Lexical Summary akoé: Hearing, report, fame, audience Original Word: ἀκοή Strong's Exhaustive Concordance audience, ear, report, rumor. From akouo; hearing (the act, the sense or the thing heard) -- audience, ear, fame, which ye heard, hearing, preached, report, rumor. see GREEK akouo HELPS Word-studies 189 akoḗ – properly, hearing; used of inner (spiritual) hearing that goes with receiving faith from God (Ro 10:17), i.e. spiritual hearing (discerning God's voice; see also Gal 3:2,5, Gk text). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom akouó Definition hearing, the sense of hearing NASB Translation ears (4), heard (2), hearing (8), keep (2), news (3), report (2), rumors (2). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 189: ἀκοήἀκοή, (ῆς, ἡ, (from an assumed perfect form ἤκοα, cf. ἀγορά above (but cf. epic Ακουν; Curtius, p. 555)); 1. hearing, by which one perceives sounds; sense of hearing 1 Corinthians 12:17; 2 Peter 2:8. Hebraistically, ἀκοή ἀκούειν by hearing to hear, i. e., to perceive by hearing, Matthew 13:14; Acts 28:26 (Isaiah 6:9); cf. Winers Grammar, § 44, 8 Rem. 3, p. 339; § 54, 3, p. 466; (Buttmann, 183f (159)). 2. the organ of hearing, the ear: Mark 7:35; Luke 7:1; 2 Timothy 4:3, 4; Acts 17:20; Hebrews 5:11. 3. a thing heard; a. instruction, namely oral; specifically, the preaching of the gospel, (A. V. text report): John 12:38; Romans 10:16f (τίς ἐπίστευσε τῇ ἀκοή ἡμῶν; from Isaiah 53:1, Hebrew שְׁמוּעָה, which in 2 Samuel 4:4, etc., is rendered ἀγγελία); ἀκοή πίστεως preaching on the necessity of faith, (German Glaubenspredigt), Galatians 3:2, 5; λόγος ἀκοῆς equivalent to λόγος ἀκουσθείς (cf. Winer's Grammar, 531 (494f)): 1 Thessalonians 2:13; Hebrews 4:2. b. hearsay, report, rumor; τίνος, concerning anyone: Matthew 4:24; Matthew 14:1; Matthew 24:6; Mark 1:28; Mark 13:7. (Frequent in Greek writings.) ἀκοή moves across three interrelated ideas: the physical sense of hearing, the content that is heard, and the circulating “report” or “rumor” generated by what is heard. The noun therefore bridges physiology, cognition, and social impact, allowing New Testament writers to shift effortlessly between literal ears and spiritual receptivity. Physical Hearing and Restoration Mark 7:35 records that when Jesus healed the deaf man, “his ears were opened” (ἀκοαί). Here ἀκοή highlights the Creator’s ability to restore the organ designed for God’s Word. Paul appeals to the same faculty in 1 Corinthians 12:17, contrasting the ear with eye and smell to insist that every member in Christ’s body has a God–appointed role. In 2 Peter 2:8 the righteous man Lot is “tormented in his righteous soul by what he saw and heard,” showing how unholy sounds can distress the believer. Rumor and Fame In Galilee and Judea the term often describes the spreading reputation of Jesus. Matthew 4:24 notes, “News about Him spread all over Syria,” while Matthew 14:1 records that “Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus.” Mark 1:28 parallels this: “Immediately His fame spread throughout all the region of Galilee.” Luke 7:1 adds that a centurion acted after “Jesus had finished speaking to the people,” underscoring how the word about Christ produces transformative faith even among Gentiles. Warnings of Rumors Before the End Jesus foretells an age of unsettled headlines: “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars” (Matthew 24:6; Mark 13:7). ἀκοή in these verses underlines the anxiety–producing power of information untethered to faith, yet believers are commanded, “See that you are not alarmed.” The same verb “hear” that engenders faith can, in a fallen world, foment fear; the difference is the hearer’s relationship to Christ. Prophetic Deafness Matthew 13:14, John 12:38, Acts 28:26, and Romans 10:16 quote Isaiah’s lament that Israel would “hear with their ears” yet resist understanding. ἀκοή becomes a barometer of covenant responsiveness: physical ability to hear remains, but spiritual perception is absent. Hebrews 5:11 rebukes sluggish listeners—“we have much to say, but it is hard to explain, because you are dull of hearing.” Dullness is not an auditory deficiency but a heart condition. Faith-Generating Message Romans 10 gives the most concentrated theology of ἀκοή. Verse 17: “So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” The noun swings from the act (“hearing”) to the message (“word”). Galatians 3:2,5 tightens the link: believers “receive the Spirit” and experience miracles “by hearing with faith,” not by works of law. 1 Thessalonians 2:13 celebrates a church that accepted apostolic preaching “not as the word of men, but as the word of God.” Hebrews 4:2 warns that identical good news did not profit some “because it was not united by faith with those who heard.” Thus ἀκοή functions as the divinely chosen conduit through which saving grace is ordinarily delivered. Ministry Implications 1. Centrality of Proclamation The early churches met in contexts where few owned manuscripts, so faith was birthed and nourished predominantly through public reading and preaching. The missionary journeys in Acts (“You are bringing strange notions to our ears,” Acts 17:20) display an oral culture primed for gospel advance. 2. Accountability of the Hearer Paul anticipates a time when some will not “tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires will gather around them teachers to suit their itching ears” (2 Timothy 4:3-4). Ministry must therefore combine sound content with pastoral vigilance, urging congregations to hear responsibly. 3. Holistic Discipleship Since ἀκοή can denote both sense organ and spiritual apprehension, discipleship should cultivate attentive hearts and consecrated ears—guarding against destructive input while welcoming the shepherd’s voice (John 10 imagery). Historical Perspective First-century Judaism valued hearing: Scripture was read aloud in synagogues every Sabbath (Acts 15:21). Greco-Roman orators likewise swayed public life through speech. The Spirit leveraged this milieu, turning the world of auditory persuasion into a theater for gospel proclamation. Reports (ἀκοαί) about Jesus out-paced written Gospels for decades, demonstrating how God can sanctify prevailing communication channels. Eschatological Outlook The interplay of comforting and disturbing reports becomes sharper as the last days unfold. Hearing may either stabilize the believer in hope (encounters with the risen Lord, Revelation 1:10) or disturb the unprepared with alarming rumors. Ultimately, the decisive voice will be the Lord’s trumpet-like call that raises the dead (1 Thessalonians 4:16), confirming that genuine ἀκοή ends not in rumor but in revelation. Practical Counsel • Saturate gatherings with Scripture read aloud so faith may arise. Conclusion ἀκοή weaves through the New Testament as a thread linking the living voice of God to the human heart. Whether describing opened ears, gospel proclamation, worldly rumors, or prophetic indictment, it insists that true life is impossible without rightly ordered hearing. The church thrives where ἀκοή is honored, Scripture is proclaimed, and listeners mix what they hear with bold, obedient faith. Englishman's Concordance Matthew 4:24 N-NFSGRK: ἀπῆλθεν ἡ ἀκοὴ αὐτοῦ εἰς NAS: The news about Him spread throughout KJV: And his fame went throughout INT: went out the news of him into Matthew 13:14 N-DFS Matthew 14:1 N-AFS Matthew 24:6 N-AFP Mark 1:28 N-NFS Mark 7:35 N-NFP Mark 13:7 N-AFP Luke 7:1 N-AFP John 12:38 N-DFS Acts 17:20 N-AFP Acts 28:26 N-DFS Romans 10:16 N-DFS Romans 10:17 N-GFS Romans 10:17 N-NFS 1 Corinthians 12:17 N-NFS 1 Corinthians 12:17 N-NFS Galatians 3:2 N-GFS Galatians 3:5 N-GFS 1 Thessalonians 2:13 N-GFS 2 Timothy 4:3 N-AFS 2 Timothy 4:4 N-AFS Hebrews 4:2 N-GFS Hebrews 5:11 N-DFP 2 Peter 2:8 N-DFS Strong's Greek 189 |
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