Quick Definition
πιστεύω v. I believe, have faith in
Strong's Definition
from 4102; to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), i.e. credit; by implication, to entrust (especially one's spiritual well-being to Christ)
KJV Usage: believe(-r), commit (to trust), put in trust with
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
verb | ἀπιστέω · ἀπιστία · ἄπιστος · ὀλιγοπιστία · ὀλιγόπιστος · πιστικός · πίστις · πιστόομαι · πιστός
31.35 · Hold a View, Believe, Trust · Believe To Be True
to believe, to think to be true, to regard as trustworthy to believe something to be true and, hence, worthy of being trusted In a number of languages the equivalent of πιστεύω[a] is simply to think to be true or to regard as true, but in some languages an idiomatic expression is employed, for example, to think in the heart or to think in the liver or to hold in the heart.
MAT 24:23 · MAT 24:26 · MRK 11:31 · MRK 13:21 · MRK 15:32 · MRK 16:13 · MRK 16:14 · LUK 1:20 · LUK 1:45 · LUK 8:13 · LUK 20:5 · LUK 22:67 · LUK 24:25 · JHN 2:22 · JHN 3:12 · JHN 3:12 · JHN 4:21 · JHN 4:50 · JHN 5:46 · JHN 5:47 · JHN 5:47 · JHN 6:30 · JHN 8:24 · JHN 9:18 · JHN 10:25 · JHN 10:26 · JHN 11:42 · JHN 12:38 · JHN 13:19 · JHN 14:10 · JHN 14:11 · JHN 14:11 · JHN 14:29 · JHN 16:30 · JHN 16:31 · JHN 17:8 · JHN 17:21 · JHN 20:25 · JHN 20:29 · JHN 20:29 · JHN 20:31 · ACT 4:4 · ACT 9:26 · ACT 13:41 · ACT 24:14 · ACT 26:27 · ACT 26:27 · ROM 6:8 · ROM 10:9 · ROM 10:16 · 1CO 11:18 · 1CO 13:7 · 2CO 4:13 · 2CO 4:13 · 1TH 4:14 · 2TH 1:10 · 2TH 2:11 · 2TH 2:12 · HEB 11:6 · JAS 2:19 · JAS 2:19 · 1JN 4:1 · 1JN 4:16 · 1JN 5:1 · 1JN 5:5 · 1JN 5:10 · 1JN 5:10
31.85 · Hold a View, Believe, Trust · Trust, Rely
to believe in, to have confidence in, to have faith in, to trust, faith, trust to believe to the extent of complete trust and reliance In rendering πιστεύω[b] and πίστις[b] it would be wrong to select a term which would mean merely ‘reliance’ or ‘dependency’ or even ‘confidence,’ for there should also be a significant measure of ‘belief,’ since real trust, confidence, and reliance can only be placed in someone who is believed to have the qualities attributed to such a person.
MAT 8:13 · MAT 9:28 · MAT 18:6 · MAT 21:22 · MAT 21:25 · MAT 21:32 · MAT 21:32 · MAT 21:32 · MAT 27:42 · MRK 1:15 · MRK 5:36 · MRK 9:23 · MRK 9:24 · MRK 11:23 · MRK 11:24 · LUK 8:50 · JHN 2:23 · JHN 5:24 · JHN 7:5 · JHN 7:48 · JHN 8:30 · JHN 8:31 · JHN 8:45 · JHN 8:46 · JHN 10:37 · JHN 10:38 · JHN 10:38 · JHN 11:25 · JHN 11:45 · JHN 11:48 · JHN 12:11 · JHN 12:36 · JHN 12:37 · JHN 12:39 · JHN 12:42 · JHN 12:44 · JHN 12:44 · JHN 12:46 · JHN 14:1 · JHN 14:1 · JHN 14:12 · ACT 8:12 · ACT 9:42 · ACT 15:11 · ACT 16:31 · ACT 16:34 · ACT 22:19 · ACT 27:25 · ROM 4:3 · ROM 4:5 · ROM 4:11 · ROM 4:17 · ROM 4:18 · ROM 4:24 · ROM 9:33 · ROM 14:2 · 1CO 1:21 · GAL 2:16 · GAL 3:6 · 2TH 1:10 · 1TI 1:16 · 1TI 3:16 · 2TI 1:12 · HEB 4:3 · JAS 2:23 · 1PE 1:8 · 1PE 2:6 · 1JN 3:23 · 1JN 5:13 · JUD 1:5
31.102 · Hold a View, Believe, Trust · Be a Believer, Christian Faith
to be a believer, to be a Christian, Christian faith to believe in the good news about Jesus Christ and to become a follower
MRK 9:42 · MRK 16:16 · MRK 16:17 · LUK 8:12 · JHN 1:7 · JHN 1:12 · JHN 1:50 · JHN 2:11 · JHN 3:15 · JHN 3:16 · JHN 3:18 · JHN 3:18 · JHN 3:18 · JHN 3:36 · JHN 4:39 · JHN 4:41 · JHN 4:42 · JHN 4:48 · JHN 4:53 · JHN 5:38 · JHN 5:44 · JHN 5:46 · JHN 6:29 · JHN 6:35 · JHN 6:36 · JHN 6:40 · JHN 6:47 · JHN 6:64 · JHN 6:64 · JHN 6:69 · JHN 7:31 · JHN 7:38 · JHN 7:39 · JHN 9:35 · JHN 9:36 · JHN 9:38 · JHN 10:26 · JHN 10:42 · JHN 11:15 · JHN 11:26 · JHN 11:26 · JHN 11:27 · JHN 11:40 · JHN 16:9 · JHN 16:27 · JHN 17:20 · JHN 20:8 · ACT 2:44 · ACT 4:4 · ACT 4:32 · ACT 5:14 · ACT 8:13 · ACT 10:43 · ACT 11:17 · ACT 11:21 · ACT 13:12 · ACT 13:39 · ACT 13:48 · ACT 14:1 · ACT 14:23 · ACT 15:5 · ACT 15:7 · ACT 15:11 · ACT 17:12 · ACT 17:34 · ACT 18:8 · ACT 18:8 · ACT 18:27 · ACT 19:2 · ACT 19:4 · ACT 19:18 · ACT 21:20 · ACT 21:25 · ROM 1:16 · ROM 3:22 · ROM 10:4 · ROM 10:10 · ROM 10:11 · ROM 10:14 · ROM 10:14 · ROM 13:11 · ROM 15:13 · 1CO 1:21 · 1CO 3:5 · 1CO 14:22 · 1CO 14:22 · 1CO 15:2 · 1CO 15:11 · GAL 3:22 · EPH 1:13 · EPH 1:19 · PHP 1:29 · 1TH 1:7 · 1TH 2:10 · 1TH 2:13 · TIT 3:8 · HEB 4:3 · 1PE 2:7 · 1JN 5:10
35.50 · Help, Care For · Entrust To the Care Of
to entrust to, to put into the care of to entrust something to the care of someone In some languages it may be possible to render this expression in ROM 3:2 as ‘because God gave his message to them to take care of’ or ‘... to keep,’ but one should avoid the implication that the message was simply to be kept by the Jews for themselves.
LUK 16:11 · JHN 2:24 · ROM 3:2 · 1CO 9:17 · GAL 2:7 · 1TH 2:4 · 1TI 1:11 · TIT 1:3
1 πιστεύω[a] differs from φρονέω[c], κρίνω[d], λογίζομαι[c], ἡγέομαι[a], and ἔχω[c] to hold a view (31.1) because of the added component of trustworthiness. There is also a greater certainty in πιστεύω[a] than in οἶμαι, νομίζω, δοκὲω[a] and ὑπολαμβάνω[d] to suppose (31.29), and though for certain contexts there may be a somewhat less degree of certainty than in the case of γινώσκω[a] and οἶδα[a] to know (28.1), there is the component of confidence and trustworthiness which is a focal element in this subdomain. πιστεύω[a] in the sense of believing information differs from πιστεύω[b] and πίστις[b] to trust or rely on (31.85). There is also a contrast with πιστεύω[c] and πίστις[d] (31.102), which are essentially equivalent in meaning to becoming a Christian, since the belief and trust is specifically in salvation through Jesus Christ with the resulting new relationship to God.
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
πιστεύω ; impf. ἐπίστευον; fut. πιστεύσω; 1 aor. ἐπίστευσα: pf. πεπίστευκα; plupf. (without augm., cf. W. § 12, 9; [B. 33 (29)]) πεπιστεύκειν (Acts xiv. 23); Pass., pf. πεπίστευμαι; 1 aor. ἐπιστεύθην; (πιστός); Sept. for 87; in class. Grk. fr. Aeschyl., Soph., Eur., Thue. down; to believe, i.e. 1. intrans. to think to be true; to be persuaded of; to credit, place confidence in; a. uniy.: the thing believed being evident from the preceding context, Mt. xxiv. 23, [26]; Mk. xiii. 21; 1 Co. xi. 18; ν΄. an ace. of the thing, Acts xiii. 41 (LT Tr WH ὅ for Ree. 8); to credit, have confidence, foll. by ὅτι, Acts ix. 26; τινί, to believe one’s words, Mk. xvi. 13sq.; 1 Jn.iv. 1; τινὶ ore, Jn. iv. 21; τῷ ψεύδει, 2 Th. fi. 115 περί τινος, ὅτι, Jn. ix. 18. b. spec., in a moral and religious reference, πιστεύειν is used in the N. T. of tha conviction and trust to which a man is impelled by a Comp.: ἀνα-, ἀντι-, ἀπο-, €k-, ἐν-, ἐπι-») κατα-» certain inner and higher prerogative and law of his soul; thus it stands a. 8050]. to trust in Jesus or in God as able to aid either in obtaining or in doing something: Mt. viii. 13; xxi. 22; Mk. v. 36; ix. 23sq.; Lk. viii. 50; Jn. xi. 40; foll. by ὅτι, Mt. ix. 28; Mk. xi. 23; [Heb. xi. 6]; τῷ λόγῳ, ᾧ (ὃν) εἶπεν ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς, In. iv. 50. β. of the credence given to God’s messengers and their words, w. a dat. of the person or thing: Maicei, Jn. vy. 46. to the prophets, Jn. xii. 38; Acts xxiv. 14; xxvi. 27; Ro. x. 16; ἐπὶ πᾶσιν ois ἐλάλησαν οἱ προφῆται, to place reliance on etc. Lk. xxiv. 25. to an angel, Lk.i. 20; foll. by ὅτι, ibid. 45. to John the Baptist, Mt. xxi. 25 (26), 32; Mk. xi. 31; Lk. xx.5. to Christ’s words, Jn. iii. 12; v. 38, 46 sq.; vi. 30; viii. 45 sq.; x. [37], 88"; τοῖς ἔργοις of Christ, ibid. 38°. to the teachings of evangelists and apostles, Acts viii. 12; τῇ ἀληθείᾳ, 2 Th. ii. 12; ἐπιστεύθη τὸ μαρτύριον, the testimony was believed, 2Th.i. 10 [ef. W. § 39,1 a.; B. 175 (152) ]; τῇ γραφῇ; Jnii. 22. ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ, to put faith in the gospel, Mx. i. 15 [B. 174 (151 sq.) ; ef. W. 213 (200 sq.)] (Ignat. ad Philad. 8, 2 [(but see Zahn’s note) ; cf. Jn. iii. 15 in y. below]). y- used especially of the faith by which a man embraces Jesus, i.e. a conviction, full of joyful trust, that Jesus is the Messiah—the divinely appointed author of eternal salvation in the kingdom of God, conjoined with obedience to Christ: mor. τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ εἶναι Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν, Acts viii. 37 Rec.; ἐπιστεύθη (was believed on [cf. W. § 39, 1a.; B. 175 (152) ]) ἐν κόσμῳ, 1 Tim. iii. 16. the phrase πιστεύειν εἰς τὸν ᾿Ιησοῦν, εἰς τ. υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ, etc., is very common; prop. to have a faith directed unto, believing or in faith to give one’s self up to, Jesus, ete. (ef. W. 213 (200 sq.) ; [B. 174 (151)]): Mt. xviii. 6; Mk. ix. 42 [RGL Tr txt.]; Jn. 11. 11; iii. 15 RG, 16, 18, 36; vi. 29, 35, 40, 47 [RGL]; vii. δ, [38], 39, 48; viii. 80; ix. 35 sq.; x. 42; xi. 25 sq. 45,48; xii. 11, 37, 42, 44, [46]; xiv. 1,12; xvi.9; xvii. 20; Acts x. 43; xix.4; Ro. x. 14; Gal. ii.16; Phil. i. 29; 1 Jn. v. 10; 1 Pet. i. 8; εἰς τὸ φῶς, In. xii. 36; εἰς τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ, Jn. 1. 12; ii. 23; iii, 18; 1Jn. v.13}; τῷ ὀνόμ. αὐτοῦ, to commit one’s self trustfully to the name (see ὄνομα, 2 p. 448"), 1 Jn. iii. 23; ἐπ᾽ αὐτόν. ἐπὶ τὸν κύριον, to have a faith directed towards, etc. (see ἐπί, C. I. 2g. a. p. 235
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
πιστεύω pisteuō 241x
pluperfect, πεπιστεύκειν, to believe, give credit to, Mk. 1:15; 16:13; Lk. 24:25; intrans. to believe, have a mental persuasion, Mt. 8:13; 9:28; Jas. 2:19; to believe, be of opinion, Rom. 14:2; in NT πιστεύειν ἐν, εἰς, ἐπί, to believe in or on, Mt. 18:6; 27:42; Jn. 3:15, 16, 18; absol. to believe, be a believer, Acts 2:44; 4:4, 32; 13:48; trans. to intrust, commit to the charge or power of, Lk. 16:11; Jn. 2:24; pass. to be intrusted with, Rom. 3:2; 1 Cor. 9:17
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
πιστεύω,
[in LXX chiefly for אמן hi.;]
intrans., to have faith (in), to believe; in cl., c. acc., dat., in NT also c. prep. (on the significance of the various constructions, v. M, Pr., 67 f.; Vau. on Ro 4:5; Ellic. on I Ti 1:16; Abbott, JV, 19-80): absol., Mt 24:23, 26, Mk 13:21, I Co 11:18; c. acc. rei, Ac 13:41, I Co 13:7; c. dat. pers. (to believe what one says), Mk 16:[13, 14], I Jo 4:1; τ. ψεύδει, II Th 2:11; περί . . . ὅτι, Jo 9:18; esp. and most freq. with reference to religious belief: absol., Mt 8:13, Mk 5:36, Lk 8:50, Jo 11:40, al.; seq. ὅτι, Mt 9:28, al.; c. dat. (v. supr., and cf. DB, i, 829a), Jo 3:12 5:24 6:30 8:31, Ac 16:34, Ga 3:6(LXX), II Ti 1:12, I Jo 5:10, al.; c. prep., (expressing personal trust and reliance as distinct from mere credence or belief; v. M, Pr., 67 f.; DB, i, 829b), to believe in or on: ἐν (Ps 77 (78):22, al.), Mk 1:15 (v. Swete, in l.); εἰς, Mt 18:6, Jo 2:11 (v. Westc., in l.), and freq., Ac 10:43 19:4, Ro 10:14, Ga 2:16, Phl 1:29, I Jo 5:10, I Pe 1:8; εἰς τ. ὄνομα (v.s. ὄνομα, Jo 1:12 2:23 3:18, I Jo 5:13; ἐπί, c. acc., Mt 27:42, Ac 9:42 11:17 16:31 22:19, Ro 4:5; ἐπί, c. dat., Ro 9:33(LXX) 10:11(LXX), I Ti 1:16, I Pe 2:6(LXX); ptcp. pres., οἱ π., as subst., Ac 2:44, Ro 3:22, I Co 1:21, al.; aor., Mk 16:[16], Ac 4:32; pf., Ac 19:18 21:20 (on Johannine use of the tenses of π., v. Westc, Epp. Jo., 120).
Trans., to entrust: c. acc. et dat., Lk 16:11, Jo 2:24; pass., to be entrusted with: c. acc., Ro 3:2, I Co 9:17, Ga 2:7, I Th 2:4 (v. Lft., Notes, 21 f.), I Ti 1:11, Tit 1:3.
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
πιστεύω. The different constructions of πιστεύω in the NT are fully discussed by Moulton Pro/eg. pp. 67 f., 235 : see also Abbott Joh. Voc. p. 19 ff., and for the possibility that πιστεύω in Acts need not imply belief of a permanently religious character see Ramsay Teaching p. 445ff., and Recent Discovery p. 164 ff. For πιστεύω (a) c. dat. pers. cf. P Par 63110 (B.c. 164) (= P Petr III. p. 28) ols οὐδὲ βουλόμενοι προσῖναι πρὸς τὴν γεωργίαν π[ιστ]εύ[σει7ε ἄν τις, ‘“ whom no one would trust, , TLOTLKOS even if they were willing to do the work ’’ (Mahaffy), P Oxy VI. 898?% (A.D. 123) οὐ πιστεύοντος οὔτε αὐτῇ οὐδὲ τῆι ἡλικίᾳ μου, ‘distrusting both her and my own youth” (Edd.), BGU III. τοι εἴ: 13 (ii/a.D.) κἄν τί σοι προσπίπτηι περὶ τῶν ἐναντίων, ὧι πιστεύσειεν ἄ[ν] τις, διασάφει, and P Tebt II. 418! (iii/a.p.) οὐδενὶ ἐπίστευσα [ὥ]στε αὐτῇ κομίσαι, “1 have trusted no one to take it to her”: (Ὁ) c. acc. of thing, cf. PSI V. 49424 (B.c. 258-7) μηθὲν πίστευε ὧν λέγει, and P Par 4779 (c. B.C. 152-1) (= UPZi. p. 332, Selections, p. 23) πιστεύοντες τὰ ἐνύπνια : and (c) for the acc. and dat. we may cite the formula of manumission Sy// 8457 (Delphi—s.c. 200-199) τὰν δὲ ὠνὰν ἐπίστευσε Νίκαια τῶι ᾿Απόλλωνι ἐπ᾽ ἐλευθερίαι, “‘the purchase, however, Nicaea hath committed unto Apollo, for freedom ” (see Deissmann LAE, p. 327). Πιστεύω is followed by acc. and inf. in P Tebt II. 314° (ii/A.D.) πιστεύω σε μὴ ἀγνοεῖν ὅσον κάμ[α]τον ἤνεγκα, “I believe that you are aware how much trouble I had” (Edd.), and by ὅτι in P Lond 897! (a.p. 84) (= UI. p. 207 as amended Berichtigungen, p. 288) κέκρικα yap νὴ τοὺς θεοὺς ἐν ᾿Αλεξανδρείᾳ ἐπιμένειν" πιστεύωι yap ὅτι δυνηθήσομαι ζῆν, ὃ μέντοι γε οὐ θέλω. For the pass. cf. P Oxy IIT. 52823 (ii/a.p.) ἥ(ΞΞ Ὧνα μηκέτι [[Φ]]πιστευθῶ pov τὴν ἐνβολ[ήν, “that I may no longer be believed with regard to my embarkation (?),’’ and τό. IX. 1223°8 (late iv/A.D.) οὐκέτι πιστευόμεθα, ἐὰν μὴ εὐγνωμονήσωμεν, "1 am no longer trusted, unless I behave fairly ” (Ed.). With the Pauline use = ‘‘am entrusted with” the Gospel etc. (1 Thess 2, Gal 27, 1 Cor 9!?, 1 Tim 111) Deissmann (LAE, p. 379) compares the designation of the Imperial secretary for Greek correspondence—tagw τὴν ἐπὶ τῶν “Ἑλληνικῶν ἐπιστολῶν πεπιστευμένος (Jos. Ant. XX. 183 (viii. 9)). See also BGU IV. 1159}° (time of Augustus) πεπιστευνόμον. Of πιστεύομαι c. gen. as occasionally in late Greek (e.g. Polyb. vi. 56. 13 πιστευθεὶς ταλάντου) there is no instance in the NT.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
πιστεύω (pisteuō) — to trust (in). πιστ-εύω, future -εύσω: pluperfect πεπιστεύκειν [NT]: (πίστις):—trust, put faith in, rely on a person, thing, or statement, τινι [Refs 5th c.BC+]; [σημείοις] [Refs 5th c.BC+] adjective or pronoun, λόγοις ἐμοῖσι πίστευσον τάδε believe my words herein, [NT+5th c.BC+]; εἰς τὸ ὄνομά τινος[NT]: absolutely, believe, περὶ μὲν τούτου.. οὔτε ἀπιστέω οὔτε ὦν π. τι λίην [Refs 5th c.BC+]; χαλεπὰ παντὶ ἑξῆς τεκμηρίῳ πιστεῦσαι although it is hard to believe every single bit of evidence about them, [Refs 5th c.BC+] entertain a confident opinion, [Refs]:—passive, to be trusted or believed, ἄνδρες ἄξιοι πιστεύεσθαι [Refs 5th c.BC+]; πιστευθῆναι ὑπό τινος enjoy his confidence,[Refs 4th c.BC+]; ὡς πιστευθησόμενος as if he would be believed, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; πιστεύονται [οἱ λόγοι] [Refs]; ἐπιστεύοντο ἃ ἔλεγον they were believed in what they said, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; πρόγνωσιν ἐπεπίστευντο were believed to possess foreknowledge, [Refs 1st c.AD+]
2. comply, ὡς οὐχ ὑπείξων οὐδὲ πιστεύσων λέγει; [Refs 5th c.BC+]; opposed to ἀπιστέω, [Refs]
3. with infinitive, believe that, feel confident that a thing is, will be, has been, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; π. ὡς.., ὅτι.., [Refs 5th c.BC+]infinitive is sometimes omitted, τὰ μὲν οὐ πιστεύουσιν οἱ νέοι (i.e. εἶναι or γεγονέναι) [Refs]:—passive, παρὰ Διὸς.. οἱ νόμοι πεπιστευμένοι ἦσαν γεγονέναι [Refs 5th c.BC+]; πιστευθεὶς ἀληθεύσειν believed sure to.., [Refs 5th c.BC+]: without infinitive, πιστευθείσης εἱμαρμένης αἴρεται πᾶσα νουθεσία [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
4. with dative et infinitive, τοῖσι ἐπίστευε σιγᾶν to whom he trusted that they would keep silence, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
5. have faith, [NT]
II. π. τινί τι entrust something to another, τινὶ ἡγεμονίαν, χρήματα, [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—middle, have entrusted to one, ἀρχήν Berichte der russ. Akad. fuür Gesch. der materiellen Kultur [Refs 2nd c.AD+] —passive, πιστεύεσθαί τι to be entrusted with a thing, have it committed to one, παρά or ὑπό τινος, [Refs 3rd c.BC+]: with infinitive, πιστευθέντας τοῖς ἐχθροῖς διαφθείρειν [Refs 4th c.BC+]: with genitive, πιστευθεὶς τῆς Κύπρου [Refs 2nd c.BC+]