ὁμολογ-ία G3671
Confession, profession; a public declaration of faith or allegiance
Derived from homologeo ('to say the same thing, to agree'), this noun denotes a public, binding declaration—whether of faith, allegiance, or commitment. In Hebrews it becomes almost a technical term for the Christian profession of faith: Jesus is 'the apostle and high priest of our confession' (Heb 3:1), and believers must 'hold fast the confession' (Heb 4:14). Paul reminds Timothy of 'the good confession' he made before many witnesses (1 Tim 6:12), paralleling Christ's own testimony before Pilate. The consistent rendering across languages—English 'confession,' French 'confession,' German 'Bekenntnis'—reflects the word's stability as a term of public declaration.
Senses
1. sense 1 — A formal, public declaration or profession of faith, carrying connotations of binding commitment and witness before others. In the Pastoral Epistles, Timothy is charged to fight the good fight of faith, having made 'the good confession before many witnesses' (1 Tim 6:12), echoing Christ Jesus who 'testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate' (1 Tim 6:13). In Hebrews, the noun becomes a cornerstone term for the shared Christian creed that believers must hold firm (Heb 3:1; 4:14). Paul also uses it for the outward demonstration of faith through generosity (2 Cor 9:13). 6×
AR["اعتِرافِكُمْ", "اعْتِرَاف", "اعْتِرَافِنَا", "الاعتِرافَ", "الاعْتِرَافِ"]·ben["স্বীকার", "স্বীকারের", "স্বীকারোক্তি", "স্বীকারোক্তি,", "স্বীকারোক্তির"]·DE["Bekenntnis"]·EN["confession", "of-confession"]·FR["confession"]·heb["הוֹדָאַתְכֶם", "הוֹדָאָה", "הוֹדָיָה"]·HI["अंगीकार", "अंगीकार-की", "अंगीकार-के", "स्तुति"]·ID["pengakuan"]·IT["confessione"]·jav["pangaken", "pangakon", "pangakon,", "pengaken", "pengakuan"]·KO["고백을", "고백을,", "고백의"]·PT["confissão"]·RU["исповедание", "исповедания"]·ES["confesión"]·SW["kukiri", "ungamo"]·TR["ikrarına", "itirafı", "itirafımızın", "itirafınızın"]·urd["اقرار", "اقرار۔"]
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
ὁμολογ-ία, Ionic dialect -ιη, ἡ, agreement, Refs 5th c.BC+; αἱ τῶν ὀνομάτων ὁ. verbal consistency, Refs __2 assent, admission, concession, τῶν ἐπικαλουμένων Refs 5th c.BC+; κατὰ τὴν ἐμὴν ὁ. by my admission, Refs; ἐξ ὁ. διαλέγεσθαι argue from premises agreed upon or granted, Refs 4th c.BC+ __3 agreement, compact, συνθήκη καὶ ὁ. Refs 5th c.BC+ __3.b especially in war, terms of peace, truce, or…