μαρτῠρ-έω G3140
To testify, bear witness; in passive, to be attested or well-spoken-of — the act and reception of testimony.
Martyreō stands at the heart of New Testament witness language. John the Baptist 'came to bear witness (martyrēsē) about the light' (John 1:7), and the verb runs like a golden thread through John's Gospel, where testifying to truth is a central theme. In its passive voice, the word shifts from giving testimony to receiving it — being attested or commended by others, as when the seven deacons are described as 'men of good repute, being well-attested' (Acts 6:3). Spanish testificar, French témoigner, and German bezeugen all capture the forensic-yet-personal quality of this witnessing.
Senses
1. testify, bear witness — To actively testify, bear witness, or declare what one has seen, known, or believed to be true. Spanish testifica, French témoigner, and German bezeugen all preserve the courtroom-to-proclamation range. John the Baptist is the paradigm: he came 'to bear witness about the light' (John 1:7-8), and the verb appears repeatedly as Jesus, the Spirit, and Scripture all testify (John 5:39; 15:26). 63×
AR["أَشهَد", "أَشهَدُ", "أَشْهَدُ", "شَهِدَ", "قَدْ-شَهِدَ", "يَشْهَدُ"]·ben["আমি-সাক্ষ্য-দিই", "আমি-সাক্ষ্য-দিই,", "সাক্ষ্য-দিই", "সাক্ষ্য-দিয়েছিলেন", "সাক্ষ্য-দিয়েছে,", "সাক্ষ্য-দিয়েছেন", "সাক্ষ্য-দিলেন", "সাক্ষ্য-দেন"]·DE["bezeugen", "bezeugt"]·EN["He-has-testified", "I-testify", "bore-witness", "has-testified", "has-witnessed", "he-has-witnessed", "he-witnesses", "testified", "testify", "witness", "witnessed", "witnesses"]·FR["témoigner"]·heb["הֵעִיד", "הוּא מֵעִיד", "לָהֶם", "מֵעִיד", "מֵעִיד-אֲנִי"]·HI["उसने-गवाही-दी-है", "गवाही-दी", "गवाही-दी,", "गवाही-दी-है", "गवाही-देता-हूँ", "गवाही-देता-है", "गवाही-देता-है;", "मैं-गवाही-देता-हूं", "मैन-गवहि-देत-हुन", "मैन-गवहि-देत-होओन", "साक्षी-देता-हूं"]·ID["Aku-bersaksi", "Dia-telah-bersaksi", "Ia-saksikan;", "aku bersaksi", "aku-bersaksi", "bersaksi", "bersaksi,", "ia-telah-bersaksi", "menyaksikan", "sudah-bersaksi", "telah-bersaksi"]·IT["testimoniare"]·jav["Kawula-nyekseni", "Kula-nyeksèni", "kawula-dados-seksi", "kula-nyeksèni", "nyekseni", "nyekseni;", "nyeksèni", "nyekséni", "panjenenganipun-sampun-nyekseni", "paring-paseksi", "sampun-nyekseni", "sampun-nyekseni,", "sampun-nyeksèni"]·KO["내가-증거한다", "증거하노라", "증거하면", "증거하셨다", "증거하신다", "증거하여", "증거했다", "증언하노라", "증언하였다", "증언한다", "증언해도"]·PT["Testemunho", "Testifico", "testemunha", "testemunha;", "testemunho", "testemunhou", "testemunhou,", "testemuñe"]·RU["засвидетельствовал", "засвидетельствовал,", "свидетельствует", "свидетельствую"]·ES["Testifico", "ha-testificado", "testifica", "testifico", "testificó"]·SW["Ninashuhudia", "akashuhudia", "alishuhudia", "ameshuhudia", "anashuhudia", "nashuhudia", "nashuhudia,", "ninashuhudia"]·TR["Tanıklık-ediyorum", "taniklik-ediyorum", "tanıklık ediyorum", "tanıklık-eder", "tanıklık-edersem", "tanıklık-ediyorsam", "tanıklık-ediyorum", "tanıklık-etti", "şahitlik-ediyorum"]·urd["میں-گواہی-دیتا-ہوں", "گواہی دی ہے", "گواہی-دوں", "گواہی-دی", "گواہی-دی-ہے", "گواہی-دیتا-ہوں", "گواہی-دیتا-ہوں-مَیں", "گواہی-دیتا-ہے"]
2. be attested, receive testimony — Passive voice: to be attested, commended, or spoken well of — the subject receives rather than gives testimony. Multilingual glosses shift to passive constructions: spa. era-testificado, eng. being-attested. In Acts 6:3, deacons must be 'well-attested'; in Acts 16:2, Timothy 'was well-spoken-of by the brothers'; in Heb 11:2, the ancients 'received a good testimony' by their faith. 13×
AR["شُهِدَ", "شُهِدَ-لَهُ", "مَشهوداً-لَهُ", "مَشْهودٌ", "مَشْهودٌ-لَها", "مَشْهُودًا-لَهُمْ", "مَشْهُودٌ-لَهُ", "مَشْهُودِينَ", "يُشهَدُ-لَهُ", "يُشْهَدُ"]·ben["সাক্ষ্য-দেওয়া", "সাক্ষ্য-দেওয়া-হত", "সাক্ষ্য-দেওয়া-হয়", "সাক্ষ্য-দেওয়া-হয়ে", "সাক্ষ্য-দেওয়া-হয়েছিল", "সাক্ষ্য-দেওয়া-হয়েছে", "সাক্ষ্য-পাওয়া", "সাক্ষ্যপ্রাপ্ত", "সাক্ষ্যপ্রাপ্ত:"]·DE["bezeugen", "bezeugt"]·EN["being-attested", "being-testified-of", "being-well-spoken-of", "being-witnessed", "being-witnessed-to", "has-been-testified", "having-been-attested", "he-had-been-attested", "he-was-attested", "it-is-testified", "was-being-witnessed", "were-attested"]·FR["témoigner"]·heb["הֻעַד", "הוּעַד", "מְעֻדִּים", "מְעֻדֶּדֶת", "מְעֻדָּד", "מְעֻדָּה", "מֵעִיד", "מֻעָד", "מֻעָדִים"]·HI["गवअहि-दि-गयि", "गवाही-दिया-हुआ", "गवाही-दी-गई", "गवाही-दी-गई-है", "गवाही-दी-जाती-थी", "गवाही-दी-जाती-है", "गवाही-पाकर", "गवाही-पाया", "प्रमाणित"]·ID["Disaksikan", "bersaksi,", "diakui", "disaksikan", "telah-disaksikan", "yang-dibuktikan", "yang-disaksikan"]·IT["testimoniare"]·jav["dipun-pasèksi", "dipun-seksèkaken:", "dipun-seksèni", "dipunseksekaken", "dipunsekseni", "ingkang-kawastanan-sae,", "kaseksekaken", "kaseksen", "sampun-dipunseksèni"]·KO["증거-되는", "증거-받는", "증거되는:", "증거되니", "증거되었다", "증거되었으나", "증거되었으니", "증거받는", "증언을-받았다"]·PT["era-testemunhado", "foi-dado-testemunho", "foi-testemunhado", "receberam-testemunho", "sendo-testemunhado", "tendo-obtido-testemunho", "tendo-testemunho", "testificada", "É-testemunhado"]·RU["был-свидетельствован", "засвидетельствован", "засвидетельствованные", "засвидетельствованных", "засвидетельствовано", "засвидетельствованы", "свидетельствуемая", "свидетельствуемый", "свидетельствуется"]·ES["dando-buen-testimonio", "dando-testimonio", "era-testificado", "fue-atestiguado", "fueron-atestiguados", "habiendo-sido-atestiguados", "había-sido-atestiguado", "se-atestigua", "se-ha-dado-testimonio", "siendo-atestiguada", "siendo-atestiguado", "testificado"]·SW["akishuhudiwa", "alishuhudiwa", "ameshuhudiwa", "anayeshuhudiwa", "ashuhudiwa", "ikishuhudiwa", "inashuhudiwa", "wakishuhudiwa", "walishuhudiwa", "wenye-ushuhuda-mzuri"]·TR["tanıklık-edildi", "tanıklık-edilen", "tanıklık-ediliyor", "tanıklık-ediliyordu", "tanıklık-edilmiş", "tanıklık-edilmiş-olarak", "tanıklık-edilmişti"]·urd["گواہی-دی-جاتی-تھی", "گواہی-دی-گئی", "گواہی-دی-گئی-ہے", "گواہی-دی-گئی:", "گواہی-دی-ہوئی", "گواہی-دیا-ہوا", "گواہی-دیے-گئے", "گواہی-ملی", "گواہی-پا-کر", "گواہی-پائی"]
Acts 6:3, Acts 10:22, Acts 16:2, Acts 22:12, Rom 3:21, 1 Tim 5:10, Heb 7:8, Heb 7:17, Heb 11:2, Heb 11:4, Heb 11:5, Heb 11:39 (+1 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
μαρτῠρ-έω, future -ήσω Refs 5th c.BC+:—passive, future μαρτυρηθήσομαι Refs 4th c.BC+; μαρτυρήσομαι in passive sense, Refs 5th c.BC+aorist ἐμαρτυρήθην: perfect μεμαρτύρημαι Refs 5th c.BC+, used in active sense, LXX:—bear witness, give evidence:—Constr.: __1 absolutely, Refs 5th c.BC+ __2 with dative person, bear witness to or in favour of another, confirm what he says, Refs 5th c.BC+; μαρτυρέει…