Lexical Summary eidó: To see, to know, to perceive, to be aware Original Word: εἴδω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance be aware, behold, consider, perceiveA primary verb; used only in certain past tenses, the others being borrowed from the equivalent optanomai and horao; properly, to see (literally or figuratively); by implication, (in the perfect tense only) to know -- be aware, behold, X can (+ not tell), consider, (have) know(-ledge), look (on), perceive, see, be sure, tell, understand, wish, wot. Compare optanomai. see GREEK optanomai see GREEK horao see GREEK optanomai HELPS Word-studies 1492 eídō (oida) – properly, to see with physical eyes (cf. Ro 1:11), as it naturally bridges to the metaphorical sense: perceiving ("mentally seeing"). This is akin to the expressions: "I see what You mean"; "I see what you are saying." 1492 /eídō ("seeing that becomes knowing") then is a gateway to grasp spiritual truth (reality) from a physical plane. 1492 (eídō) then is physical seeing (sight) which should be the constant bridge to mental and spiritual seeing (comprehension). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originsee eidon and oida. Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 1492: εἰδῶεἰδῶ, ἴδω, Latinvideo (Sanskritvid, perfectveda know,vind-a-mi find, (cf. Vedas); Curtius, § 282), an obsolete form of the present tense, the place of which is supplied by ὁράω. The tenses coming from εἰδῶ and retained by usage form two families, of which one signifies to see, the other to know. I. 2 aorist εἶδον, the common form, with the term. of the 1 aorist (see references under the word ἀπέρχομαι, at the beginning) ἐιδα, Revelation 17:3 L, 6 L T Tr; 1 person plural εἴδαμεν, L T Tr WH in Acts 4:20; Mark 2:12; Tr WH in Matthew 25:37; WH in Matthew 25:38; Mark 9:38; Luke 9:49; 3 person plural εἶδαν, T WH in Luke 9:32; Tr WH in Luke 10:24; Acts 6:15; Acts 28:4; T Tr WH in Mark 6:50; L T Tr WH in John 1:39 (40); Acts 9:35; Acts 12:16; WH in Mark 6:33; add ἰδαν Tdf. in Matthew 13:17; Luke 10:24; ἴδον (an epic form, cf. Matthiae, i., p. 564; (Veitch, p. 215); very frequent in the Sept. and in 1 Macc., cf. Grimm on 1 Macc., p. 54; on the frequent interchange of ἴδον and ἴδον in manuscripts, cf. Jacobs ad Achilles Tatius 2, 24; (WHs Appendix, pp. 162, 164; Tdf. the Sept. Proleg., p. ix.; N. T. Proleg., p. 89; Buttmann, 39 (34))), Tdf. in Revelation 4:1; Revelation 6:1, 2, 5, 8, 9, 12; Revelation 7:1, etc.; 3 person singular ἰδεν, Tdf. in Luke 5:2; Revelation 1:2; 2 person plural ἴδετε, Philippians 1:30 Rec.; 3 person plural ἴδον, Tdf. in (Luke 2:20); John 19:6; subjunctive ἴδω; imperative ἴδε (Attic ἴδε cf. Winers Grammar, § G, 1 a.; (Buttmann, 62 (54); Göttling, Accentl. 52)) (2 person plural ἴδετε, John 1:39-40R G L); infinitive ἰδεῖν; participle ἰδών; (the Sept. mostly for רָאָה sometimes for חָזָה and יָדַע ); to see (have seen), be seeing (saw), i. e. 1. to perceive (with the eyes; Latinconspicere, German erblicken); a. universally, τινα or τί: Matthew 2:2; Matthew 4:16; Matthew 14:14; Matthew 28:6; Mark 1:10, 16; Mark 2:14; Luke 5:26; Luke 7:22; John 1:47f ( b. with the accusative of a person or a thing, and a participle (cf. Winer's Grammar, § 45, 4 a.): Matthew 3:7, 16; Matthew 8:14; Mark 1:16; Mark 6:33; Luke 9:49; Luke 21:2; John 1:33, 47f ( c. followed by ὅτι: Mark 2:16 L T Tr WH; d. followed by an indirect question with the indicative: with τίς, Luke 19:3; with τί, Mark 5:14; with πηλίκος, Galatians 6:11. e. ἔρχου καί ἴδε, a formula of invitation, the use of which leaves the object of the seeing to be inferred by the hearers from the matter under consideration: John 11:34 ( f. ἰδεῖν used absolutely and πιστεύειν are contrasted in John 20:29. 2. like the Latinvideo, to perceive by any of the senses: Matthew 27:54; Mark 15:39; Luke 17:15. 3. universally, to perceive, notice, discern, discover: τήν πίστιν αὐτῶν, Matthew 9:2; τάς ἐνθυμήσεις αὐτῶν, Matthew 9:4 (where L Tr WH text εἰδώς for ἰδών); τόν διαλογισμόν τῆς καρδίας αὐτῶν, Luke 9:47 (T WH text Tr marginal reading εἰδώς); ἴδε with the accusative of the thing, Romans 11:22; followed by ὅτι, Matthew 27:3, 24; Acts 12:3; Acts 14:9; Acts 16:19; Galatians 2:7, 14; ἴδε, ὅτι, John 7:52; ἰδεῖν τινα, ὅτι, Mark 12:34 (Tr brackets the accusative). 4. to see, i. e. to turn the eyes, the mind, the attention to anything; a. to pay attention, observe: followed by εἰ intertog. Matthew 27:49; by ποταπός, 1 John 3:1. b. περί τίνος (cf. Latinvidere de allqua re), to see about something (A. V. to consider of), i. e. to ascertain what must be done about it, Acts 15:6. c. to inspect, examine: τί, Luke 14:18. d. τινα, to look at, behold: John 21:21; Mark 8:33. 5. to experience, τί, any state or condition (cf. Winer's Grammar, 17): as τόν θάνατον, Luke 2:26; Hebrews 11:5 (Josephus, Antiquities 9, 2, 2 (οἶδεν) cf. John 8:51 (Psalm 88:49 6. with the accusative of person to see i. e. have an interview with, to visit: Luke 8:20; John 12:21; Acts 16:40; Acts 28:20; Romans 1:11; 1 Corinthians 16:7; Philippians 1:27; 1 Thessalonians 3:6; 2 Timothy 1:4; 3 John 1:14; τό πρόσωπον τίνος: 1 Thessalonians 2:17; 1 Thessalonians 3:10 (Lucian, dial. d. 24, 2 (cf. Rutherford on Babrius 11, 9)); with an accusative of place, to visit, go to: Acts 19:21. (Synonyms: 'When εἶδον, ἰδεῖν are called momentary preterites, it must not be supposed that thereby a quickly-past action is designated; these forms merely present the action without reference to its duration ... The unaugmented moods, too, are not exclusively past, but present or future as well — the last most decidedly in the imperative. Now it is obvious that when a perception is stated without regard to its duration, its form or mode cannot have prominence; hence ἰδεῖν is much less physical than ὁρᾶν. ἰδεῖν denotes to perceive with the eyes; ὁρᾶν (which see), on the other hand, to see, i. e. it marks the use and action of the eye as the principal thing. Perception as denoted by ἰδέαν when conceived of as completed, permits the sensuous element to be forgotten and abides merely as an activity of the soul; for οἶδα, εἰδέναι, signifies not to have seen, but to know Schmidt, chapter 11. Compare: ἀπεῖδον, ἐπεῖδόν, προεῖδον, συνεῖδον εἶδον) II. 2 perfect οἶδα, οἶδας (1 Corinthians 7:16; John 21:15, for the more common οἶσθα, οἴδαμεν (for ἰσμεν, more common in Greek), οἴδατε (ἴστε, the more usual classic form, is found only in Ephesians 5:5 G L T Tr WH and Hebrews 12:17 (probably also in James 1:19 according to the reading of L T Tr WH; but see below)), ὀισασι (and once the Attic ἴσασι, Acts 26:4), imperative ἴστε, once, James 1:19 L T Tr WH (but see above), subjunctive εἰδῶ, infinitive εἰδέναι, participle εἰδώς, εἰδυῖα (Mark 5:33; Acts 5:7); pluperfect ᾔδειν, 2 person everywhere ᾔδεις, 3 person ᾔδει, plural 2 person ᾔδειτε, 3 person ᾔδεισαν (for the more common ἠδεσαν (Veitch, p. 218; Buttmann, 43 (38))); future ἐιδήσω (Hebrews 8:11); cf. Winers Grammar, 84 (81); Buttmann, 51 (44); the Sept. chiefly for ψααδα>; like the Latinnovi it has the signification of a present to know, understand; and the pluperfect the significance of an imperfect; (cf. Winer's Grammar, 274 (257)). 1. to know: with the accusative of the thing, Matthew 25:13; Mark 10:19; John 10:4; John 13:17; John 14:4; Acts 5:7; Romans 7:7; 1 Corinthians 2:2; Revelation 2:2, 9, etc.; τοῦτο (Rec.; others have πάντα) followed by ὅτι, etc. Jude 1:5; with the accusative of person, Matthew 26:72, 74; John 1:31; John 6:42; Acts 3:16; 2 Corinthians 5:16, etc.; τόν Θεόν, Titus 1:16, cf. John 8:19; John 15:21; Gentiles are called οἱ μή εἰδότες τόν Θεόν in 1 Thessalonians 4:5; 2 Thessalonians 1:8, cf. Galatians 4:8; the predicate of the person is added (as often in Attic), εἰδώς αὐτόν ἄνδρα δίκαιον, namely, ὄντα, Mark 6:20 (Buttmann, 304 (261)); in the form of a participle 2 Corinthians 12:2. to an accusative of the object by attraction (Winers Grammar, § 66, 5 a.; Buttmann, 377 (323)) an epexegetical clause is added (cf. especially Buttmann, 301 (258)), with ὅτι, 1 Corinthians 16:15; 2 Corinthians 12:3; Acts 16:3; or an indirect question (Buttmann, 250f (215f)), Mark 1:24; Luke 4:34; Luke 13:25, 27; John 7:27; John 9:29. εἰδέναι is used with the accusative and infinitive in Luke 4:41; 1 Peter 5:9; followed by ὅτι, Matthew 9:6; John 19:35; Acts 2:30; Romans 5:3, and very often; οἴδαμεν Pollux by ὅτι is not infrequently, so far as the sense is concerned, equivalent to it is well known, acknowledged: Matthew 22:16; Luke 20:21; John 3:2; John 9:31; Romans 2:2; Romans 3:19; Romans 7:14; Romans 8:22, 28; 2 Corinthians 5:1; 1 Timothy 1:8; 1 John 3:2; 1 John 5:20; cf. Lightfoot (in his Horae Hebrew et Talm.) and Baumg.-Crusius on John 3:2. frequent, especially in Paul, is the interrogative formula οὐκ οἴδατε and ἤ οὐκ οἴδατε ὅτι, by which something well known is commended to one for his thoughtful consideration: Romans 11:2; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 1 Corinthians 5:6; 1 Corinthians 6:2f, 9, 15f, 19; 1 Corinthians 9:13, 24; οὐκ οἴδατε followed by an indirect question. Luke 9:55 (Rec.); οὐκ οἶδας ὅτι, John 19:10; οὐκ ᾔδειτε, Luke 2:49; εἰδέναι followed by an indirect question. (cf. Buttmann, as above], Matthew 26:70; John 9:21, 25, 30; John 14:5; John 20:13; 1 Corinthians 1:16; 1 Corinthians 7:16; 2 Corinthians 12:2; Romans 8:26; Ephesians 6:21; 1 Timothy 3:15, and very often. 2. to know, i. e. get knowledge of, understand, perceive; a. any fact: as, τάς ἐνθυμήσεις, Matthew 12:25; τήν ὑπόκρισιν, Mark 12:15; τούς διαλογισμούς αὐτῶν, Luke 6:8; Luke 11:17; with the addition of ἐν ἑαυτῷ followed by ὅτι, John 6:61. b. the force and meaning of something, which has a definite meaning: 1 Corinthians 2:11f; τήν παραβολήν, Mark 4:13; μυστήρια, 1 Corinthians 13:2; followed by an indirect question. Ephesians 1:18. c. as in classical Greek, followed by an infinitive in the sense of to know how (Latincalleo, to be skilled in): Matthew 7:11; Luke 11:13; Luke 12:56; Philippians 4:12; 1 Thessalonians 4:4; 1 Timothy 3:5; James 4:17; 2 Peter 2:9; ὡς οἴδατε, namely, ἀσφαλίσασθαι, Matthew 27:65. 3. Hebraistically, εἰδέναι τινα to have regard for one, cherish, pay attention to: 1 Thessalonians 5:12 (the Sept. Genesis 39:6 for יָדַע ). (Synonym: see γινώσκω.) STRONGS NT 1492: οἶδαοἶδα, see εἰδῶ, II., p. 174. Topical Lexicon Overview of UsageThe verb οἶδα and its cognates occur 319 times in the Greek New Testament, permeating narrative, didactic, and apocalyptic passages. It appears most densely in John’s Gospel and 1 John, but every New Testament writer employs it. The word marks intuitive, settled knowledge—facts already grasped, truths decisively perceived—rather than knowledge still being acquired. Its breadth covers divine omniscience, Christ’s messianic awareness, apostolic certainty, moral accountability, and the believer’s assurance. Old Testament and Intertestamental Background In the Septuagint οἶδα often translates יָדַע (yadaʿ), linking New Testament usage to the Hebrew idea of covenantal “knowing,” which includes relationship and obedience (Genesis 18:19; Amos 3:2). Early Jewish writings retained this relational nuance. New Testament authors therefore inherit a term that unites cognitive perception with covenant fidelity. Divine Omniscience Scripture frequently places οἶδα on the lips of Jesus to declare the omniscience of the Father: • “Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him” (Matthew 6:8). Revelation echoes the refrain seven times—“I know your deeds” (Revelation 2:2; 2:9; 2:19; 3:1; 3:8; 3:15)—affirming the Risen Christ’s searching gaze upon His churches. The verb thereby grounds the doctrine of God’s exhaustive knowledge of all creation and His people. Christ’s Messianic Self-Awareness Jesus employs οἶδα to testify to His origin, mission, and the Father’s will: • “I know where I came from and where I am going” (John 8:14). Such statements affirm the Son’s pre-incarnate fellowship with the Father and His conscious fulfillment of redemption history (John 13:1–3; 18:4; 19:28). The Gospels contrast this with the crowd’s ignorance, sharpening the call to faith. Apostolic Certainty in Proclamation Paul’s letters repeatedly hinge ethical and doctrinal exhortation on shared knowledge: • “We know that our old self was crucified with Him” (Romans 6:6). These uses express truths already taught and received, converting theology into settled conviction. Experiential Knowledge and Discipleship John links knowledge to fellowship and obedience: • “You know Him because He remains with you and will be in you” (John 14:17). Discipleship therefore flows from experiential acknowledgment of Christ, confirmed by a life of loving obedience. Assurance of Salvation 1 John builds a chain of “we know” formulas (1 John 3:14; 5:15, 18–20) offering pastoral certainty: • “I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). Assurance rests not on subjective feeling alone but on objective revelation grasped by οἶδα. Moral Accountability Knowledge intensifies responsibility. Jesus’ parable in Luke 12:47–48 distinguishes servants who “knew” their master’s will from those who did not. James warns, “If anyone, then, knows the good he ought to do and does not do it, he is guilty of sin” (James 4:17). The verb thus frames sin as willful violation of known light. Eschatological Tension: Knowing and Not Knowing Believers are exhorted to live alert precisely because certain times remain hidden: “You do not know on what day your Lord will come” (Matthew 24:42) and “Of that day or hour no one knows” (Mark 13:32). Yet Paul can state, “You yourselves know full well that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night” (1 Thessalonians 5:2). The Church holds revealed certainty of Christ’s return while lacking its timetable, fostering vigilance and hope. Contrast with Ignorance and Unbelief Repeated denials—“I do not know the man” (Matthew 26:70) or the Jewish leaders’ “We do not know where He is from” (John 9:29)—underscore spiritual blindness. Unbelief is not merely absence of data but rejection of available light. Interplay with ἐπιγινώσκω (ginosko) Where ἐπιγινώσκω often signifies progressive learning, οἶδα denotes immediate perception. In John 14:7 both verbs appear: “If you had known Me [ἐγνώκειτέ με], you would know [ᾔδειτε] My Father also.” The distinction enriches doctrine: saving faith entails decisive insight grounded in progressive relationship. Historical and Theological Reflection The early Church Fathers employed οἶδα texts to defend orthodox Christology (Ignatius, Irenaeus) and soteriology (Augustine on assurance). Reformation expositors (Luther on Romans, Calvin on 1 John) appealed to its certainty to oppose skepticism. English translations—Tyndale’s “wot,” Geneva’s “know”—kept the nuance of settled conviction. Ministry Implications 1. Preaching: Proclaim objective truths believers are to “know,” shaping worldview and conduct (Romans 6:9; 1 Corinthians 15:58). Summary Οἶδα threads through the New Testament as the vocabulary of certainty: God perfectly knows, Christ consciously fulfills, apostles confidently proclaim, believers assuredly rest, and the unrepentant stand condemned for rejecting known truth. Receiving and living in this knowledge is both the duty and delight of every follower of Jesus Christ. Forms and Transliterations γνώσεσθε δυνάμεθα είδαμεν ειδε είδε είδέ ειδείν είδειν είδεν ειδεναι ειδέναι εἰδέναι ειδες είδες είδετε είδη ειδήναι ειδης ειδής είδης εἰδῇς ειδήσουσί ειδησουσιν εἰδήσουσίν ειδητε ειδήτε είδητε εἰδῆτε είδομεν είδομέν ειδον ειδόν είδον είδόν έίδον ειδοσαν είδοσαν είδοσάν ειδοσι ειδόσι εἰδόσι ειδόσιν εἰδόσιν ειδοτα ειδότα εἰδότα ειδοτας ειδότας εἰδότας ειδοτες ειδότες εἰδότες ειδοτι ειδότι εἰδότι ειδότων ειδυια ειδυία εἰδυῖα ειδω ειδώ εἰδῶ ειδωμεν ειδώμεν είδωμεν εἰδῶμεν ειδως ειδώς εἰδώς Εἰδὼς ηδει ήδει ᾔδει ήδειμεν ηδειν ήδειν ᾔδειν ηδεις ήδεις ᾔδεις ηδεισαν ήδεισαν ᾔδεισαν ηδειτε ήδειτε ᾔδειτε ιδε ίδε ιδείν ίδεν ίδετε ίδετέ ιδέτω ιδέτωσαν ίδη ίδης ίδητε ίδοι ίδοιμι ίδοις ίδοισαν ίδον ιδόντες ίδοντες ιδόντι ιδούσα ιδούσά ίδω ίδωμεν ιδών ίδων ἰδὼν ίδωσι ίδωσί ίδωσιν ισασι ἴσασι ιστε ἴστε οιδα οίδα οίδά οἶδα οἶδά οιδαμεν οίδαμεν οἴδαμεν Οιδας οίδας Οἶδας οίδασι οιδασιν οίδασιν οἴδασιν οιδατε οίδατε οἰδατε οἴδατε οίδε οιδεν οίδεν οἶδεν οίσθα dunametha dynametha dynámetha edei ēdei edein ēdein edeis ēdeis edeisan ēdeisan edeite ēdeite ḗidei ḗidein eidêis eidē̂is ḗideis ḗideisan ḗideite eidenai eidénai eides eidēs eidesousin eidēsousin eidḗsousín eidete eidête eidēte eidē̂te eido eidô eidō eidō̂ eidomen eidômen eidōmen eidō̂men eidos eidōs eidṓs Eidṑs eidosin eidósin eidota eidóta eidotas eidótas eidotes eidótes eidoti eidóti eiduia eidyîa gnosesthe gnōsesthe gnṓsesthe idon idōn idṑn isasi ísasi iste íste oida oîda oîdá oidamen oídamen Oidas Oîdas oidasin oídasin oidate oídate oiden oîdenLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Matthew 6:8 V-RIA-3SGRK: ὁμοιωθῆτε αὐτοῖς οἶδεν γὰρ ὁ KJV: Father knoweth what things INT: be like to them knows indeed Matthew 6:32 V-RIA-3S Matthew 7:11 V-RIA-2P Matthew 9:6 V-RSA-2P Matthew 12:25 V-RPA-NMS Matthew 15:12 V-RIA-2S Matthew 20:22 V-RIA-2P Matthew 20:25 V-RIA-2P Matthew 21:27 V-RIA-1P Matthew 22:16 V-RIA-1P Matthew 22:29 V-RPA-NMP Matthew 24:36 V-RIA-3S Matthew 24:42 V-RIA-2P Matthew 24:43 V-LIA-3S Matthew 25:12 V-RIA-1S Matthew 25:13 V-RIA-2P Matthew 25:26 V-LIA-2S Matthew 26:2 V-RIA-2P Matthew 26:70 V-RIA-1S Matthew 26:72 V-RIA-1S Matthew 26:74 V-RIA-1S Matthew 27:18 V-LIA-3S Matthew 27:65 V-RIA-2P Matthew 28:5 V-RIA-1S Mark 1:24 V-RIA-1S Strong's Greek 1492 |