Quick Definition
πείθω v. I persuade, urge
Strong's Definition
a primary verb; to convince (by argument, true or false); by analogy, to pacify or conciliate (by other fair means); reflexively or passively, to assent (to evidence or authority), to rely (by inward certainty)
KJV Usage: agree, assure, believe, have confidence, be (wax) conflent, make friend, obey, persuade, trust, yield
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
verb | aor. ἔπεισα · pf. πέποιθα · plpf. ἐπεποίθειν · pf.pass. πέπεισμαι · fut.pass. πεισθήσομαι | ἀναπείθω · ἀπείθεια · ἀπειθέω · ἀπειθής · εὐπειθής · πειθαρχέω · πειθός · πειθώ · πεισμονή · πεποίθησις · πιθανολογία
33.301 · Communication · Urge, Persuade
to persuade, to convince to convince someone to believe something and to act on the basis of what is recommended
MAT 27:20 · MAT 28:14 · LUK 16:31 · LUK 20:6 · ACT 5:37 · ACT 12:20 · ACT 13:43 · ACT 14:19 · ACT 17:4 · ACT 18:4 · ACT 19:8 · ACT 19:26 · ACT 21:14 · ACT 23:21 · ACT 26:26 · ACT 26:28 · ACT 27:11 · ACT 28:23 · ACT 28:24 · 2CO 5:11 · GAL 1:10 · GAL 5:7 · PHP 1:6 · PHP 1:25 · 2TI 1:5 · 2TI 1:12 · PHM 1:21 · HEB 6:9 · HEB 13:18 · JAS 3:3
31.82 · Hold a View, Believe, Trust · Trust, Rely
to rely on, to trust in, to depend on, to have (complete) confidence in, confidence, trust to believe in something or someone to the extent of placing reliance or trust in or on In a number of languages trust or reliance is expressed idiomatically, for example, ‘to lean one’s weight on’ or ‘to hang upon’ or ‘to place oneself in the hands of.’
MAT 27:43 · LUK 11:22 · LUK 18:9 · ACT 5:36 · ACT 5:39 · ROM 2:8 · ROM 2:19 · ROM 8:38 · ROM 14:14 · ROM 15:14 · 2CO 1:9 · 2CO 2:3 · 2CO 10:7 · GAL 5:10 · PHP 1:14 · PHP 2:24 · PHP 3:3 · PHP 3:4 · 2TH 3:4 · PHM 1:21 · HEB 2:13 · 1JN 3:19
36.12 · (πείθομαι[a]) · Guide, Discipline, Follow · Obey, Disobey
to obey to submit to authority or reason by obeying
36.34 · (πείθομαι[b]) · Guide, Discipline, Follow · Follow, Be a Disciple
to be a follower of, to be a disciple of to be a disciple or follower of someone, in the sense of having put one’s confidence in a leader
31.46 · (πείθομαι[c]) · Hold a View, Believe, Trust · Believe To Be True
to be certain, to be sure, to be convinced to come to believe the certainty of something on the basis of being convinced
25.166 · Attitudes and Emotions · Courage, Boldness
Collocation: πείθω τὴν καρδίαν
to be confident, to be assured (an idiom, literally: to convince the heart) to exhibit confidence and assurance in a situation which might otherwise cause dismay or fear
1 ACT 5:36 It would be possible to understand πείθομαι in ACT 5:36 as meaning ‘those who trust in’ or ‘… rely on,’ and as such πείθομαι would then be classified along with πείθω[b] ‘to trust in,’ ‘to have complete confidence in’ (31.82). However, in ACT 5:36 the meaning seems to be much closer to that of μαθητεύω[a] and ἀκολουθέω[c] (36.31), since in ACT 5:36 the emphasis is upon the relationship of followers to Theudas rather than upon their confidence in or reliance upon him.
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
πείθω [ (fr. r. meaning ‘to bind’; allied w. πίστις, fides, foedus, ete.; Curtius § 327; Vanitek p. 592)]; impf. ἔπειGov; fut. πείσω; 1 aor. ἔπεισα ; 2 pf. πέποιθα; plupf. ἐπεmoibew (Lk. xi. 22); Pass. [or Mid., pres. πείθομαι; impf. ἐπειθόμην]; pf. πέπεισμαι; 1 aor. ἐπείσθην ; 1 fut. πεισθήcopa (Lk. xvi. 31); fr. Hom. down; 1. Active; 8. to persuade, i. e. to induce one by words to believe: absol. πείσας μετέστησεν ἱκανὸν ὄχλον, Acts xix. 26; τί, to cause belief in a thing (which one sets forth), Acts xix. 8 RGT [ef. B. 150 (131) n.] (Soph. O. C. 1442); περί w. gen. of the thing, ibid. L Tr WH; τινά, one, Acts xviii. 4; τινά τι, one of a thing, Acts xxviii. 23 Ree. (Hadt. 1, 163; Plat. apol. p. 37a., and elsewhere; [cf. B. u.s.]); τινὰ περί twos, concerning a thing, ibid. GLT Tr WH. b. as in class. Grk. fr. Hom. down, w. an ace. of a pers., to make friends of, win one’s favor, gain one’s good-will, Acts xii. 20; or to seek to win one, strive to please one, 2 Co. v.11; Gal. i. 10; to conciliate by persuasion, Mt. xxviii. 14 [here TWH om. Tr br. αὐτόν]; Acts xiv. 19; i.q. to tranquillize [A. V. assure], τὰς xapδίας ἡμῶν, 1 Jn. iii. 19. ce. to persuade unto i. 6. move or induce one by persuasion to do something : τινά foll. by an inf. [B. § 139, 46], Acts xiii. 43; xxvi. 28, (Xen. an. 1,3, 19; Polyb. 4, 64,2; Diod. 11, 15; 12, 39; Joseph. antt. 8, 10, 3); τινά foll. by ἵνα [ef. W. 338 (317); B. § 139, 46], Mt. xxvii. 20 [Plut. apoph. Alex. 21]. 2: Passive and Middle [ef. W. 253 (238)]; a. to be persuaded, to suffer one’s self to be persuaded; to be induced to believe: absol., Lk. xvi. 31; Acts xvii. 4; to have faith, Heb. xi. 13 Rec.; τινί, in a thing, Acts xxviii. 24; to believe, sc. ὅτι, Heb. xiii. 18 LT Tr WH. πέπεισμαί τι [on the neut. acc. cf. B. § 131, 10] περί τινος (gen. of pers.), to be persuaded (of) a thing concerning a person, Heb. vi. 9 [A. V. we are persuaded better things of you, ete.]; πεπεισμένος εἰμί, to have persuaded one’s self, and πείθομαι, to believe, [cf. Eng. to be persuaded], foll. by ace. νυ. inf., Lk. xx. 6; Acts xxvi. 26; πέπεισμαι ὅτι, Ro. viii. 38; 2 Tim. i. 5, 12; with ἐν κυρίῳ added (see ἐν, I.6 b.), Ro. xiv. 14; περί τινος ὅτι, Ro. xv. 14. b. to listen to, obey, yield to, comply with: τινί, one, Acts v. 36 sq. 39 (40) ; xxiii. 21; xxvii. 11; Ro. ii. 8; Gal. iii. 1 Rec.; v. 7; Heb. xiii. 17; Jas. iii. 3. 3. 2 pf. πέποιθα (Sept. mostly for nwa, also for Dn, 1}}}}} Niphal of the unused j}¥), intrans. to trust, have confidence, be confident : foll. by acc. w. inf., Ro. ii. 19; by ὅτι, Heb. xiii. 18 Ree.; by ὅτι with a preparatory αὐτὸ τοῦτο [W. § 23, 5], Phil. i. 6; τοῦτο πεποιθὼς οἶδα ὅτι, ibid. 25; πέποιθα w. a dat. of the pers. or the thing in which the confidence reposes (so in class. Grk. [on its constr. in the N. T. see B. § 133, 5; W. 214 (201); § 33, d.]): Phil. 1. 14; Philem. 21, (2 K. xviii. 20; Prov. xiv. 16; xxviii. 26; Is. xxviii. 17; Sir. xxxv. (xxxii.) 24; Sap. xiv. 29); ἑαυτῷ foll. by an inf. 2 Co. x. 7; ἔν τινι, to trust in, put confidence in a pers. or thing [cf. B. u.s.], Phil. iii. 8, 4; ἐν κυρίῳ foll. by ὅτι, Phil. ii. 24; ἐπί τινι, Mt. xxvii. 43 L txt. WH mrg.; Mk. x. 24 [where T WH om. Tr mrg. br. the cl.]; Lk. xi. 22; xviii. 9; 2 Co. 1. 9; Heb. ii. 13, (and very often in Sept., as Deut. xxviii. 52; 2 Chr. xiv. 11; Ps. ii. 13; Prov. iii. 5; Is. viii. 17; xxxi. 1); ἐπί τινα, Mt. xxvii. 43 where L txt. WH mrg. ἐπί w. dat. (Is. xxxvi. 5; Hab. ii. 18; 2 Chr. xvi. 7sq., ete.); ἐπί twa foll. by ὅτι, 2 Co. ii. 3; 2 Th. iii. 4; εἴς τινα foll. by ὅτι, Gal. v. 10. [Comp.: ἀνα-πείθω.}
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
πείθω peithō 52x
pluperfect, ἐπεποίθειν, to persuade, seek to persuade, endeavor to convince, Acts 18:4; 19:8, 26; 28:23; to persuade, influence by persuasion, Mt. 27:20; Acts 13:43; 26:28; to incite, instigate, Acts 14:19; to appease, render tranquil, to quiet, 1 Jn. 3:19; to strive to conciliate, aspire to the favor of, Gal. 1:10; to pacify, conciliate, win over, Mt. 28:14; Acts 12:20; pass. and mid. to be persuaded of, be confident of, Lk. 20:6; Rom. 8:38; Heb. 6:9; to suffer one’s self to be persuaded, yield to persuasion, to be induced, Acts 21:14; to be convinced, to believe, yield belief, Lk. 16:31; Acts 17:4; to assent, listen to, obey, follow, Acts 5:36, 37, 40; 2 perf. πέποιθα, to be assured, be confident, 2 Cor. 2:3; Phil. 1:6; Heb. 13:18; to confide in, trust, rely on, place hope and confidence in, Mt. 27:43; Mk. 10:24; Rom. 2:19
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
πείθω,
[in LXX chiefly for בּטח, its parts and derivatives;]
Active; trans., to apply persuasion ("conative" in pres.; v. M, Pr., 147), to prevail upon or win over, persuade: absol., Mt 28:14, Ac 19:26; seq. περί, c. gen. rei, Ac 19:8; c. acc. pers., Ac 12:20 14:19 18:4, II Co 5:11, Ga 1:10; τ. καρδίας ἡμῶν, I Jo 3:19; c. acc. seq. περί, Ac 28:23; c. acc. et inf., Ac 13:43 26:28 (v. Field, Notes, 141 ff.); c. acc. seq. ἵνα (Plut.), Mt 27:20.
Intrans., 2 pf. πέποιθα with pres. sense (v. M, Pr., 147, 154; Bl., § 59, 2): to trust, be confident, have confidence: c. acc. et inf., Ro 2:19; c. acc. ref. (v. Ellic., in l.) : Phl 1:6, 25; c. dat., Phl 1:14, Phm 21; ἑαυτῷ, c. inf., II Co 10:7; seq. ἐν, Phl 3:3, 4; ἐν κυρίῳ ὅτι, Phl 2:24; ἐπί, c. dat., Mt 27:43 (WH, mg.), Mk 10:24 (T, WH, R, mg., om.), Lk 11:22 18:9, II Co 1:9, He 2:13; ἐπί, c. acc., Mt 27:43 (c. dat., WH, mg.); id. seq. ὅτι, II Co 2:3, II Th 3:4 (v. Lft., Notes, 127); εἰς, c. acc. pers. seq. ὅτι, Ga 5:10.
Pass. and mid.; to be persuaded, believe (v. M, Pr., 158): absol., Lk 16:31, Ac 17:4 21:14, He 13:18; c. dat., Ac 28:24; c. acc. et inf., Ac 26:26; so also pf., πέπεισμαι, πεπεισμένος εἰμί: c. acc. ref. seq. περί, He 6:9; c. acc. et inf., Lk 20:6; ὅτι, Ro 8:38, II Ti 1:5, 12; id. c. ἐν κυρίῳ, Ro 14:14; περί, c. gen. seq. ὅτι, Ro 15:14.
to listen to, obey: c. dat. pers., Ac 5:36, 37, 40 23:21 27:11, Ro 2:8, Ga 5:7, He 13:17, Ja 3:3 (cf. ἀνα-πείθω).†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
πείθω. For the conative present ‘‘ apply persuasion,” ‘‘seek to persuade,”’ as in Ac 2678, see Proleg. p. 147. The corresponding aor. ἔπεισα is seen in P Tor I. rit 86 (ΒΟ, 116) εἴπερ ye δὴ ἐνόμιζεν ἔχειν τι δίκαιον, δι’ od δύναται τὸν κριτὴν πεῖσαι, and BGU I. 164° (ii/iii A.D.) παρακαλῶ οὖν
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
πείθω (peithō) — to persuade. πείθω, persuade, imperfect ἔπειθον [Refs 8th c.BC+]; Epic dialect and Lyric poetry πεῖθον [Refs 5th c.BC+]: future πείσω [Refs 8th c.BC+]; Epic dialect infinitive πεισέμεν [Refs]: aorist 1 ἔπεισα [Refs 8th c.BC+] has only optative πείσειε [Refs 8th c.BC+]; Aeolic dialect participle πείσαις [Refs 5th c.BC+]: aorist 2 ἔπῐθον [Refs 8th c.BC+] only in Epic dialect reduplicate forms πεπίθωμεν [Refs 8th c.BC+]: perfect πέπεικα [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—middle and passive πείθομαι, obey, [Refs 8th c.BC+], etc.: future πείσομαι[Refs], etc.: aorist 2 ἐπῐθόμην, Epic dialect πιθόμην [Refs 8th c.BC+]; subjunctive πίθωμαι [Refs 8th c.BC+]; infinitive πιθέσθαι [Refs]; participle πιθόμενος [Refs 5th c.BC+]: aorist 1 middle ἐπεισάμην [Refs 4th c.BC+] W.: future passive πεισθήσομαι [Refs 5th c.BC+]: aorist 1 ἐπείσθην [Refs 5th c.BC+]: perfect πέπεισμαι [Refs 5th c.BC+]; Thess. perfect infinitive πεπεῖστειν [Refs 3rd c.BC+]
II. intransitive tenses of active, in passive sense, perfect 2 πέποιθα [Refs 8th c.BC+]; 2nd pers. singular subjunctive πεποίθῃς [Refs 8th c.BC+]; Epic dialect 1st pers. plural πεποίθομεν (for-ωμεν) [Refs 8th c.BC+]: pluperfect ἐπεποίθειν [Refs 8th c.BC+]; 3rd.pers. plural ἐπεποίθεσαν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; Epic dialect πεποίθεα [Refs 8th c.BC+]; 1st pers. plural ἐπέπιθμεν [Refs 8th c.BC+]aorist 2 participle πιθών ={πιθόμενος}, [Refs]
III. as if from πῐθέω, [Refs 8th c.BC+] has future πῐθήσω [Refs 8th c.BC+] (obey): aorist participle πῐθήσας [Refs 8th c.BC+] (trust),[Refs 8th c.BC+]; reduplicate aorist subjunctive πεπῐθήσω transitive, [Refs 8th c.BC+]:—also Aeolic dialect πίθημι, participle πίθεις [Refs 7th c.BC+] __A active, prevail upon, persuade, usually by fair means, τινα [Refs 8th c.BC+]; πεπιθεῖν φρένας Αἰακίδαο[Refs 8th c.BC+]: with accusative person et infinitive, persuade one to..,[Refs 4th c.BC+]; π. τινὰς ὥστε δοῦναι, etc., [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ὥστε μὴ.. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; later ἵνα.. [NT+1st c.AD+]; π. τινὰς ὡς χρὴ.., ὡς ἔστι.., [Refs 5th c.BC+]; πείθω ἐμαυτόν I persuade myself, am persuaded, believe, [Refs 5th c.BC+]participle, πείσας by persuasion, by fair means, opposed to ἐν δόλῳ, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; opposed to βίᾳ, [Refs]; πόλιν πείσας having obtained the city's consent, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; μὴ πείσας unless by leave, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; πείθοντες, opposed to βίᾳ, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; π. γυναῖκα, opposed to βιάζεσθαι, [Refs]; πέπεικε, opposed to ἠνάγκακε, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: with neuter pronoun, persuade one to or of a thing, τοῦτό γε οὐκ ἔπειθε τοὺς Φωκαιέας [Refs 5th c.BC+]; μὴ πεῖθ᾽ ἃ μὴ δεῖ do not attempt to persuade me to.., [Refs 5th c.BC+]; also τοιάνδ᾽ ἔπειθε ῥῆσιν addressed them thus, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
2. prevail on by entreaty, [Refs 8th c.BC+]
II. in bad sense, talk over, mislead, ἐπεὶ οὐ παρελεύσεαι οὐδέ με πείσεις [Refs 8th c.BC+]
II.2. π. τινὰ χρήμασι bribe, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; π. ἐπὶ μισθῷ μισθῷ, [Refs 5th c.BC+] (passive, χρήμασι πεισθείς [Refs 8th c.BC+]; πείθειν τινά alone, [NT+5th c.BC+]
II.3. offood, tempt, [Refs 1st c.AD+] __B passive and middle, to be prevailed on, won over, persuaded, absolutely, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; imperative frequently in Trag., πείθου be persuaded, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; but πιθοῦ comply, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: with infinitive, to be persuaded to do, [Refs]; πείθεσθέ μοι πρύτανιν ἑλέσθαι [Refs]; also πείθεσθαί τινι ὥστε.. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ὃ.. ὑμεῖς.. ἥκιστ᾽ ἂν ὀξέως πείθοισθε (i.e. πρᾶξαι) [Refs]; ἑκὼν καὶ πεπεισμένος of one's own free will, [Refs 4th c.AD+], etc.; τὰ μὲν παρ᾽ ἡμῶν ἴσθι σοι πεπεισμένα we are won over to you, [Refs 5th c.BC+] __B.2 πείθεσθαί τινι listen to one, obey him, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; τοῖς ἐν τέλει βεβῶσι π. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τοῖς ἄρχουσι, τῷ νόμῳ, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; γήραϊ πείθεσθαι yield, succumb to old age, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; στυγερῇ πειθώμεθα δαιτί let us comply with the custom of eating, sad though the meal be, [Refs]; ἀδίκοις ἔργμασι π. [Refs 6th c.BC+] __B.2.b with adjective neuter, σημάντορι πάντα πιθέσθαι obey him in all things, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἅ τιν᾽ οὐ πείσεσθαι ὀΐω wherein I think some will not obey, [Refs 8th c.BC+] __B.3 with genitive, four times in [Refs 5th c.BC+]; κείνου.. πιθοίατο vulgar form in [Refs 8th c.BC+] __B.II πείθεσθαί τινι believe, trust in, πείθεθ᾽ ἑταίρῳ [Refs 8th c.BC+]: with accusative et infinitive, believe that.., οὐ γάρ πω ἐπείθετο ὃν πατέρ᾽ εἶναι [Refs 8th c.BC+]infinitive, π. τινὶ μὴ εἶναι χρήματα, ={ὅτι χρήματα οὐκ ἔχει}, [Refs 5th c.BC+] adjective or pronoun, τὰ περὶ Αἴγυπτον τοῖσι λέγουσι αὐτὰ π., οὐκ ἐπείθοντο τὰ ἐσαγγελθέντα[Refs 5th c.BC+]; ταῦτ᾽ ἐγώ σοι οὐ πείθομαι I do not take this on your word, [Refs 5th c.BC+] __B.II.b π. τινὰ ὅπως.. to believe of him, that.., [Refs 5th c.BC+] __B.III perfect [Refs]trust, rely on, with dative person vel of things, [Refs 8th c.BC+] (not frequently in early Prose, as αὑτῷ πεποιθέναι [Refs 5th c.BC+]: with dative et infinitive, οὔ πω χερσὶ πέποιθα ἄνδρ᾽ ἀπαμύνασθαι [Refs 8th c.BC+]infinitive only, πέποιθα τοῦτ᾽ ἐπισπάσειν κλέος I trust to win this fame, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; αἰχμήν.. μᾶλλον θεοῦ σέβειν πεποιθώς daring to.., [Refs 5th c.BC+]: rarely with accusative et infinitive, πέποιθα.. τὸν πυρφόρον ἥξειν κεραυνόν [NT+4th c.BC+]; π. εἴς τινας ὅτι.. [NT]; ἐπί τινας ὅτι.. [NT] that you may feel confidence, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; πεποιθώς in sure confidence, [LXX] __B.IV post-[Refs 8th c.BC+]perfect passive πέπεισμαι believe, trust, with dative, νεκροῖσι [Refs 5th c.BC+]infinitive, συνοίσειν ταῦτα πέπ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; πεπεισμένος ἔκ τινων λογίων persuaded by.., [NT+1st c.AD+]. (Cf. Latin fido, fides.)