240. allélón

Lexical Summary

allélón: one another, each other

Original Word: ἀλλήλων
Part of Speech: Reciprocal Pronoun
Transliteration: allélón
Pronunciation: al-lay'-lone
Phonetic Spelling: (al-lay'-lone)
KJV: each other, mutual, one another, (the other), (them-, your-)selves, (selves) together (sometimes with G3326 or G4314)
NASB: one another, one another's, another, each, each other, other's, themselves
Word Origin: [genitive plural from G243 (ἄλλος - another) reduplicated]

1. one another

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

each other, mutual, one another.

Genitive plural from allos reduplicated; one another -- each other, mutual, one another, (the other), (them-, your-)selves, (selves) together (sometimes with meta or pros).

see GREEK allos

see GREEK meta

see GREEK pros

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
a reciporical pronoun
Definition
of one another
NASB Translation
another (1), each (1), each other (1), one another (90), one another's (2), other's (1), themselves (1), together* (2), yourselves (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 240: ἀλλήλων

ἀλλήλων, genitive plural (no nominative being possible); dative (οις, (αις, (οις; accusative (ους, (ας, , one another; reciprocally, mutually: Matthew 24:10; John 13:35; Acts 28:25; Romans 1:12; James 5:16; Revelation 6:4, and often. (From Homer down.)

Topical Lexicon

Overview

Strong’s Greek 240 (ἀλλήλων and its inflected forms) is the New Testament’s chief reciprocal pronoun, translated “one another,” “each other,” or “themselves.” Appearing one hundred times, it frames relationships within the covenant community and often distinguishes that community from the surrounding world.

Range of Meaning in the New Testament

1. Reciprocal action between persons or groups (Luke 24:14).
2. Mutual obligation or affection (John 13:34).
3. Joint participation within a single entity—the body of Christ (Romans 12:5).
4. Hostile or destructive reciprocity when sin dominates (Galatians 5:15; Revelation 6:4).

Key Theological Themes

• Christ-like love as the badge of discipleship (John 13:35).
• Interdependence and equality in the Spirit-formed body (1 Corinthians 12:25; Ephesians 4:25).
• Communal holiness expressed through mutual ministry, forgiveness, and exhortation (Colossians 3:13; Hebrews 10:24).
• The danger of self-consuming conflict when the flesh rules (Galatians 5:15; James 4:11).
• Corporate witness before the watching world (John 17:21, implied by the reciprocal bond).

“One Another” Imperatives from Jesus

• “Love one another” (John 13:34; 15:12).
• “As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34).
• “By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35).

These imperatives inaugurate the new-covenant ethic and anticipate the apostolic teaching that follows.

Pauline Application

Paul employs ἀλλήλων to build a Spirit-directed, mutually edifying church:
• Mutual membership: “So in Christ we who are many are one body, and each member belongs to one another” (Romans 12:5).
• Devotion and honor: “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Outdo yourselves in honoring one another” (Romans 12:10).
• Burden bearing: “Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).
• Submission in the fear of Christ (Ephesians 5:21).
• Kindness and forgiveness grounded in the gospel (Ephesians 4:32).
• Corporate growth through diverse gifts so that “there should be no division in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another” (1 Corinthians 12:25).

Petrine and Johannine Emphasis

Peter stresses humble mutuality—“Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another” (1 Peter 5:5)—and practical hospitality (1 Peter 4:9). John extends Jesus’ mandate: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God” (1 John 4:7), making reciprocal love both evidence of regeneration and means of divine abiding (1 John 4:12).

Narrative Uses in the Gospels and Acts

The pronoun appears in ordinary dialogue (Luke 24:17), descriptions of fearful wonder (Mark 4:41), and the developing camaraderie of the disciples (Luke 2:15). Acts portrays the early church’s fellowship (Acts 21:6) but also sharp dispute (Acts 15:39), showing that the call to mutual grace is continually tested.

Negative Reciprocity and Eschatology

Jesus foretells an end-time culture of betrayal: “Many will fall away and will betray and hate one another” (Matthew 24:10). Revelation echoes this breakdown of human solidarity: “Its rider was granted permission to take peace from the earth and to make men slay one another” (Revelation 6:4). These warnings heighten the church’s responsibility to model redemptive reciprocity.

Practical Ministry Implications

1. Discipleship: Every believer is both giver and receiver of ministry; none are spectators.
2. Conflict resolution: Commands not to “bite and devour one another” (Galatians 5:15) guide pastoral counseling and church discipline.
3. Worship and fellowship: Mutual greeting (Romans 16:16) and shared remembrance (1 Corinthians 11:33) foster tangible unity.
4. Evangelism: The church’s internal relationships validate its external message (John 13:35).
5. Compassion ministries: Bearing burdens (Galatians 6:2) and practical service (Galatians 5:13) transform social outreach into gospel proclamation.

Summary of Occurrences

• Gospels: 30+ uses—teaching, discussion, fear, plotting.
• Acts: 14 uses—fellowship, debate, legal proceedings.
• Pauline Epistles: 40 uses—predominantly commands forming church ethics.
• General Epistles: 13 uses—love, confession, hospitality.
• Revelation: 3 uses—apocalyptic conflict and celebration.

The distribution shows that reciprocal life is foundational to both the earliest community and the consummated kingdom. Through ἀλλήλων Scripture summons believers to embody the saving work of Christ in every relationship until He returns.

Forms and Transliterations

άλληλα αλλήλας αλληλοις αλλήλοις ἀλλήλοις αλληλους αλλήλους ἀλλήλους αλληλων αλλήλων ἀλλήλων allelois allēlois allḗlois allelon allēlōn allḗlon allḗlōn allelous allēlous allḗlous

Englishman's Concordance

Matthew 24:10 PPro-AMP
GRK: πολλοὶ καὶ ἀλλήλους παραδώσουσιν καὶ
NAS: and will betray one another
KJV: shall betray one another, and
INT: many and one another they will betray and

Matthew 24:10 PPro-AMP
GRK: καὶ μισήσουσιν ἀλλήλους
NAS: one another and hate
KJV: and shall hate one another.
INT: and will hate one another

Matthew 25:32 PPro-GNP
GRK: αὐτοὺς ἀπ' ἀλλήλων ὥσπερ ὁ
NAS: Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd
KJV: one from another, as a shepherd
INT: them from one another as the

Mark 4:41 PPro-AMP
GRK: ἔλεγον πρὸς ἀλλήλους Τίς ἄρα
NAS: and said to one another, Who
KJV: one to another, What manner of man
INT: said to each other Who then

Mark 8:16 PPro-AMP
GRK: διελογίζοντο πρὸς ἀλλήλους ὅτι ἄρτους
NAS: They [began] to discuss with one another [the fact] that they had
KJV: among themselves, saying,
INT: they reasoned with one another Because bread

Mark 9:34 PPro-AMP
GRK: ἐσιώπων πρὸς ἀλλήλους γὰρ διελέχθησαν
NAS: they had discussed with one another which
KJV: among themselves, who
INT: they were silent with one another indeed they had been discussing

Mark 9:50 PPro-DMP
GRK: εἰρηνεύετε ἐν ἀλλήλοις
NAS: and be at peace with one another.
KJV: one with another.
INT: be at peace with one another

Mark 15:31 PPro-AMP
GRK: ἐμπαίζοντες πρὸς ἀλλήλους μετὰ τῶν
NAS: [Him] among themselves and saying,
KJV: among themselves with
INT: mocking among one another with the

Luke 2:15 PPro-AMP
GRK: ἐλάλουν πρὸς ἀλλήλους Διέλθωμεν δὴ
NAS: [began] saying to one another, Let us go straight
KJV: one to another, Let us now
INT: said to one another Let us go through indeed

Luke 4:36 PPro-AMP
GRK: συνελάλουν πρὸς ἀλλήλους λέγοντες Τίς
NAS: and they [began] talking with one another saying,
KJV: spake among themselves, saying, What
INT: they spoke to one another saying What

Luke 6:11 PPro-AMP
GRK: διελάλουν πρὸς ἀλλήλους τί ἂν
INT: consulted with one another [as to] what what

Luke 7:32 PPro-DMP
GRK: καὶ προσφωνοῦσιν ἀλλήλοις ἃ λέγει
NAS: and call to one another, and they say,
KJV: calling one to another, and
INT: and calling to each other one saying

Luke 8:25 PPro-AMP
GRK: λέγοντες πρὸς ἀλλήλους Τίς ἄρα
NAS: saying to one another, Who
INT: saying to one another Who then

Luke 12:1 PPro-AMP
GRK: ὥστε καταπατεῖν ἀλλήλους ἤρξατο λέγειν
NAS: that they were stepping on one another, He began
KJV: they trode one upon another, he began
INT: so as to trample upon one another he began to say

Luke 20:14 PPro-AMP
GRK: διελογίζοντο πρὸς ἀλλήλους λέγοντες Οὗτός
NAS: him, they reasoned with one another, saying,
INT: reasoned among themselves saying This

Luke 23:12 PPro-GMP
GRK: ἡμέρᾳ μετ' ἀλλήλων προϋπῆρχον γὰρ
NAS: friends with one another that very
INT: day with one another before they were indeed

Luke 24:14 PPro-AMP
GRK: ὡμίλουν πρὸς ἀλλήλους περὶ πάντων
NAS: And they were talking with each other about
INT: were talking with one another about all

Luke 24:17 PPro-AMP
GRK: ἀντιβάλλετε πρὸς ἀλλήλους περιπατοῦντες καὶ
NAS: that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?
KJV: one to another, as ye walk,
INT: you exchange with one another as you walk and

Luke 24:32 PPro-AMP
GRK: εἶπαν πρὸς ἀλλήλους Οὐχὶ ἡ
NAS: They said to one another, Were not our hearts
INT: they said to one another Not the

John 4:33 PPro-AMP
GRK: μαθηταὶ πρὸς ἀλλήλους Μή τις
NAS: were saying to one another, No
INT: disciples to one another not Anyone

John 5:44 PPro-GMP
GRK: δόξαν παρὰ ἀλλήλων λαμβάνοντες καὶ
NAS: glory from one another and you do not seek
INT: glory from one another who receive and

John 6:43 PPro-GMP
GRK: γογγύζετε μετ' ἀλλήλων
NAS: among yourselves.
KJV: not among yourselves.
INT: Grumble with one another

John 6:52 PPro-AMP
GRK: οὖν πρὸς ἀλλήλους οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι
NAS: [began] to argue with one another, saying,
KJV: strove among themselves, saying, How
INT: therefore with one another the Jews

John 11:56 PPro-GMP
GRK: ἔλεγον μετ' ἀλλήλων ἐν τῷ
NAS: and were saying to one another as they stood
KJV: among themselves, as they stood
INT: were saying among one another in the

John 13:14 PPro-GMP
GRK: ὑμεῖς ὀφείλετε ἀλλήλων νίπτειν τοὺς
NAS: ought to wash one another's feet.
KJV: ought to wash one another's feet.
INT: you ought of one another to wash the

Strong's Greek 240
100 Occurrences

ἀλλήλων — 20 Occ.
ἀλλήλοις — 13 Occ.
ἀλλήλους — 67 Occ.