Greek Word Studies - Get a Daily Greek Word Study!

This is our revised Greek Word Studies app. As with our previous online Greek Word Studies effort, this tool offers users a simple word study on Koine Greek, the language of the New Testament. Users will typically receive one brief and non-technical free Bible study article per day (Monday-Friday) that offers a simple overview of the more than 5,400 words in the Greek New Testament.

This free Greek word Bible study app is part of https://www.abiblecommentary.com and it is sent forth in hopes of helping people learn more about the Word of God.

Here are some examples from past studies:

ἄγαμος (agamos)

This word means “unmarried” and it is a good example of something called the “alpha privative.” The word “gamos” means marriage; by adding an “a” to the prefix of this word, the word “marriage” is changed to “unmarried.” A similar thing occurs in English by adding an “a” to words like “theist” (adding an “a” to this word results in a new term—“atheist”).

Agamos occurs only a few times in the New Testament and each of these passages is found in the First Corinthian letter (1 Cor. 7:8, 11, 32, 34).

ἀγανακτέω (aganakteo)

Like virtually any other language, the Greek language used to write the New Testament has more than one word for “angry.” One of these words is the verb “aganakteo,” a term that means “be indignant” or “angry.” This word is found only seven times in the New Testament and each time is in the books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke (see Mt. 20:24; 21:15; 26:8; Mk. 10:14, 41; 14:4; Lk. 13:14).

ἀγανάκτησις (aganaktesis)

Related to the Greek verb aganakteo (“be indignant” or “angry”), the Greek noun “aganaktesis” means indignation. This term is found only one time in the New Testament (2 Cor. 7:11) where it describes the Corinthians’ reaction to receiving some correspondence from Paul (2 Cor. 7:8, 12).

ἀγαπάω (agapao)

Many associate the Bible with the word “love,” and the Scriptures certainly do speak about love. A common New Testament word for “love” is the Greek verb “agapao.” Spicq (1:12) said this verb “most often means ‘value, set great store by, hold in high esteem’; it is a love with deep respect (1 Pet. 2:17), which often goes along with admiration and can become adoration.”

About half the occurrences of this term are found in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. This term is used in conjunction with “loving our neighbor” (Mt. 5:43) and “loving our enemies” (Mt. 5:44). We are to “love God” (agapao) with all our heart (Mt. 22:37). This verb is also used in Jn. 3:16 to describe God’s love for the world. Jesus also used it in Jn. 3:19 to say some “loved” darkness more than the light. We even find this term being used to describe the Father’s “love” for the Son (Jn. 3:35).

In other books some of the well-known verses where “agapao” occurs include Rom. 8:28, 37; Rom. 13:8; 1 Cor. 2:9; Eph. 5:25; Col. 3:19; 2 Thess. 2:13; Heb. 1:9; Jas. 1:12; 1 Pet. 1:22; 2 Pet. 2:15; 1 Jn. 2:10; Rev. 1:5.

Barclay (New Testament Words, p. 21) noted how this word “has to do with the mind: It is not simply an emotion which rises unbidden in our hearts; it is a principle by which we deliberately live.” This type of love “has to do with the will. It is a conquest, a victory, and achievement. No one ever naturally loved his enemies. To love one’s enemies is a conquest of all our natural inclinations and emotions” (ibid).