ἐξομολογ-έομαι G1843
confess (sins or faults); praise, give thanks (to God); consent, agree (to a proposal)
1. confess (sins or faults) — The penitential sense of ἐξομολογέομαι, meaning to confess or openly acknowledge one's sins or wrongdoing. This is the word's most common NT usage, appearing in the baptismal context of John's ministry where people were 'confessing their sins' (Matt 3:6; Mark 1:5), in the Ephesian revival where new believers confessed their practices (Acts 19:18), in the eschatological declaration that every tongue will confess (Rom 14:11; Phil 2:11 -- here confessing Christ's lordship, a solemn public acknowledgment akin to confession), in Paul's OT quotation about confessing God's name among the nations (Rom 15:9), and in James's exhortation to confess sins to one another (Jas 5:16). Multilingual glosses consistently reflect confession/acknowledgment: Arabic مُعْتَرِفِينَ/يَعْتَرِفُ (confessing), Hebrew מִתְוַדִּים/תּוֹדֶה (confessing/acknowledging, Hithpael of ידה), Korean 고백하며/시인하리라 (confessing/acknowledging), Spanish confesando/confesará (confessing), Hindi अंगीकार करते हुए (acknowledging). 7×
AR["اعتَرِفوا","سَأَعْتَرِفُ-لَكَ","سَيَعْتَرِفُ","مُعْتَرِفِينَ","يَعْتَرِفُ"]·ben["স্বীকার-করছিল","স্বীকার-করছে","স্বীকার-করতে","স্বীকার-করব","স্বীকার-করবে","স্বীকার-করে","স্বীকার-করো"]·DE["bekennen","ἐξομολογούμενοι"]·EN["Confess","I-will-confess","confessing","may-confess","will-confess"]·FR["confesser"]·heb["אוֹדֶה-לְךָ","הִתְוַדּוּ","מִתְוַדִּים","תּוֹדֶה"]·HI["अंगीकार-करते-हुए","अंगीकार-करूँगा","अंगीकार-करेगी","अंगीकार-करो","पापों","बोल-उथे"]·ID["Aku-akan-mengaku","Mengakulah","akan-mengaku","mengaku"]·IT["confessare","exomologeisthe","exomologēsētai"]·jav["Kula-badhé-ngakeni","badhé-ngakeni","ngaken","ngakeni","ngakoni","ngaku","ngakua"]·KO["고백하라","고백하며","내가-찬양하리라","시인하리라","자백하며"]·PT["confessando","confessará","confesse","te-louvarei"]·RU["исповедает","исповедал","исповедуйте","исповедуя","среди-"]·ES["confesad","confesando","confesará","confiese","te-confesaré"]·SW["itakiri","nitakukiri","ukiri","ungamianeni","wakikiri","wakiungama"]·TR["itiraf-edecek","itiraf-edeceğim","itiraf-ederek","itiraf-edin","itiraf-etsin"]·urd["اقرار-کرتے-ہوئے","اقرار-کرو","اقرار-کرے","اقرار-کرے-گی","حمد-کروں-گا"]
▼ 2 more senses below
Senses
2. praise, give thanks (to God) — The doxological sense of ἐξομολογέομαι, meaning to praise, give thanks, or offer grateful acknowledgment to God. This reflects the LXX usage where the Hebrew hiphil הוֹדָה (of ידה) can mean both 'confess' and 'give thanks/praise.' In the NT, Jesus uses this form in his prayer of thanksgiving: 'I praise you, Father' (Ἐξομολογοῦμαί σοι, πάτερ -- Matt 11:25; Luke 10:21). The Arabic glosses shift here to أَشكُرُكَ/أَحْمَدُكَ (I thank you/I praise you), distinct from the confession vocabulary. Hebrew מוֹדֶה אֲנִי (I give thanks), Korean 감사하노니/감사합니다 (I give thanks), Spanish Te alabo (I praise you), and Hindi धन्यवाद (thanksgiving) all confirm this as praise rather than penitential confession. The grammatical form (present indicative middle 1S) is identical to confessional uses, but the semantic frame (addressing God with gratitude, not acknowledging wrongdoing) clearly distinguishes this sense. 2×
AR["أَحْمَدُكَ","أَشكُرُكَ"]·ben["ধন্যবাদ-জানাচ্ছি","ধন্যবাদ-দিচ্ছি"]·DE["Ἐξομολογοῦμαί"]·EN["I-praise"]·FR["confesser"]·heb["מוֹדֶה","מוֹדֶה-אֲנִי"]·HI["धन्यवअद-देत-होओन","धन्यवाद-करता-हूँ"]·ID["Aku-bersyukur","Aku-memuji"]·IT["confessare"]·jav["Kula-saos-sokur","Saos-sokur"]·KO["감사합니다","내가-감사하노니"]·PT["Louvo-te"]·RU["Славлю"]·ES["Te-alabo"]·SW["Ninakushukuru"]·TR["şükrederim","şükrediyorum"]·urd["شکر-کرتا-ہوں"]
3. consent, agree (to a proposal) — A specialized pragmatic sense of ἐξομολογέομαι meaning to consent, agree, or assent to a plan or proposal. This usage occurs in Luke 22:6 where Judas 'consented' (ἐξωμολόγησεν) to the chief priests' plan to betray Jesus. The aorist active form is distinctive. Multilingual glosses clearly separate this from both confession and praise: Arabic وَعَدَ (promised/agreed), Korean 동의했다 (agreed), Spanish consintió (consented), Hindi मान गया (agreed/accepted). The Hebrew הוֹדָה here carries the sense of acknowledgment/agreement rather than thanks. This is the only NT occurrence with this meaning, representing an extension of the root sense of 'openly declaring' into the domain of formal agreement. 1×
AR["وَعَدَ"]·ben["সম্মত-হল"]·DE["ἐξωμολόγησεν"]·EN["he-consented"]·FR["confesser"]·heb["הוֹדָה"]·HI["मान-गया"]·ID["dia-menyetujui"]·IT["confessare"]·jav["piyambakipun-nyarujuki,"]·KO["동의했다"]·RU["согласился"]·ES["consintió"]·SW["alikubali"]·TR["kabul-etti"]·urd["مان-گیا"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἐξομολογ-έομαι, confess, τὰς ἁμαρτίας LXX+NT+1st c.AD+; admit, acknowledge, μυθογραφίαν NT+1st c.BC+; especially in legal formulae, ἐ. εἰληφέναι Refs 1st c.BC+; acknowledge, υἱόν Refs 3rd c.AD+: absolutely, acknowledge a liability, Refs 3rd c.BC+ __2 make grateful acknowledgements, give thanks, sing praises, LXX+1st c.AD+ __II later in active, agree, consent, NTpassive, ἐξωμολογημέναι ἀποδείξεις agreed, admitted proofs, Refs 5th c.BC+