "sanıyorsa", "sanıyorsunuz"]·urd["تم-سمجھتے-ہو", "سمجھتا-ہے", "سمجھتی-ہوئی", "سمجھتے-ہو", "سمجھے", "سوچ-کر", "سوچتا-ہے", "سوچتے", "سوچتے-ہو"]
Matt 3:9, Matt 6:7, Matt 24:44, Matt 26:53, Mark 6:49, Luke 8:18, Luke 12:40, Luke 12:51, Luke 13:2, Luke 13:4, Luke 19:11, Luke 24:37 (+25 more)
2. seem, appear — To seem or appear — the word turns outward from private thought to public impression. Something gives the appearance of being a certain way to an observer. In Matthew 21:28 Jesus asks 'What does it seem to you?' and in Matthew 22:17 the Pharisees ask what 'seems right' about paying taxes. Spanish 'parece/parecen' cleanly distinguishes this perceptual sense from the cognitive 'pensar' of sense 1, a split that English 'seem' versus 'think' also captures. 15×
AR["أَبدوَ", "المَظنونَةُ", "تَظُنُّونَ", "يَبدو", "يَبْدُو", "يَظُنُّ", "يَظْهَرُ", "يُظَنُّ"]·ben["মনে-হওয়া", "মনে-হয়"]·DE["meinen", "meint"]·EN["I-might-seem", "does-seem", "he-seems", "it-seems", "seem", "seeming", "seems"]·FR["penser"]·heb["אֵרָאֶה", "חוֹשְׁבִים", "יִדְמֶה", "נִדְמֶה", "נִרְאִים", "נִרְאֶה", "נֶחְשָׁב"]·HI["मैं-लगूं", "लगत-है", "लगता-है", "लगताहै", "लगती", "लगे", "समझा-जाता-है", "समझे-जाने-वाले"]·ID["aku-tampak", "dianggap", "menurut", "menurutmu", "pikir", "pikirkan", "tampak", "tampaknya", "yang-tampaknya"]·IT["pensare"]·jav["dipun-anggep", "ingkang-rumaos", "katingal", "ketingal", "kula-katingal", "ngira", "panggalih", "panggalih,", "panggalihipun", "panginten", "rumaos"]·KO["보이게", "보이게-되지-않도록", "보이지", "보인다", "생각되느냐", "생각되는", "생각되는가", "생각하느냐", "여겨지는지"]·PT["parece", "parece?", "pareça", "que-parecem"]·RU["думаете", "кажется", "кажется?", "кажущиеся", "покажется", "показался", "представляется"]·ES["os-parece", "parece", "parecen", "parezca", "te-parece"]·SW["Mtu", "anaonekana", "aonekane", "inaonekana", "kuwa", "mnadhani", "mnafikiri", "mnaonaje", "ni-halali", "nionekane", "unadhani", "unafikiri", "vinavyoonekana"]·TR["düşünüyorsunuz", "görüneyim", "görünsün", "görünüyor", "o-"]·urd["سمجھا-جاتا-ہے", "سمجھے", "سمجھے-جانے-والے", "لگتا-ہے", "لگتی", "لگوں"]
Matt 17:25, Matt 18:12, Matt 21:28, Matt 22:17, Matt 22:42, Matt 26:66, Luke 10:36, Luke 22:24, John 11:56, Acts 17:18, Acts 25:27, 1 Cor 12:22 (+3 more)
3. seem good, decide — The impersonal deliberative use: 'it seemed good' or 'it was decided.' Luke 1:3 — 'it seemed good to me also' — and the Jerusalem council decrees of Acts 15 (vv. 22, 25, 28) employ this construction for formal or considered decisions. Spanish 'pareció bien' ('it seemed good') and English 'it seemed good' mark this as a collective or authoritative judgment rather than mere private opinion, bridging thinking and deciding. 6×
AR["رَأَى", "رَأَينا", "رَأَيْتُ", "مَا-يَبْدُو"]·ben["ভালো-মনে-হল", "মনে-হওয়া", "মনে-হল"]·DE["meinen", "meint"]·EN["it-seemed", "it-seemed-good", "seeming-good"]·FR["penser"]·heb["הֲרֵי", "לַ-", "נִרְאֶה-לָהֶם", "נִרְאָה"]·HI["अच्छा-लगा", "उचित-लगता-था"]·ID["dianggap-baik", "tampak-baik"]·IT["pensare"]·jav["dipun-anggep-becik", "katingal-sae", "ugi-katingal-prayogi"]·KO["좋게-보였다", "좋게-보이는-것"]·PT["Pareceu-bem", "pareceu", "pareceu-bem", "que-lhes-parecia-bem"]·RU["Решил", "Решили", "кажущемуся", "показалось-благим", "решили"]·ES["pareciendo", "pareció", "pareció-bien"]·SW["ilionekana-vema", "iliwaonekana-vema", "walioona-vyema"]·TR["iyi-göründü", "iyi-görünen", "uygun-göründü"]·urd["اچھا-لگا", "اچھا-لگتا", "لگا", "لیکن-اچھا-لگا"]
4. be reputed, be esteemed — To be reputed, esteemed, or regarded as important. In Galatians 2:2, 6, 9, Paul refers to 'those who seemed to be pillars' — leaders whose reputation preceded them. Mark 10:42 similarly describes rulers who 'are regarded' as governing. Spanish 'estimados' and English 'esteemed' reveal a social-evaluative dimension: this is not about what someone privately thinks but about public standing and recognized authority. 5×
AR["المَعتَبَرونَ", "المُعتَبَرونَ", "المُعتَبَرينَ", "الَّذينَ-يُظَنُّ", "الْمُعْتَبَرِينَ"]·ben["মনে-করা", "মনে-হয়", "মনে-হয়-"]·DE["meinen"]·EN["esteemed", "seeming"]·FR["penser"]·heb["הַ-נֶּחְשָׁבִים", "נֶחְשָׁבִים"]·HI["मअने-जअने-वले", "मअने-जअने-वलोन", "मअने-जअने-वलोन-", "मअने-जअने-वलोन-ने", "समझनेवाले"]·ID["yang-dianggap", "yang-terkemuka"]·IT["pensare"]·jav["dipun-anggep", "dipun-anggep-ingèl", "dipun-anggep-ingèl-", "sami-dipun-anggep"]·KO["여기는-자들-이", "중요하게-여기는", "중요하게-여기는-자들", "중요하게-여기는-자들에게--", "중요하게-여기는-자들이"]·PT["considerados", "que-pareciam", "que-pareciam-ser"]·RU["почитаемые", "почитаемым", "почитаемых", "считающиеся"]·ES["estimados", "que-parecen"]·SW["wanaohesabiwa", "wanaoonekana"]·TR["sanan", "saygın-kabul-edilen", "saygın-olanlar", "saygın-olanlara", "önemli-görünenlerin"]·urd["سمجھنے-والے", "سمجھے-جانے-والوں", "سمجھے-جانے-والوں-نے", "سمجھے-جانے-والے", "عزت-والوں-پر"]
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×)G1097 1. know, be acquainted with (196×)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×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
δοκέω Refs 8th c.BC+imperfect ἐδόκουν, Epic dialect δοκέεσκον Refs 6th c.AD+: —middle, δοκέοντο Refs 3rd c.AD+: participle δοκεύμενοςRefs: the future and other tenses are twofold: __1 future δόξω and aorist 1 ἔδοξα Refs 5th c.BC+perfect δέδοχα inferred from pluperfect ἐδεδόχεσαν Refs 2nd c.AD+:—passive, aorist ἐδόχθην Refs 5th c.BC+: perfect δέδογμαι Refs 5th c.BC+: pluperfect ἐδέδοκτο Refs __2…