θαυμ-άζω G2296
To marvel, be amazed or astonished; passively, to be marveled at; rarely, to admire with partiality.
The standard New Testament verb for wonder and astonishment, appearing when crowds witness the unexpected — a centurion's faith (Matt 8:10), a storm stilled (Matt 8:27), a demon cast out (Matt 9:33). It captures a visceral response to something that overflows ordinary categories. Spanish splits it between 'maravillarse' (to wonder) and 'admirar' (to admire), hinting at the word's range. In one striking passive use, Christ will 'be marveled at' among those who believed on his return (2 Thess 1:10). And Jude sharpens it into a negative key: false teachers 'admire persons' for selfish gain (Jude 16), turning holy wonder into corrupt flattery.
1. marvel, be amazed — To feel wonder, amazement, or astonishment at something extraordinary — the dominant active sense covering nearly every occurrence. Crowds marvel at healings (Matt 9:33; 15:31), Pilate marvels at Jesus' silence (Mark 15:5), and even Jesus himself marvels at the centurion's faith (Matt 8:10) and at Nazareth's unbelief (Mark 6:6). French 's'étonner' and German 'sich wundern' both center on the involuntary quality of the response — something happens that reshapes expectation. 42×
AR["تَعَجَّبوا","تَعَجَّبَ","تَعَجَّبَ-مِن","تَعَجَّبَتِ","تَعَجَّبُوا","كانوا-يَتَعَجَّبونَ","كَانُوا-يَتَعَجَّبُونَ","مُتَعَجِّبينَ","مُتَعَجِّبًا"]·ben["আশ্চর্য-করছিল","আশ্চর্য-করতেন","আশ্চর্য-করলেন","আশ্চর্য-হচ্ছিল","আশ্চর্য-হতে","আশ্চর্য-হল","আশ্চর্য-হলেন","বিস্মিত-হওয়ার","বিস্মিত-হয়ে","বিস্মিত-হলেন"]·DE["sich-wundern","staunt"]·EN["marveled","marveled-at","marveling","they-marveled","they-were-wondering","were-marveling"]·FR["s'étonner"]·heb["הִשְׁתָּאַה","הִשְׁתּוֹמְמוּ","הִשְׁתּוֹמֵם","הִתְפַּלְּאוּ","הִתְפַּלְאוּ","הִתְפַּלֵּא","מִתְפַּלְּאִים","מִתְפַּלְאִים","מִתְפַּלֵא","תָּמְהוּ","תָּמַהּ"]·HI["अचंभा-किया","अचम्भा-करते-हुए","अचम्भा-किया","अचम्भित-हुआ","अचम्भित-हुई","असचरयित-हुइ","आश्चर्य-करता-हुआ","आश्चर्य-करते-थे","आश्चर्य-करते-हुए","आश्चर्य-किए","आश्चर्य-किया","चकित-हुए"]·ID["heran","mereka-heran","takjub","takjublah"]·IT["meravigliarsi"]·jav["gumun","gumun,","ngungun","sami-gumun","éram"]·KO["놀라고-있었다","놀라고-있을-때","놀라며","놀라워하는-동안","놀람다","놀랐다","이상히-여겼다"]·PT["admirando-se","admiraram-se","admiraram-se,","admiraram-se;","admiravam-se","admirou-se","maravilhavam-se","se-admirar"]·RU["дивилась","удивились","удивились,","удивились;","удивился","удивлялись","удивляющихся","удивляясь"]·ES["maravillarse","maravillándose","se-asombraban","se-asombraron","se-maravillaban","se-maravillaron","se-maravilló"]·SW["akashangaa","akistaajabu","alimstaajabia","alistaajabu","alistaajabu,","likashangaa","na","wakashangaa","wakastaajabu","wakisema","wakishangaa","wakistaajabu","walistaajabu","walistaajabu,"]·TR["hayret-eden","hayret-ederken","hayret-etti","hayret-ettiler","hayret-ettiler,","şaşırarak","şaşırdı","şaşırdılar","şaşıyorlardı"]·urd["اُس-پر","تعجب-کرتے-ہوئے","تعجب-کیا","حیران-تھے","حیران-ہوئے","حیران-ہوا","حیران-ہوتے-تھے","حیران-ہوتے-ہوئے","حیرت-کی","ساتھ"]
Matt 8:10, Matt 8:27, Matt 9:33, Matt 15:31, Matt 21:20, Matt 22:22, Matt 27:14, Mark 5:20, Mark 6:6, Mark 12:17, Mark 15:5, Mark 15:44 (+30 more)
▼ 2 more senses below
Senses
2. be marveled at — To be the object of wonder or admiration — the passive voice describing someone who evokes amazement in others. The sole New Testament occurrence is Paul's vision of the returning Christ, who will come 'to be marveled at among all who believed' (2 Thess 1:10). Spanish 'ser admirado' captures the reversal: here the subject does not wonder but is wondered at, a theophanic spectacle. 1×
AR["يُعْجَبَ-بِهِ"]·ben["বিস্ময়কর-হতে"]·DE["sich-wundern"]·EN["to-be-marveled-at"]·FR["s'étonner"]·heb["לְהִתְפַּלֵּא"]·HI["अशचरयित-होन"]·ID["dikagumi"]·IT["meravigliarsi"]·jav["dipun-gumuni"]·KO["경이롭게-여겨지시기-위하여"]·PT["ser-admirado"]·RU["быть-удивительным"]·ES["a-ser-admirado"]·SW["kushangiliwa"]·TR["hayranlık-uyandırmak"]·urd["تعجب-کیا-جائے"]
3. admire, show partiality — To admire in the sense of showing partiality or flattering someone for advantage — a morally charged extension. Jude describes false teachers who 'admire persons' (θαυμάζοντες πρόσωπα) for the sake of profit (Jude 16). German 'bewundernd' and Spanish 'admirando' preserve the surface meaning, but the context transforms genuine marvel into calculated sycophancy. The echo of the Hebrew idiom 'lifting the face' (נָשָׂא פָנִים) for partiality reinforces the negative connotation. 1×
amh["የሚያደንቁ"]·AR["معجبون"]·ben["তাকিয়ে"]·ces["obdivujíce"]·dan["beundrende"]·DE["bewundernd"]·ell["θαυμάζοντες"]·EN["admiring"]·FR["admirant"]·guj["પ્રશંસા-કરતાં"]·hat["admire"]·hau["suna-yi-wa"]·heb["מחניפים"]·HI["चापलूसी-करते-हुए"]·hun["csodálók"]·ID["sambil-mengagumi"]·IT["ammirando"]·jav["ngalembana"]·JA["感嘆する者たち"]·KO["편파적으로-대하며"]·mar["स्तुती-करणारे"]·mya["အံ့ဩလျက်"]·nld["bewonderende"]·nor["beundrende"]·pnb["عزت-کردے"]·pol["podziwiający"]·PT["admirando"]·ron["admirând"]·RU["удивляясь"]·ES["admirando"]·SW["wakistaajabia"]·swe["beundrande"]·tam["வியந்துபாராட்டுகிறவர்கள்"]·tel["ఆశ్చర్యపడుచు"]·tgl["humahanga"]·TH["ชื่นชม"]·TR["hayranlık-duyanlar"]·ukr["дивуючись"]·urd["تعریف-کرنے-والے"]·VI["nịnh-hót"]·yor["tí-wọ́n-ń-yìn"]·yue["諂媚"]·ZH["奉承"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
θαυμ-άζω, Ionic dialect θωμ-, Attic dialect future θαυμάσομαι Refs 5th c.BC+, Epic dialect θαυμάσσομαι Refs 8th c.BC+ is variant for{-σαιτε}, Refs: aorist ἐθαύμασα Refs 4th c.BC+, etc., Epic dialect θαύμασα Refs: perfect τεθαύμακα Refs 5th c.BC+:—middle, Refs 2nd c.AD+aorist 1 ἐθαυμασάμην variant in Refs 5th c.BC+; οὐκ ἂν θαυμας ώμεθα (to be read -σαίμεθα) Refs 5th c.AD+; θαυμάσαιτο variant in…