μαρτῠρ-ία G3141
testimony, witness, attestation — the act or content of bearing witness, especially regarding Christ and the gospel
Martyria denotes both the act of testifying and the content of what is testified, making it a pivotal word in the Johannine vocabulary. John's Gospel alone accounts for roughly half its NT occurrences: the 'testimony' of John the Baptist (John 1:7, 19; 3:33; 5:34), the testimony of Jesus about himself that divides the Pharisees (John 8:13-14), and the Father's testimony about the Son (John 5:32, 37). In the trial narratives, it takes a forensic turn as the Sanhedrin seeks martyria against Jesus but finds only false witness (Mark 14:55-59). Revelation elevates it to cosmic proportions: the martyria of Jesus becomes the ground for persecution and the saints' endurance (Rev 1:2, 9; 12:11, 17; 19:10). The etymological link to martys ('witness') that later gave us 'martyr' is already latent here.
Senses
1. testimony / witness / attestation — The act or content of bearing witness, encompassing legal testimony, prophetic attestation, and christological witness. In John's Gospel it carries a quasi-forensic weight as competing claims are adjudicated: the Baptist's testimony about Jesus (John 1:7, 19; 5:33-36), Jesus' self-testimony challenged by the Pharisees (John 8:13-14), and the Father's testimony confirmed by works (John 5:36-37). Mark's trial narrative uses it for the false testimony sought against Jesus (Mark 14:55-56, 59). Revelation transforms it into the ground of eschatological fidelity — 'the testimony of Jesus' that saints maintain unto death (Rev 6:9; 12:11, 17; 19:10). Spanish 'testimonio,' French 'temoignage,' German 'Zeugnis' all preserve the legal-evidentiary core. 37×
AR["-شَهَادَةٍ", "الشَّهادَةُ", "شَهادَة", "شَهادَةٌ", "شَهادَةٍ", "شَهادَتُهُ", "شَهَادَةً", "شَهَادَةَ", "شَهَادَةُ", "شَهَادَتَ", "شَهَادَتُ", "شَهَادَتُهُمْ"]·ben["সাক্ষ্য", "সাক্ষ্য,", "সাক্ষ্যকে", "সাক্ষ্যের"]·DE["Zeugnis"]·EN["of-testimony", "testimony", "witness"]·FR["témoignage"]·heb["עֵדוּת"]·HI["गवअहि", "गवाही", "गवाही,", "गवाही-की", "सकशि"]·ID["kesaksian", "kesaksian,"]·IT["testimonianza"]·jav["kaseksen", "paseksen", "paseksen,", "paseksi"]·KO["증거", "증거-를", "증거가", "증거를", "증거의", "증언", "증언-이", "증언은", "증언을", "증언이"]·PT["testemunho", "testemunho,"]·RU["Свидетельство", "свидетельства", "свидетельство", "свидетельство,"]·ES["-testimonio", "de-testimonio", "testimonio"]·SW["ushahidi", "ushuhuda"]·TR["tanıklık", "tanıklıkları", "tanıklığa", "tanıklığı", "tanıklığım", "tanıklığımızı", "tanıklığın", "tanıklığını"]·urd["جو", "میری", "گواہی", "گواہی،"]
Mark 14:55, Mark 14:56, Mark 14:59, Luke 22:71, John 1:7, John 1:19, John 3:11, John 3:32, John 3:33, John 5:31, John 5:32, John 5:34 (+25 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-ία, ἡ, testimony, Διονύσου μαρτυρίῃσι Refs 8th c.BC+ his evidence, Refs 5th c.BC+; μαρτυριῶν ἀπέχεσθαι to refuse to give evidence, Refs 5th c.BC+; γράφειν μ. τινί serve him with a subpoena, Refs 4th c.BC+: in non-legal sense, commendation, πάσης μ. ἐπιτήδειον (in sense of ἄξιον) Refs 2nd c.AD+: in plural, demonstrations of favour, Refs 3rd c.AD+ __II Astrology texts, aspect, Vett. Val.5.5, Refs 2nd c.AD+