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James 1:16 — Word Study

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N1904Μὴ πλανᾶσθε, ἀδελφοί μου ἀγαπητοί·

BSANot [be misled, err] do be misled,planaō [led astray, turned from the right way] brothersadelphos [brethren, fellow believers] of mineegō beloved;agapētos [dear]

Word
Listen & take awayJames 1
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 16 is in this chapter.
Say the word Each Greek word carries its transliteration (agapētos) — no per-word recordings of the Greek exist to link to.
Take it away
James 1:16quick helps
In a sentenceJames warns his readers not to be misled about the nature of God and truth.
Who is speakingJames, addressing his fellow believers affectionately.
Where we areThis verse is part of a section discussing temptation and the nature of good gifts.
The hard wordπλανᾶσθε
Take awayBelievers are encouraged to remain steadfast in truth.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbπλανάω The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the New Testament

Every word here is used elsewhere in the New Testament.

Bars are logarithmic — , the commonest word in the Greek New Testament, stands 19,867 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.

Deep Study — James 1:16

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — Warnings Against Deceptiongenerated

15Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
16Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.
17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow.
18He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we would be a kind of firstfruits of His creation.

James 1:16 serves as a crucial reminder to the Christian community not to be deceived about the nature of God and the gifts He provides. This verse follows a discussion of how desires can lead to sin and ultimately death, emphasizing the importance of discernment in spiritual matters. James addresses his audience affectionately as 'beloved brothers,' reinforcing the familial bond among believers as they navigate challenges together.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Matthew 22:29Jesus answered, “You are mistaken because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.
2Mark 12:24–27Jesus said to them, “Aren’t you mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?
3Galatians 6:7Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return.
4Colossians 2:4–8I say this so that no one will deceive you by smooth rhetoric.
52 Timothy 2:18who have deviated from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already occurred, and they undermine the faith of some.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 10 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word πλανᾶσθε, planaōgenerated

The verb πλανᾶσθε is in the present passive imperative form, indicating an ongoing action that the readers must actively avoid. It means to lead astray or to be misled, often in a moral or spiritual context.

This word appears in various contexts within the New Testament, warning against false teachings and deceptions that can lead believers away from the truth, as seen in passages like Matthew 24:4-5 and Galatians 6:7.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

In the Berean Standard Bible, the verse reads 'Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.' This is echoed in the WEB and BSB, which also use 'brothers.'

The translations diverge particularly in the rendering of πλανᾶσθε. The KJV and ASV use 'err,' while the YLT opts for 'be not led astray.' The term 'beloved' is consistently used in most translations, but BBE translates it as 'dear.'


Sentence Structuregenerated

The structure of the verse centers around a main clause with the finite verb πλανᾶσθε, do be misled, which is the imperative command addressed to the readers. The sentence is straightforward, focusing on the warning.

The phrase 'my beloved brothers' serves as a vocative, emphasizing the affectionate relationship James has with his audience, while the negative particle Μὴ introduces the prohibition.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The word Μὴ (), meaning 'not', corresponds to the Hebrew אַל (al), which serves as an adverb of negation. This choice emphasizes the imperative nature of the warning against deception.

The term πλανᾶσθε (planaō), translated as 'do be misled', reflects the Hebrew תָּעָה (ta'ah), which means 'to err'. This connection underscores the seriousness of the admonition, as it warns the audience not to stray from the truth.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

James 1:16 warns believers not to be misled or deceived about the nature of God and the good gifts He gives. James addresses his readers as 'beloved brothers,' encouraging them to remain steadfast in their faith and understanding.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean to be deceived in this context?

To be deceived means to be led away from the truth about God and His gifts, which can happen through false teachings or misunderstandings.

Why does James address his readers as 'beloved brothers'?

James uses this term to express affection and solidarity with his audience, reminding them of their shared faith and the importance of supporting one another.

How can believers avoid being misled?

Believers can avoid being misled by staying grounded in Scripture, seeking wisdom from God, and being aware of false teachings that may arise.

What is the significance of the warnings in this passage?

The warnings highlight the need for vigilance in faith, as temptations and falsehoods can lead believers away from the truth of God's word.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What are some ways I can ensure I am not being misled in my understanding of God?
  2. How can I support my fellow believers in staying true to their faith?
  3. What steps can I take to deepen my understanding of the good gifts that come from God?
  4. In what ways can I recognize and resist false teachings in my life?

The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it

Early church writers reference this verse to address the dangers of deception and the need for vigilance in faith. Their insights provide additional context for understanding James's warning.

Ignatius of AntiochEpistle of Ignatius to the Ephesians c. 35–108
Do not err, my brethren. Those that corrupt families shall not inherit the kingdom of God. If, then, those who do this as respects the flesh have suffered death,
Early Church Fathers on James 1 →
Hilary of ArlesINTRODUCTORY TRACTATE ON THE LETTER OF JAMES c. 403–449
This refers to the deception of the heretics who think that because God rules the physical world in darkness and in light, in drought and in rain, in cold and in heat,
Early Church Fathers on James 1 →
Andreas of CaesareaCATENA c. 563–637
“Do not be deceived” into thinking that temptations come from God.
Early Church Fathers on James 1 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on James 1:16 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Do not err, my beloved brethren. For to make God the author of sin, or to charge him with being concerned in temptation to sin, is a very great error, a fundamental one, which strikes at the nature

Read John Gill on James 1 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Do not err, my beloved brethren. Do not err in attributing to God temptation to evil; nay "every good," all that is good on earth, comes from God.

Read Robert Jamieson on James 1 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Viz. in imputing your sins to God, and saying, that when you are tempted you are tempted of him.

Read Matthew Poole on James 1 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

16 Do not err, my beloved brethren. Ver. 16. Do not err] Wander not, as wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever, Judges 1:13, by seeking to father your faults upon God, as Adam did, Genesis 3:12.

Read John Trapp on James 1 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(16) Do not err, my beloved brethren.—Thus far James the Wise has declared what God is not, what qualities are alien to Him; but this is only a negative aspect of the truth, and he now would show the positive—namely, that God is the Author of all and every good. And this lesson he introduces with a caution to his brethren beloved, not to err. He is most earnest and emphatic. “Be not ye deceived,” however much the world may wander in delusive paths. A marked change from the dreadful tenor of the last verse is here made to bright reflections on the gifts of God; and a new incentive to endurance is found in the happy thoughts of His goodness.

Read Charles John Ellicott on James 1 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 16. Do not err] By supposing that God is the author of sin, or that he impels any man to commit it.

Read AdamClarke on James 1 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

16–18. God and His perfect gifts16. Do not err …] The absolute goodness of God had been presented so far on its negative side as excluding all origination of evil. But the writer feels that that is but a partial view. It has a brighter aspect, more full of hope and blessing, and the error against which he protests is chiefly hurtful as excluding that aspect from its due influence on faith and conduct.

Read Cambridge on James 1 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Do not err, my beloved brethren - This is said as if there were great danger of error in the point under consideration.

Read Albert Barnes on James 1 →

The verse in English, compared — 16 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Don’t be deceived, my beloved brothers.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.

NETBNew English Translation2006

Do not be led astray, my dear brothers and sisters.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Do not err, my beloved brethren.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Be not deceived, my beloved brethren.

RVARevised Version, American1894

Be not deceived, my beloved brethren.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Do not err, my beloved brethren.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Erre not, my deare brethren.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Do not err, my beloved brethren.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Be not led astray, my brethren beloved;

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

Do not be led astray, my beloved brothers.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Do not err, therefore, my dearest brethren.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

My dear friends, don't be deceived.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Do not be turned from the right way, dear brothers.

Word by word, the decisions they made

πλανᾶσθε,planaō do be misled, G4105 2 different renderings
led astrayLSV NETB YLT
turned from the right wayBBE
ἀδελφοίadelphos brothers G80 2 different renderings
brethrenASV DBY DRA GNV KJV NWB RVA YLT
brothersBBE BSB LSV MSB NETB ULB WEB
ἀγαπητοί·agapētos beloved; G27 2 different renderings
belovedASV BSB DBY KJV LSV MSB NWB RVA ULB WEB YLT
dearBBE FBV NETB

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the Nestle 1904 treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

clauseclauseadverbialΜὴNotverbπλανᾶσθεbe misledclausenoun phrasenoun phraseἀδελφοίbrothersμουmyἀγαπητοίbeloved

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The earliest translations — Latin and Syriac

Every translation is an argument about meaning made by someone who had to commit to one. These two were made while the Greek was still a living language, and they are the oldest opinions we have about what this verse says.

Latin VulgateAD 382–405

Nolite itaque errare, fratres mei dilectissimi.

Jerome revised the Old Latin against the Greek from AD 382; the Latin west read this text for a thousand years.

Syriac Peshittaby AD 400

ܠܐ ܬܛܥܘܢ ܐܚܝ ܚܒܝܒܐ

The Bible of the Syriac-speaking church, in the language nearest to the Aramaic Jesus spoke.

Shown verse by verse rather than word by word: aligning a Greek word to its Latin or Syriac counterpart automatically would be guesswork, and a wrong alignment is worse than none.


The Greek editions compared — what the manuscripts actually say

Eight printed editions of the Greek New Testament, side by side. Where they agree the wording is settled; where a word is missing from an edition it is marked, so you can see the difference rather than take it on trust.

Nestle-Aland 28th edition2012 · Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft

Μὴ πλανᾶσθε, ἀδελφοί μου ἀγαπητοί·

The standard critical text of the New Testament.

Nestle-Aland 27th edition1993 · Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft

Μὴ πλανᾶσθε, ἀδελφοί μου ἀγαπητοί·

The previous edition, still widely cited.

SBL Greek New Testament2010 · Michael Holmes

Μὴ πλανᾶσθε, ἀδελφοί μου ἀγαπητοί·

The Society of Biblical Literature edition, freely licensed.

Westcott–Hort1881 · Westcott and Hort

Μὴ πλανᾶσθε, ἀδελφοί μου ἀγαπητοί·

The edition that turned scholarship toward the earliest manuscripts.

Tregelles1857–1879 · Samuel Prideaux Tregelles

Μὴ πλανᾶσθε, ἀδελφοί μου ἀγαπητοί·

An independent critical text built from the oldest witnesses then known.

Tyndale House Greek NT2017 · Tyndale House, Cambridge

Μὴ πλανᾶσθε, ἀδελφοί μου ἀγαπητοί·

A recent critical edition following documentary evidence closely.

Byzantine majority text2018 · Robinson–Pierpont

Μὴ πλανᾶσθε, ἀδελφοί μου ἀγαπητοί·

The reading of the majority of surviving manuscripts.

Textus Receptus1550/1894 lineage

Μὴ πλανᾶσθε, ἀδελφοί μου ἀγαπητοί·

The printed tradition behind the King James Version.

Every witness on this verse all agree
Critical editions
Nestle-Aland 28th edition2012Nestle-Aland 27th edition1993SBL Greek New Testament2010Westcott–Hort1881Tregelles1857–1879Tyndale House Greek NT2017
Byzantine / Majority
Byzantine majority text2018
Received Text
Textus Receptus1550/1894

A witness that read differently would show its variant word here, marked.

Word by word, across the editions

Every edition agrees. All 8 printed editions — Nestle-Aland 28, Nestle-Aland 27, SBLGNT, Westcott-Hort, Tregelles, Tyndale House 2017, Textus Receptus (KJV), Byzantine majority — carry every word of this verse, in the same order, with no difference that any translator would render differently.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Greek New Testament — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

James 1:16μήNotNotμήπλανάωdo be misledo be misled,πλανάωἀδελφόςbrothersbrothersἀδελφόςμουof mineof mineμουἀγαπητόςbeloved;beloved;ἀγαπητόςπλάνηn.f. a wann.f. a wanderinπλάνηἄλφαletter theletter the firsἄλφαἀγαπάωv. I lovev. I loveἀγαπάωοὐNeg.prt. nNeg.prt. no, noοὐπότεIrg.prt. wIrg.prt. when, πότεφοβέωv. I fear,v. I fear, am tφοβέωχείρωνAdj worseAdj worseχείρωνπρόβατονn.n. a shen.n. a sheepπρόβατονἈνδρέαςn.m. Andren.m. AndrewἈνδρέαςἀδελφήn.f. a sisn.f. a sisterἀδελφήεὐδοκέωv. I am rev. I am resolveεὐδοκέωπιστόςAdj trustwAdj trustworthyπιστός
meets it a little oftener than chancemeets it far oftener than chancebuilt from the same roottwo words of the verse share ita word of this versea related word

Lexicons — every word in James 1:16

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Greek lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. Imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, the full Liddell-Scott-Jones, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate LSJ, Robinson and Packard on the Greek, Webster and Cawdrey on the English the translators were using. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

Not do be misled, brothers of mine beloved;
Μὴ Not G3361 Particle · negative
1,060× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
commoner in James than anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
Not is a word used to show that something is not true or is not happening, like in phrases that say 'lest' or 'God forbid', as seen in various parts of the New Testament.
Amplified meaning
be misled, err
Tyndale gloss
not
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

μή () is a Greek negative particle used to express subjective negation, often in conditional or hypothetical contexts. It contrasts with οὐ (ou), which indicates absolute denial. μή can function as an adverb meaning 'not' or as a conjunction meaning 'lest.' It appears in various grammatical constructions, including prohibitions and deliberative questions, and is referenced in verses like Matthew 5:29 and John 3:18.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

μή,

subjective negative particle,

used where the negation depends on a condition or hypothesis, expressed or understood, as distinct from οὐ, which denies absolutely. μή is used where one thinks a thing is not, as distinct from an absolute negation. As a general rule, οὐ negatives the indic., μή the other moods, incl, ptcp. [In LXX for אֵין, אַיִן, אַל.]

As a neg. adv., not;

with ref. to thought or opinion: Jo 3:18, Tit 1:11, II Pe 1:9.

In delib. questions, c. subjc. (M, Pr., 185): Mk 12:14, Ro 3:8.

In conditional and final sentences, after εἰ, ἐάν, ἄν, ἵνα, ὅπως: Mt 10:14,

Read the full entry →
Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament from a scan

μή, Sept. for Ox, |X, PN, ἃ particle of negation, which differs from οὐ (which is always an adverb) in that ov denies the thing itself (orto speak technically, denies simply, absolutely, categorically, directly, objectively). but μή denies the thought of the thing, or the thing according to the judgment, opinion, will, purpose, preference, of some one (hence, as we say technically, indirectly, hypothetically, subjectively). This distinction holds also of the compounds οὐδείς, μηδείς, οὐκέτι, μηκέτι, ete. But pris either an ad verb of negation, not (Lat. non, ne); or aconjunction, that... not, lest, (Lat. ne); or an interrogative particle, (Lat. num) [i. e. (generally) implying aneg. ans.; in indir. quest. whether nol (suggesting apprehension) ]. Cf. Herm. ad Vig. § 267 p- 802 sqq-; Matthiae § 608; Bitm. Gram. § 148 (cf. Alex. Bttm. N. T. Gr. p. 344 (296) sqq.); Kiihner ii. §§ 512 sq. p.…

Read the full entry →
Moulton & Milligan, Vocabulary of the Greek Testament from a scan

μή Grenf II. 384 (mid. 1.8.6.) καλῶς οὖ]ν ποιήσις μὴ ἀμελήσ[α]ς α[. . ἀγο]ράσαι. .. , P Oxy I. 3815 (a.p. 49--50) (= Selections, p. 53) τοῦ δὲ Σύρου μὴ βουλομένου ἐνμεῖναι τοῖς κεκριμένοις, “45 Syrus does not wish to abide by what has been decided,” 2d. II. 2755 (A.D. 66) (= Selections, p. 58) ἔγραψα ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ μὴ ἰδότος γράμματα, “1 wrote for him seeing that he was unlettered,” BGU I. 22° (a.p. 114) (= Selections, p. 74) TappovOios . . . τὸ παρὸν μὴ ἔχουσα κύριον, ‘ Tarmuthis at present without a guardian,’ and P Grenf II. 779 (iii/iv A.D.) (= Sedections, p. 120) θαυμάζω πάνυ [ὅτι] ἀλόγως ἀπέστητε μὴ ἄραντες [τὸ σ]ῶμα τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ ὑμῶν, “1 wonder exceedingly that you went off so unreasonably, without taking the body of your brother”; cf. P Tor 1. 1¥8-4 (νον 116) εἰ δὲ kal τις θείηι τὸ μὴ ὄν (cf. 1 Cor 1°8)—acc. and inf. follow, P Ryl II. 144°? (Α.Ὁ. 38) ἐπαγαγεῖν αἰτίας τοῦ μὴ ὄντος, ‘‘…

Read the full entry →
Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

μή (mē) — not.

μή,

Elean μά [ᾱ] [Refs 6th c.BC+]. (Cf. Sanskrit mā´, Armenian mi [from I.-[Refs 5th c.BC+] mē´], negative used in prohibitions):—not, the negative of the will and thought, as οὐ of fact and statement; μή rejects, οὐ denies; μή is relative, οὐ absolute; μή subjective, οὐ objective. (A few examples of μηδέ and μηδείς have been included.)

__A in INDEPENDENT sentences, used in expressions of will or wish, command, entreaty, warning,

__A.1 with present imperative, 2 person, μή μ᾽ ἐρέθιζε [Refs 8th c.BC+]: rarely with aorist imperative, μὴ.. ἔνθεο τιμῇ [Refs 8th c.BC+]; in Attic dialect, μὴ ψεῦσον, ὦ Ζεῦ, τῆς.. ἐλπίδος [Refs 8th c.BC+]perfect imperative [Refs 8th c.BC+] person when perfect = present, μὴ κεκράγετε [Refs 5th c.BC+]

Read the full entry →
Strong's Greek Dictionary

μή

me

a primary particle of qualified negation (whereas 3756 expresses an

absolute denial); (adverb) not, (conjunction) lest; also (as an

interrogative implying a negative answer (whereas 3756 expects an

affirmative one)) whether:--any but (that), X forbear, + God forbid, +

lack, lest, neither, never, no (X wise in), none, nor, (can-)not,

nothing, that not, un(-taken), without. Often used in compounds in

substantially the same relations. See also 3362, 3363, 3364, 3372,

3373, 3375, 3378.

see GREEK for 3756

see GREEK for 3362

see GREEK for 3363

see GREEK for 3364

see GREEK for 3372

see GREEK for 3373

see GREEK for 3375

see GREEK for 3378

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

μή

Neg.prt.

not, lest

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

μή mē 1x

a negative particle, can function as a conj, not, for the particulars of its usage, especially as distinguished from that of οὐ, consult a grammar; as a conj., lest, that not, Mt. 5:29, 30; 18:10; 24:6; Mk. 13:36; μή, or μήτι, or μήποτε, when prefixed to an interrogative clause, it expresses an intimation either of the reality of the matters respecting which the question is asked, Mt. 12:23; or the contrary, Jn. 4:12

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Particle-N — Particle · negative
particle — a small word colouring the clause; it does not decline.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

PRT-N PaRTicle, disjunctive particle Negative

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
71%not
not71% · 772×except9% · 95×unless5% · 58×surely not4% · 41×lest3% · 32×otherwise2% · 23×other renderings4% · 48×other renderings1% · 16×

1,085 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 23 different ways. The commonest English word for it is not its meaning — it is one translator's decision, repeated.

What it does in the sentencefrom the Nestle 1904 treebank
adverbial84%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 1,060 occurrences — a word inside a phrase counts towards whatever that phrase is doing.

The phrases it lives inwhat stands either side of it, across the New Testament
← what comes before
οὐNeg
καίand, even, also,σύἐγώ
ἵναin order that, so th
αὐτόςσύπροσεύχομαιI pray, pray for
καίand, even, also, nam
ἐγώαὐτόςεἰμίI am, exist
εἰCond
αὐτόςυἱόςa son, descendenκαίand, even, also,
Article the
καίand, even, also,εἰςδιά
μήNot1060×
what comes after →
Article the
πατήρfather, Father, υἱόςa son, descendenσημεῖονa sign, miracle,
ἔχωI have, hold, posses
καίand, even, also,ποιμήνa shepherdβάθοςdepth, a depth,
εἰμίI am, exist
δίδωμιI offer, giveἐνμετά
τὶς
σύὑστερέωI am lacking, faγεννάωI beget, bring f
φοβέωI fear, am terrified
ἀπόArticle theμόνοςalone, but, only

branches are dictionary forms, so endings do not split one phrase into five; the number on a branch is how many times the New Testament takes that path

Concordanceμή · 1,060× in the New Testament
Luke Matthew John 1 Corinthians Romans Mark Acts Revelation 2 Corinthians Hebrews 1 Timothy Galatians

2 inflected forms — one of the commonest words in the New Testament. Full distribution →

Across the New Testament27 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
The Hebrew behind itwhat the Septuagint translators were rendering

Counted over the 1,321 Old Testament verses where this Greek word stands: which Hebrew word keeps standing there too. A correspondence of verses rather than a word-by-word alignment, so read the percentage as strength of evidence, not as a claim about any single verse.

Not do be misled, brothers of mine beloved;
πλανᾶσθε,planaō do be misled, G4105 Verb · present · passive · imperative · second person · plural
39× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
commoner in James than anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
To lead someone astray or cause them to wander from the truth, as seen in Matthew 24:4-5 where Jesus warns of false prophets. This can also mean to deceive or seduce someone.
Amplified meaning
led astray, turned from the right way
Tyndale gloss
to lead astray
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

πλανάω is built from the root meaning to cause to wander or stray. It covers a range of meanings including leading astray, deceiving, and going off the right path, both literally and metaphorically. The New Testament uses it in contexts of deception and error, as seen in verses like Matthew 18:12 and 1 Peter 2:25. The lexicons do not show significant disagreement on its meanings.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

πλανάω, -ῶ

(< πλάνη),

[in LXX chiefly for תּעה;]

to cause to wander, lead astray. Pass., to go astray, wander: Mt 18:12, 13, He 11:38, I Pe 2:25 (cf. Is 53:6). Metaph., to lead astray, deceive: c. acc. pers., Mt 24:4, 5, 11, 24, Mk 13:5, 6, Jo 7:12, II Ti 3:13, I Jo 1:8 2:26 3:7, Re 2:20 12:9 13:14 19:20 20:3, 8, 10; pass., to be led astray, to err: Mt 22:29, Mk 12:24, 27, Lk 21:8, Jo 7:47,

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Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament from a scan

πλανάω, -@; fut. πλανήσω ; 1 aor. ἐπλάνησα; Pass., pres. πλανῶμαι; pf. πεπλάνημαι; 1 aor. ἐπλανήθην ; (πλάνη); fr. Aeschyl. and Hdt. down; Sept. for APN; to cause to stray, to lead astray, lead aside from the right way ; a. prop.; in pass., Sept. chiefly for NA, fo go astray, wander, roam about, (first so in Hom. 1]. 23, 321): Mt. xviii. 12sq-; 1 Pet. ii. 25 (fr. Is. liii. 6, cf. Ex. xxiii. 4 ; Ps. exviii. (exix.) 176); Heb. xi. 38. b. metaph. to lead away from the truth, to lead into error, to deceive: twa, Mt. xxiv. 4, 5, 11, 24; Mk. xiii. 5,6; Jn. vii. 12; 1Jn. ii. 26; iii. 7; 2 Tim. iii. 13"; Rev. ii. 20GLT TrWH; xii. 93 xiii. 14; xix. 20; xx. 8, 8, 10; ἑαυτόν, 1 Jn. 1. 8; pass. to be led into error, [R.V. be led astray]: Lk. xxi. 8; Jn. vii. 47; Rev. ii. 20 Rec.; to err, Mt. xxii. 29; ΜΚ. xii. 24, 27; μὴ πλανᾶσθε, 1 Co. vi. 9; xv. 33; Gal. vi. 7; Jas. 1. 16; esp. through ignorance…

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Moulton & Milligan, Vocabulary of the Greek Testament from a scan

πλανάω. For the metaph. use of πλανάω, ‘lead astray,” ‘‘deceive,” cf. P Par 4728 (B.c. 152-1) (= ΡΖ i. p. 332,

Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

πλανάω (planaō) — to lead astray.

πλᾰν-άω,

future -ήσω [LXX]:—passive and middle, future -ήσομαι [Refs 5th c.BC+]: aorist ἐπλανήθην [Refs 5th c.BC+]: perfect πεπλάνημαι [Refs 5th c.BC+]: (πλάνη):—Prose verb, ={πλάζω} (used once in [Refs 8th c.BC+], cause to wander, [Refs 5th c.BC+]

2. lead from the subject, in talking, [Refs 4th c.BC+]

3. lead astray, mislead, deceive, ἢ γνώμη πλαν; [NT+5th c.BC+]; πλανῶν τὴν ἔξοδον, of the Labyrinth, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]

II. passive, wander, stray, ἵπποι πλανόωνται ἀνὰ δρόμον [Refs 8th c.BC+]; of the planets, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; of reports, travel abroad, πολλὰ.. ἐμπόρων ἔπη φιλεῖ π. [Refs 5th c.BC+]

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

πλανάω

planao

from 4106; to (properly, cause to) roam (from safety, truth, or

virtue):--go astray, deceive, err, seduce, wander, be out of the way.

see GREEK for 4106

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

πλανάω

v.

I lead astray, deceive

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

πλανάω planaō 39x

to lead astray, cause to wander; pass. to go astray, wander about, stray, Mt. 18:12, 13; 1 Pet. 2:25; met. to mislead, deceive, Mt. 24:4, 5, 11, 24; pass. to be deceived, err, mistake, Mt. 22:29; to seduce, delude, Jn. 7:12; pass. to be seduced or wander from the path of virtue, to sin, transgress, Tit. 3:3; Heb. 5:2; Jas. 5:19

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

πλανάω πλάνη like πλάζω, to make to wander, lead wandering about, Hdt., Aesch.:— to lead from the subject, in talking, Dem.

to lead astray, mislead, deceive, Soph., Plat.

Pass. to wander, roam about, stray, Il., Aesch.; c. acc. loci, to wander over, Lat. oberrare, Eur.; but c. acc. cogn., πολλοὺς ἑλιγμοὺς πλανᾶσθαι to wander about as in a labyrinth, Xen.:— of reports, to wander abroad, Soph.

to wander in speaking, digress, Hdt.

c. gen., πλαναθεὶς καιροῦ having missed one's opportunity, Pind.

to do a thing irregularly or at random, Hdt.; ἐνύπνια τὰ ἐς ἀνθρώπους πεπλανημένα that have visited them irregularly, id. Hdt.

to wander in mind, to be at a loss, id. Hdt., Aesch.

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Verb-PPM-2P — Verb · present · passive · imperative · second person · plural
present passive imperative — an action in progress.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

V-PPM-2P Part of Speech: Verb Tense: Present Voice: Passive Mood: iMperative Person: second Number: Plural

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
10%deceiving
deceiving10% · 4×do be misled8% · 3×they will mislead8% · 3×being deceived5% · 2×you err5% · 2×may mislead5% · 2×do be deceived3% · 1×they go astray3% · 1×other renderings55% · 22×

40 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 30 different ways. The commonest English word for it is not its meaning — it is one translator's decision, repeated.

What it does in the sentencefrom the Nestle 1904 treebank
verb95%predicate5%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 39 occurrences — a word inside a phrase counts towards whatever that phrase is doing.

The phrases it lives inwhat stands either side of it, across the New Testament
← what comes before
μήNeg
Article theβλέπωI look, seeκληρονομέωI inherit, obtai
καίand, even, also, nam
πρόβατονa sheepἐγείρωI wake, arouse, πλανάωI lead astray, d
σύ
τὶςκαίand, even, also,ἐν
Article the
ζητέωI seek, search fπερίΣατανᾶςan adversary, Sa
πολύςmuch, many, often
καίand, even, also,ζάωI live
πλανάωdo be misled,39×
what comes after →
Article the
ὄχλοςa crowdκαρδίαthe heart, innerἐμός
καίand, even, also, nam
πλανάωI lead astray, dὄροςa mountainArticle the
μήNeg
οἶδαI know, remember
πολύςmuch, many, often
γάρfor
σύ
Article the

branches are dictionary forms, so endings do not split one phrase into five; the number on a branch is how many times the New Testament takes that path

Concordanceπλανάω · 39× in the New Testament
Matthew Revelation Mark 1 John Hebrews 1 Corinthians 2 Timothy James John 1 Peter 2 Peter Galatians
Across the New Testament14 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
The Hebrew behind itwhat the Septuagint translators were rendering

Counted over the 71 Old Testament verses where this Greek word stands: which Hebrew word keeps standing there too. A correspondence of verses rather than a word-by-word alignment, so read the percentage as strength of evidence, not as a claim about any single verse.

Outside the New Testamentthe same word in the Greek of its own century
Philo of Alexandria Ignatius of Antioch Josephus The Didache The Epistle of Barnabas
Philo of AlexandriaAllegorical Interpretation of Genesis 3.108c. AD 40

„ἐπικατάρατος μέντοι καὶ ὁ πλανῶν τυφλὸν ἐν ὁδῷ“ (Deut.

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 4.274c. AD 75–95

ὁμοίως καὶ περὶ βοσκημάτων οἷς ἂν ἐντύχῃ τις κατʼ ἐρημίαν πλανωμένοις, μὴ εὑρεθέντος τοῦ κυρίου παραχρῆμα παρʼ αὑτῷ φυλαττέτω μαρτυράμενος τὸν θεὸν μὴ νοσφίζεσθαι ἀλλότρια.

The Epistle of BarnabasThe Epistle of Barnabas 16.1c. AD 100

Ἔτι δὲ καὶ περὶ τοῦ ναοῦ ἐρῶ ὑμῖν, ὡς πλανώμενοι οἱ ταλαίπωροι εἰς τὴν οἰκοδομὴν ἤλπισαν, καὶ οὐκ ἐπὶ τὸν θεὸν αὐτῶν τὸν ποιήσαντα αὐτούς, ὡς ὄντα οἶκον θεοῦ.

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
2nd c. AD 2nd c. BC 3rd c. BC 4th c. AD

με πώποτε ἐν τῇ Τρικομίαι ὑπὸ τῆς αἰσχύνης, εἰ καὶ αὑτοὺς δεδώκαμεν καὶ ἀποπεπτώκαμεν πλανώμενοι ὑπὸ τῶν θεῶν καὶ πιστεύοντες τὰ ἐνύπνια. εὐτύχει.

P.Oxy. 36 2754OxyrhynchosAD 111

χρηματικὴν πείσονται ζημίαν, τὸν τοῦ θεῶν ἐμφανεστάτου Αὐτοκράτορος Καίσαρος Νέρουα Τραιανοῦ Σεβαστοῦ Γερμανικοῦ Δακικοῦ πλανῶντες ἔλεον. οὐδεμίαν οἱ τοῖς βιβλίοις ἐμφερόμενοι παραίτησιν ἕξουσιν ὑπερτίθεσθαι βουλόμενοι, πάλαι τοῦ…

ZPE 205 (2018), p. 127-142Fundort: Kellis (Oasis MagnaAD 301–AD 400

ς· καὶ οὐδὲν αὐτῶν ἠνέχθη μοι εἰς πρόσωπον οὐχ … ε ἢ διὰ τῶν πλανώντων. τοῦτο δὲ μάλιστα … κ … σμου … ει ἐν οἷς καὶ ὤφειλεν τὴν

Not do be misled, brothers of mine beloved;
ἀδελφοίadelphos brothers G80 Noun · vocative · plural · masculine
343× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
commoner in James than anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
The Greek word for brother refers to a male sibling or a fellow Christian, as seen in Matthew 1:2 and 1 Corinthians 1:1. It implies a close relationship.
Amplified meaning
brethren, fellow believers
Tyndale gloss
brother
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

ἀδελφός is built from a copulative particle and δελφύς, meaning 'womb.' It primarily refers to a brother, either by birth or in a broader sense, such as a fellow Christian or a member of the same nation. In the New Testament, it appears in various contexts, including familial and spiritual relationships, as seen in Matthew 1:2 and 1 Corinthians 1:1.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

ἀδελφός, -οῦ, ὁ

(< ἀ- copul., δελφύς, womb),

in cl., a brother, born of the same parent or parents. [In LXX (Hort, Ja., 102 f.), for אָח;]

lit. of a brother (Ge 4:2, al.).

Of a neighbour (Le 19:17).

Of a member of the same nation (Ex 2:14, De 15:3). In NT in each of these senses (1. Mt 1:2, al.; 2. Mt 7:3; 3. Ro 9:3) and also,

of a fellow-Christian: I Co 1:1, Ac 9:30. This usage finds…

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Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament from a scan

ἀδελφός, -οῦ, ὁ, (fr. a copulative and δελφύς, from the same womb; cf. ἀγάστωρ), [fr. Hom. down]; 1. a brother (whether born of the same two parents, or only of the same father or the same mother): Mt. i. 2; iv. 18, and often. That ‘the brethren of Jesus,’ Mt. xii. 46, 47 [but WH only in mrg.]; xiii. 55 sq.; Mk. vi. 3 (in the last two passages also sisters); Lk. viii. 19 sq.; Jn. ii. 12; vii. 8; Acts i. 14; Gal. i. 19; 1 Co. 1. 5, are neither sons of Joseph by a wife married before Mary (which is the account in the Apocryphal Gospels [ef. Thilo, Cod. Apocr. N. T. i. 8362 sq.]), nor cousins, the children of Alpheus or Cleophas [i. 6. Clopas] and Mary a sister of the mother of Jesus (the current opinion among the doctors of the church since Jerome and Ausustine [ef. Bp. Lghtft. Com. on Gal., diss. ii.]), according to that use of language by which ἀδελφός like the Hebr. τὶ denotes any…

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Moulton & Milligan, Vocabulary of the Greek Testament from a scan

ἀδελφός. For the literal and the more general derived sense we may quote Sy// 474° ἀδελφοὶ ols κοινὰ τὰ πατρῷα, and 276" διὰ τὸ Μεσσαλιήτας εἶναι ἡμῖν ἀδελφούς]. In P Lond 421 (B.C. 168) (= I. p. 30, Selections p. 9) ᾿Ισίας Ἡφαιστίωνι τῶι ἀδελφῶ[ι χαί(ρειν)], it seems probable that Isias is

Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

ἀδελφός (adelphos) — brother.

ἀδελφός [ᾰ],

(ἀ- copulative, δελφύς, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; compare ἀγάστωρ) properly, son of the same mother:

I. as substantive, ἀδελφός, ὁ, vocative ἄδελφ; Epic dialect, Ionic dialect, and Lyric poetry ἀδελφεός (genitive -ειοῦ in [Refs 8th c.BC+]:—brother, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἀδελφοί brother and sister, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; so of the Ptolemies, θεοὶ ἀδελφοί[Refs 3rd c.BC+]; ἀπ᾽ ἀμφοτέρων ἀδελφεός[LXX+5th c.BC+]

I.2. kinsman,[LXX]; tribesman, Ex.[Refs]

I.3. colleague, associate, [Refs]; member of a college, [Refs]

I.4. term of address, used by kings, [LXX+2nd c.BC+], etc.:—as a term of affection, applicable by wife to husband, [LXX+2nd c.BC+]

I.5. brother (as a fellow Christian), [NT]; of other religious communities, e.g. Serapeum, [Refs 2nd c.BC+]

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

ἀδελφός

adelphos

from 1 (as a connective particle) and delphus (the womb); a brother

(literally or figuratively) near or remote (much like 1):--brother.

see GREEK for 1

see GREEK for 1

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

ἀδελφός, οῦ, ὁ

n.m.

a brother

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

ἀδελφός adelphos 343x

a brother, near kinsman or relative; one of the same nation or nature; one of equal rank and dignity; an associate, a member of the Christian community

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

ἀδελφός α copul. , δελφύς; cf. Lat. couterinus ἀδελφοί are properly sons of the same mother:

as Subst., ἀδελφός, ὁ, voc. ἄδελφε (not -φέ), ionic ἀδελφεός, epic -ειός:—a brother, or generally, a near kinsman, ἀδελφοί brother and sister, like Lat. fratres, Eur.; ἀδελφεοὶ ἀπ᾽ ἀμφοτέρων brothers by both parents, i. e. not half-brothers, Hdt.

a brother (as a fellow Christian), NTest.

adj., ἀδελφός, ή, όν, brotherly or sisterly, Trag., Plat.

like Lat. geminus, gemellus, of anything in pairs, twin, Xen.:—then, just like, c. gen. or dat., ἀδελφὰ τῶνδε, ἀδελφὰ τούτοισι Soph.

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Noun-VPM — Noun · vocative · plural · masculine
vocative — the one being addressed.
Agrees with anything else marked plural masculine.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

N-VPM Part of Speech: Noun Case: Vocative Number: Plural Gender: Masculine

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
64%brothers
brothers64% · 223×brother35% · 121×other renderings1% · 4×

348 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 5 different ways. The commonest English word for it is not its meaning — it is one translator's decision, repeated.

What it does in the sentencefrom the Nestle 1904 treebank
subject25%object20%adverbial12%indirect object6%predicate4%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 343 occurrences — a word inside a phrase counts towards whatever that phrase is doing.

The phrases it lives inwhat stands either side of it, across the New Testament
← what comes before
Article the
καίand, even, also,ἸωάννηςJohnἈνδρέαςAndrew
σύ
δέbut, on the otheπερίἀδελφόςa brother
ἀνήρa male human being,
λέγωI say, speakποιέωI do, makeφημίI say
δέbut, on the other ha
σύἐγώπαραδίδωμιI hand over, del
οὖνtherefore, then
ἄραDisjἑπτάIndecλοιπόςleft, left behin
ἀδελφόςbrothers343×
what comes after →
αὐτός
καίand, even, also,Article theἐν
ἐγώ
καίand, even, also,ἀγαπητόςloved, belovedArticle the
σύ
Article theκαίand, even, also,ὡςas, like as, how
Article the
κύριοςlord, Lord, mastἐκκλησίαan assembly, conεὐαγγέλιονthe good news, t
καίand, even, also, nam
Article theἀδελφήa sisterπατήρfather, Father,

branches are dictionary forms, so endings do not split one phrase into five; the number on a branch is how many times the New Testament takes that path

Concordanceἀδελφός · 343× in the New Testament
Acts 1 Corinthians Matthew Luke Mark 1 Thessalonians James Romans 1 John John 2 Corinthians Galatians

Every reference is on the Strong's page.

Across the New Testament25 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
The Hebrew behind itwhat the Septuagint translators were rendering

Counted over the 419 Old Testament verses where this Greek word stands: which Hebrew word keeps standing there too. A correspondence of verses rather than a word-by-word alignment, so read the percentage as strength of evidence, not as a claim about any single verse.

Outside the New Testamentthe same word in the Greek of its own century
Josephus Philo of Alexandria Clement of Rome The Shepherd of Hermas Ignatius of Antioch
Philo of AlexandriaOn the Creation of the World 12c. AD 40

ἀλλ’ ὅ γε μέγας Μωυσῆς ἀλλοτριώτατον τοῦ ὁρατοῦ νομίσας εἶναι τὸ ἀγένητον — πᾶν γὰρ τὸ αἰσθητὸν ἐν γενέσει καὶ μεταβολαῖς οὐδέποτε κατὰ ταὐτὰ ὄν — τῷ μὲν ἀοράτῳ καὶ νοητῷ προσένειμεν ὡς ἀδελφὸν καὶ συγγενὲς ἀιδιότητα, τῷ δ’ αἰσθητῷ γένεσιν οἰκεῖον…

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 1.53c. AD 75–95

οἱ μὲν οὖν ἀδελφοὶ διαφόροις ἔχαιρον ἐπιτηδεύμασιν·

The Epistle of BarnabasThe Epistle of Barnabas 2.10c. AD 100

ἀκριβεύεσθαι οὖν ὀφείλομεν, ἀδελφοί, περὶ τῆς σωτηρίας ἡμῶν, ἵνα μὴ ὁ πονηρὸς παρείσδυσιν πλάνης ποιήσας ἐν ἡμῖν ἐκσφενδονήσῃ ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τῆς ζωῆς ἡμῶν.

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
2nd c. AD 4th c. AD 3rd c. AD 1st c. AD 6th c. AD
P.Adl. 11Pathyris99 BC

1 ἔτους ιζ Θῶυθ κη ἀπέδοτο Πετεσοῦχος Φίβιος καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ τὸ ὕπαρχον αὐτοῖς ἥμισυ περιστερῶνος τοῦ ὄντος ἐν τῶι ἀπὸ βορρᾶ μέρει Παθύρεως χαλκοῦ

P.Grenf. 2 35Pathyris99 BC

ν μέσος ἢ ἐλασσων μελίχρως μακροπρόσωπος εὐθύριν ὑπόσκνιφος, ἀπὸ τοῦ ὑπάρχοντος αὐτοῖς καὶ τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς παστοφορίου ὠκοδομημένου καὶ δεδοκωμένου καὶ τεθυρωμένου ἐν τῷ ἀπὸ νότου μέρει τοῦ ἐν Παθύρει

BGU 3 1000Pathyris99 BC

ἐτῶν ξ μέσος μελίχρως τετανὸς ἀναφάλακρος μακροπρόσωπος εὐθύριν ἀπὸ τῆς ὑπαρχούσης αὐτῷ καὶ τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς γῆς ἠπείρου σιτοφόρου ἀδιαιρέτου ἐν τῷ ἀπὸ βορρᾶ πεδίωι Παθύρεως τὸ ἐπιβάλλον αὐτῷ μέρος

Not do be misled, brothers of mine beloved;
μουegō of mine G3165 Personal pronoun · first person · genitive · singular
1,872× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
In plain English
Tyndale gloss
I/we
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

ἐγώ, gen, etc., ἐμοῦ, ἐμοί, ἐμέ (enclitic μου, μοι, με), pl. ἡμεῖς, -ῶν, -ῖν, -ᾶς,

pers. pron.

I.

The nom. is usually emphatic, when expressed as subjc, as in Mt 3:11, Mk 1:8, Lk 3:16, al. But often there is no apparent emphasis, as Mt 10:16, Jo 10:17; ἰδοὺ ἐ. (= Heb. הִנֵּנִי, cf. I Ki 3:8), Ac 9:10; ἐ. (like Heb. אֲנִי), I am, Jo 1:23 (LXX), Ac 7:32 (LXX).

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Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament from a scan

ἐγώ, gen. ἐμοῦ, enclitic pod; dat. ἐμοί, enclitic μοί; acc. ἐμέ, enclitic μέ; plur. ἡμεῖς, ete.; personal pronoun, J. 1. The nominatives ἐγώ and ἡμεῖς, when joined to a verb, generally have force and emphasis, or indicate antithesis, as Mt. iii. 11; Mk.i. 8; Lk. iii. 16 (ἐγὼ pev... ὁ δέ); Mt. iii. 14 (ἐγὼ... ἔχω, καὶ σύν ; V. 22, 28, 39, and often; ἡμεῖς, contrasted with God, Mt. vi. 12; ἡμεῖς x. of Φαρισαῖοι, Mt. ix. 14; cf. W. § 22,6. But sometimes they are used where there is no emphasis or antithesis in them, as Mt. x. 16; Jn. x. 17; and in many edd. in Mk. i. 2; Lk. vii. 27; οἵ. B. §129, 12. ἰδοὺ ἐγώ, 1397, behold me, hereamT: Acts ix.10 (1S. iii. 8). ἐγώ, like 38, Jam: Jn. i. 23; Acts vii. 32, [ef. W.585 (544); B. 125 (109)]. 2. The enclitic (and monosyllabic) gen., dat., and ace. are connected with nouns, verbs, adverbs, but not with prepositions: ἔμπροσθέν pov, Jn. i. 15; ὀπίσω…

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Moulton & Milligan, Vocabulary of the Greek Testament from a scan

ἐγώ. Deissmann (ZAZ p. 134 ff.) has drawn attention to the parallels to the solemn use of the first personal pronoun in the Fourth Gospel that may be adduced from inscriptions and magical texts. Thus in an inscr. in honour of Isis from Ios, written in ii/iii A.p., the contents of which are preChristian, we find —Elows ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ τ[ύρανν]ος πάσης χόρας.. ἐγὼ νόμους ἀνθρώποις ἐθέμην . . ἐγώ εἰμι Kpdvov θυγάτηρ πρεσβυτάτη α΄. And similarly in the magical papyrus P Lond 4645 (iv/a.p.) (=I. p. 69) ἐγώ εἰμι ὃ ἀκέφαλος δαίμων . . ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἀλήθεια ὁ μεισῶν ἀδικήματα γείνεσθαι ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ α΄. With the construction of the phrase τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί ; in Jn 24 we may compare BGU IV. 1141°8 (n.c. 14) ἐδίδουν αὐτῷ διαστολὰς μηδὲν αὐτῶι καὶ ἐκείνωι εἶναι : for its meaning see Ε΄. C. Burkitt in 77:5 xiii. p- 594f., where it is rendered, ‘‘ What have I and thou to do with that ?” On the difficult…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

μέ (me) — me.

ἐγώ,

I: pronoun of the first person:—Epic dialect mostly ἐγών before vowels (so in Doric dialect, before consonants, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; Boeotian dialect ἱών [Refs 2nd c.AD+]:— strengthened ἔγωγε, I at least, for my part, indeed, for myself (more frequently in Attic dialect than in [Refs 8th c.BC+]: Doric dialect ἐγώνγα [Refs 7th c.BC+]: Boeotian dialect ἱώνγα [Refs 6th c.BC+]; ἱώνει [Refs]; ἰώγα [Refs 5th c.BC+]: Laconian dialect and Tarentum dialect ἐγώνη, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]

II. oblique cases from a different root, genitive ἐμοῦ, enclitic μο; Ionic dialect and Epic dialect ἐμέο, ἐμεῦ, μευ, also ἐμέθεν [Refs 8th c.BC+]; Aeolic dialect ἔμεθεν [Refs 7th c.BC+]; Doric dialect ἐμέος, ἐμεῦς, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; Boeotian dialect ἐμοῦς [Refs 6th c.BC+] — _dative_ ἐμοί, enclitic μοι (which may be compared with Sanskrit…

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

ἐγώ

me

a shorter (and probably originally) from of 1691; me:--I, me, my.

see GREEK for 1691

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

ἐγώ egō 2x

I, gen., ἐμοῦ [μου], dat., ἐμοί [μοι], acc., ἐμέ [με]

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Pron-1GS — Personal pronoun · first person · genitive · singular
genitive — of, from, belonging to.
Agrees with anything else marked singular.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

P-1GS Part of Speech: Personal pronoun Person: first Case: Genitive Number: Singular

Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Mine

The process of mining is described in Job 28:1-11. Moses speaks of the mineral wealth of Palestine (Deut. 8:9). Job 28:4 is rightly thus rendered in the Revised Version, “He breaketh open a shaft away from where men sojourn; they are forgotten of the foot [that passeth by]; they hang afar from men, they swing to and fro.” These words illustrate ancient mining operations.

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
35%us
us35% · 717×me32% · 644×mine20% · 402×we ourselves6% · 124×my2% · 45×other renderings5% · 97×

2,029 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 27 different ways. The commonest English word for it is not its meaning — it is one translator's decision, repeated.

Not do be misled, brothers of mine beloved;
ἀγαπητοί·agapētos beloved; G27 Adjective · vocative · plural · masculine
61× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
commoner in James than anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
Beloved means to be loved or cherished by someone, like God or a friend, as seen in Matthew 3:17 and Romans 1:7. This word describes a sense of affection or fondness. It is often translated as 'beloved' or 'dearly loved' in the KJV Bible.
Amplified meaning
dear
Tyndale gloss
beloved
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Greek word ἀγαπητός (*agapetos*) means 'beloved' or 'dear,' derived from the verb ἀγαπάω (*agapaō*). It is used in the New Testament to describe Jesus as beloved by God (e.g., Mt 3:17) and to refer to Christians as beloved among one another (e.g., Ro 1:7). The word also appears in various forms of address, highlighting its affectionate connotation.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

ἀγαπητός, -ή, -όν

(< ἀγαπάω),

[in LXX chiefly for יָתִיד, יָדִיד;]

beloved (v. M, Pr., 221);

by God: of Christ, Mt 3:17; of men, Ro 1:7;

by Christians, of one another: I Co 4:14; freq. as form of address, I Co 10:14; opp. to ἐχθρός, Ro 11:28 (v. AR, Eph., 229; Cremer, 17; MM, VGT, s.v.).

Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament from a scan

ἀγαπητός, τή, -dv, (ἀγαπάω), beloved, esteemed, dear, favorite; (opp. to ἐχθρός, Ro. xi. 28): 6 vids μου (τοῦ Θεοῦ) ὁ ἀγαπητός, of Jesus, the Messiah, Mt. 111. 17 "Ayap fhere WH mrg. take ὁ dy. absol., connecting it with what follows]; xii. 18; xvii. 5; Mk. i. 11; ix. 7; Lk. iii. 22; ix. 35 (where Lmrg. T Tr WH ὁ ἐκλελεγμένος) ; 2 Pet. i. 17, cf. Mk. xii. 6; Lk. xx. 13; [cf. Ascensio Isa. (ed. Dillmann) vii. 23 sq.; viii. 18, 25,ete.]. dyaπητοὶ Θεοῦ [W. 194 (182 sq.) ; B. 190 (165)] is applied to Christians as being reconciled to God and judged by him to be worthy of eternal life: Ro. i. 7, οἵ. xi. 28; 1 Th. i. 4; Col. iii. 12, (Sept., Ps. lix. (Ix.) 7; evii. (eviii.) 7; exxvi. (exxvii.) 2, ἀγαπητοί σου and αὐτοῦ, of pious Israelites). But Christians, bound together by mutual love, are ἀγαπητοί also to one another (Philem. 16; 1 Tim. vi. 2); hence they are dignified with this epithet…

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Moulton & Milligan, Vocabulary of the Greek Testament from a scan

ἀγαπητός. For the use of this characteristic NT designation in the Christian papyri, see for example the address of the muchdiscussed letter of Psenosiris P Grenf II. 73 (late iii/a.p.) (= Selections, p. 117), ᾿Απόλλωνι πρεσβυτέρῳ ἀγαπητῷ ἀδελφῷ ἐν K(upl)w χαίρειν. So P Lond 417} (c. Α.1.. 346) (ΞΞ 11. p. 299, Sevectéons, Ὁ. 123), P Heid 67 (iv/a.D.) (= Selections, p. 125) α΄. The word is also found in a horoscope of A.D. 20-50 addressed to a certain Tryphon—P Oxy II. 235°, Τρύφων ἀγᾳπετέ : he may of course have been a Jew— see on the fem. T'pvpatwa below.

Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

ἀγαπητός (agapētos) — beloved.

ἀγαπ-ητός, ή, όν,

Doric dialect ἀγαπ-ᾱτός, ά, όν, that wherewith one must be content [Refs], hence of only children, μοῦνος ἐὼν ἀ.[NT+8th c.BC+]; ἀγαπητός· μονογενής, [Refs 4th c.BC+]

2. to be acquiesced in (as the least in a choice of evils), [Refs 5th c.BC+] —hence, ἀγαπητόν [ἐστι] one must be content, εἰ.., ἐάν.. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; with infinitive, [Refs]

II. of things, desirable, ἤθη[Refs 5th c.BC+]

II.2. of persons, beloved, ἀδελφὲ ἀγαπητέ[LXX]: in letters, as a term of address, [NT]

III. adverb -τῶς gladly, contentedly, [Refs 5th c.BC+]

III.2. just enough to content one, barely, scarcely, [Refs 5th c.BC+]

Strong's Greek Dictionary

ἀγαπητός

agapetos

from 25; beloved:--(dearly, well) beloved, dear.

see GREEK for 25

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

ἀγαπητός, ή, όν

Adj

loved, beloved

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

ἀγαπητός agapētos 61x

beloved, dear; worthy of love

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

ἀγαπητός verb. adj. ἀγαπάω, beloved, of an only son, Hom., Dem.

of things, worthy of love, loveable, dear, Plat., etc.

to be acquiesced in (as the least in a choice of evils), ἀγαπητόν [ἐστι] one must be content, εἰ.., ἐάν.., id. Plat., Xen., etc.

adv. -τῶς, cheerfully, contentedly, Plat., Dem., etc.

just enough to content one, only just, barely, scarcely, Plat.

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj-VPM — Adjective · vocative · plural · masculine
vocative — the one being addressed.
Agrees with anything else marked plural masculine.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

A-VPM Part of Speech: Adjective Case: Vocative Number: Plural Gender: Masculine

Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

be-luv'-ed, be-luv'-d' (agapetos): A term of affectionate endearment common to both Testaments; in the Old Testament found, 26 out of 42 times, in Solomon's So of Love. Limited chiefly to two Heb words and their derivatives: 'ahebh, "to breathe" or "long for," hence, to love, corresponding to the New Testament, agapao, "to prefer," i.e. a love based on respect and benevolent regard; dodh, "love," chiefly love between the sexes, based on sense and emotion, akin to phileo (Latin amare). Used occasionally, in their nobler sense, interchangeably, e.g. the former of a husband's love for his wife (De 21:15,16); twice of a lover (So 1:14,16), thus lifting the affection of the So of Solomon out of mere amorousness into the realm of the spiritual and possibly Messianic. Both words used of…

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
100%beloved
beloved100% · 61×

61 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 1 different way. The commonest English word for it is not its meaning — it is one translator's decision, repeated.

What it does in the sentencefrom the Nestle 1904 treebank
predicate16%subject10%object10%adverbial7%indirect object7%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 61 occurrences — a word inside a phrase counts towards whatever that phrase is doing.

The phrases it lives inwhat stands either side of it, across the New Testament
← what comes before
Article the
ἐγώΤυχικόςTychicusαἱρετίζωI choose
ἐγώ
ἀδελφόςa brotherτέκνονa child, descend
τέκνονa child, descendent,
ἐγώὡςas, like as, how
καίand, even, also, nam
πιστόςtrustworthy, faiεἰμίI am, exist
σύ
περίλανθάνωI am hidden, esc
ἀγαπητόςbeloved;61×
what comes after →
ἐγώ
ὅςΒαρναβᾶςBarnabasἐν
ἐν
ὅςσύ
καίand, even, also, nam
πιστόςtrustworthy, faiἐπιπόθητοςlonged for, missΔημᾶςDemas
ἀδελφόςa brother
καίand, even, also,ὅς
μήNeg
ξενίζωI entertain a stπᾶςall, the whole, μιμέομαιI imitate

branches are dictionary forms, so endings do not split one phrase into five; the number on a branch is how many times the New Testament takes that path

Concordanceἀγαπητός · 61× in the New Testament
Romans 1 John 2 Peter 1 Corinthians 3 John Colossians James Jude Matthew Mark Philippians 1 Peter
Across the New Testament21 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
The Hebrew behind itwhat the Septuagint translators were rendering

Counted over the 13 Old Testament verses where this Greek word stands: which Hebrew word keeps standing there too. A correspondence of verses rather than a word-by-word alignment, so read the percentage as strength of evidence, not as a claim about any single verse.

Outside the New Testamentthe same word in the Greek of its own century
Philo of Alexandria Clement of Rome Ignatius of Antioch Josephus The Shepherd of Hermas
Philo of AlexandriaAllegorical Interpretation of Genesis 1.86c. AD 40

ἀγαπητὸν οὖν ἐστιν ἀντιβῆναι καὶ μαχέσασθαι τῷ γένει τῆς ἐπιθυμίας.

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 12.302c. AD 75–95

νῦν γὰρ ἔστιν ἀνδρείως ἀγωνισαμένοις τὴν ἐλευθερίαν ἀπολαβεῖν, ἣν καὶ διʼ αὐτὴν ἅπασιν ἀγαπητὴν οὖσαν ὑμῖν ὑπὲρ ἐξουσίας τοῦ θρησκεύειν τὸ θεῖον ποθεινοτέραν εἶναι συμβέβηκεν.

Clement of RomeFirst Clement 7.1c. AD 96

Ταῦτα, ἀγαπητοί, οὐ μόνον ὑμᾶς νουθετοῦντες ἐπιστέλλομεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἑαυτοὺς ὑπομιμνήσκοντες: ἐν γὰρ τῷ αὐτῷ ἐσμὲν σκάμματι, καὶ ὁ αὐτὸς ἡμῖν ἀγὼν ἐπίκειται.

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
4th c. AD 3rd c. AD 5th c. AD 6th c. AD 7th c. AD
P.Nag Hamm. 73AD 201–AD 400

r τῷ ἀγαπητῷ ἀδελφῷ … Σανσνῶτι καὶ Ἀπο … τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ

P.Lond. 6 1914Herakleopolites bzw. KynopolitesAD 335

r,ctr τῷ ἀγαπητῷ ἀδελφῷ ἄπα Παιηοῦ καὶ Παταβεὶτ πρεσβυτέροις Καλλιστος ἐν κυρίῳ θεῷ χαίρειν. γινώσκειν ὑμᾶς θέλομεν

P.Lond. 6 1916Herakleopolites bzw. KynopolitesAD 330–AD 340

r,ctr τοῖς παναγίοις ἀγαπητοῖς καὶ γλυκυτάτοις Παιηοῦτι πρεσβυτέρῳ καὶ Διοσκόρῳ καὶ Ἱέρακι καὶ … καὶ ἄπα Σουροῦ καὶ

Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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