ἐπαγγ-ελία G1860
Promise or pledge, especially God's covenant promises to Abraham, Israel, and believers through Christ.
In the New Testament this word carries a weight far beyond ordinary human promises. It overwhelmingly refers to divine assurances -- God's promise to Abraham of descendants and land (Acts 7:17; Gal 3:14-29), the promise of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4; 2:33), and the promise of eternal life in Christ (2 Tim 1:1; Heb 9:15). Paul builds his theology of grace versus law around this noun, arguing that the inheritance comes through promise, not legal observance (Gal 3:18; Rom 4:13-16). Hebrews holds it up as the anchor of faith: those who believed 'died not having received the promises' yet saw them from afar (Heb 11:13, 39). German Verheissung ('solemn pledge') captures the covenantal gravity better than the everyday English 'promise.'
Senses
1. promise, pledge — A solemn divine pledge or covenant commitment. In Paul's letters the word anchors the argument that God's saving purposes flow through promise to Abraham, not through law (Gal 3:14-18; Rom 4:13-16). In Acts it denotes the promise of the Holy Spirit fulfilled at Pentecost (Acts 1:4; 2:33). Hebrews celebrates the faithfulness of those who died without receiving the promises yet embraced them from afar (Heb 11:13). The German Verheissung and French promesse both convey this as a binding, authoritative declaration rather than a casual commitment. 52×
AR["الوَعدَ", "الوَعدُ", "الوَعدِ", "الوَعْدَ", "الوَعْدُ", "الوَعْدِ", "الْوَعْدِ", "وَعدَ", "وَعدِ", "وَعْدَ", "وَعْدِ"]·ben["পিতার", "প্রতিজ্ঞা", "প্রতিজ্ঞা,", "প্রতিজ্ঞা।", "প্রতিজ্ঞাকে", "প্রতিজ্ঞাকে।", "প্রতিজ্ঞার", "প্রতিজ্ঞার,", "প্রতিজ্ঞার-", "প্রতিজ্ঞার;", "প্রতিশ্রুতি"]·DE["Verheissung", "Verheißung"]·EN["promise"]·FR["promesse"]·heb["הַ-הַבְטָחָה", "הַבְטָחַת", "הַבְטָחָה"]·HI["और", "तुमने-सुनी", "प्रतिज्ञा", "प्रतिज्ञाकी", "प्रतिज्ञाकी।", "प्रभु", "वअद", "वअद,", "वअद-", "वअद.", "वअद;"]·ID["janji", "janji,", "janji."]·IT["epaggelian", "promessa"]·jav["janji", "janji.", "prajanji", "prajanji,", "prajanji.", "prajanji;", "prajanjianing", "prajanjianipun", "prajanjianipun.", "prasatya,", "prejanjian--"]·KO["그들-에게", "약속", "약속,", "약속-을", "약속-의", "약속;", "약속을", "약속을.", "약속의", "약속이,", "이다"]·PT["promessa", "promessa,"]·RU["обетование", "обетование,", "обетования", "обещание", "обещанию", "обещания"]·ES["promesa"]·SW["ahadi"]·TR["-o", "sözü", "va'din", "vaade", "vaadi", "vaadin", "vaadine", "vaadini", "vaat", "vaatin", "vaatten"]·urd["وعدہ", "وعدہ-تھا", "وعدے", "وعدے-پر", "وعدے-کا", "وعدے-کو", "وعدے-کے"]
Luke 24:49, Acts 1:4, Acts 2:33, Acts 2:39, Acts 7:17, Acts 13:32, Acts 23:21, Acts 26:6, Rom 4:13, Rom 4:14, Rom 4:16, Rom 4:20 (+38 more)
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×)H5046 1. Hifil: to tell, report (237×)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×)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×)G1125 1. to write, compose (a letter or document) (84×)H5046 2. Hifil: to declare, proclaim (79×)H7892a 1. song, musical composition (78×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἐπαγγ-ελία, ἡ, command, summons, Refs 2nd c.BC+ __b announcement, notice, Refs 3rd c.BC+; τοῦ ἀγῶνος LXX; variant in NT __2 as law-term, ἐ. (i.e. δοκιμασίας) summons to attend a δοκιμασία τῶν ῥητόρων (see. ἐπαγγέλλω Refs 4th c.BC+: generally, notification, summons, Refs 2nd c.AD+ __3 offer, promise, profession, undertaking, Refs 4th c.BC+; ἐν ἐν ἐπαγγελίᾳ καταλιπών having left it as a promise,…