2896. krazó
Lexical Summary
krazó: To cry out, to shout

Original Word: κράζω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: krazó
Pronunciation: krah'-zo
Phonetic Spelling: (krad'-zo)
KJV: cry (out)
NASB: cried, crying, shouting, cry, shouted, cries, screaming
Word Origin: [a primary verb]

1. (properly) to "croak" (as a raven)
2. (generally) to scream
3. (genitive case) to call aloud (shriek, exclaim, intreat)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
cry out.

A primary verb; properly, to "croak" (as a raven) or scream, i.e. (genitive case) to call aloud (shriek, exclaim, intreat) -- cry (out).

HELPS Word-studies

2896 krázō – an onomatopoetic term for a raven's piercing cry ("caw"); (figuratively) cry out loudly with an urgent scream or shriek, using "inarticulate shouts that express deep emotion" (WS, 708).

["Properly onomatopoetic of the raven, 2896 (krázō) means to croak; hence, generally used of inarticulate cries, to scream, cry out (Aesch., etc.)" (Abbott-Smith).]

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from a prim. root krag-
Definition
to scream, cry out
NASB Translation
cried (20), cries (2), cry (5), crying (12), screaming (1), screams (1), shout (1), shouted (4), shouting (8).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 2896: κράζω

κράζω (with a long; hence participle κρᾶζον, Galatians 4:6 L T Tr WH ((where R G κρᾶζον); cf. Buttmann, 61 (53))); imperfect ἔκραζον; future κεκράξομαι (Luke 19:40 R G L Tr marginal reading), and κραξω (ibid. T WH Tr text), the former being more common in Greek writings and used by the Sept. (cf. Micah 3:4; Job 35:12, etc. (but ανα(κράξομαι, Joel 3:16 Alex.; cf. Winers Grammar, 279 (262); especially Buttmann, as below)); 1 aorist ἔκραξα (once viz. Acts 24:21 T Tr WH ἐκέκραξα, a reduplicated form frequent in the Sept. (e. g. Psalm 21:6 (); Judges 3:15; 1 Macc. 11:49, etc.; see Veitch, under the word); more common in native Greek writings is 2 aorist ἐκραγον (" the simple ἐκραγον seems not to occur in good Attic" (Veitch, under the word))); perfect κέκραγα, with present force (Winer's Grammar, 274 (258)) (John 1:15); cf. Alexander Buttmann (1873) Ausf. Spr. ii., p. 223; Buttmann, 61 (53); Kühner, i., p. 851; (especially Veitch, under the word); the Sept. for זָעַק, צָעַק, קָרָא, שִׁוּעַ; (from Aeschylus down);

1. properly, (onomatopoetic) to croak (German krächzen), of the cry of the raven (Theophrastus); hence universally, to cry out, cry aloud, vociferate: particularly of inarticulate cries, Mark 5:5; Mark 9:26; Mark 15:39 (here T WH omit; Tr brackets κράξας); Luke 9:39; Revelation 12:2; ἀπό τοῦ φοβοῦ, Matthew 14:26; with φωνή μεγάλη added, Matthew 27:50; Mark 1:26 (here T Tr WH φωνῆσαν); Acts 7:57; Revelation 10:3; ὄπισθεν τίνος, to cry after one, follow him up with outcries, Matthew 15:23; like זָעַק and צָעַק (Genesis 4:10; Genesis 18:20), equivalent to to cry or pray for vengeance, James 5:4.

2. to cry i. e. call out aloud, speak with a loud voice (German laut rufen): τί, Acts 19:32; Acts 24:21; followed by direct discourse, Mark 10:48; Mark 15:14; Luke 18:39; John 12:13 R G; Acts 19:34; Acts 21:28, 36; xxili. 6; with the addition φωνή μεγάλη followed by direct disc, Mark 5:7; Acts 7:60; ἐν φωνή μεγάλη, Revelation 14:15, κράζω λέγων, to cry out saying, etc., Matthew 8:29; Matthew 14:30; ( (where R G ἐκραύγασεν)); ; Mark 3:11; Mark 11:9 (T Tr WH omit; L brackets λέγοντες); John 19:12 (here L T Tr WH ἐκραύγασαν); Acts 16:17; Acts 19:28; Revelation 18:18; κράζω φωνή μεγάλη λέγων, Revelation 6:10; Revelation 7:10; Revelation 19:17 (here T WH brackets add ἐν); κράξας ἔλεγε, Mark 9:24; κράζειν καί λέγειν, Matthew 9:27; Matthew 21:15; Mark 10:47; Luke 4:41 R G Tr text WH; Acts 14:14; of those who utter or teach a thing publicly and solemnly, Romans 9:27; κέκραγε and ἔκραξε λέγων, followed by direct discourse, John 1:15; John 7:37; ἔκραξε διδάσκων καί λέγων, John 7:28; ἔκραξεν καί εἶπεν, John 12:44; of those who offer earnest, importunate, prayers to God, followed by direct discourse, Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6 (often so in O. T., as Job 35:12; Psalm 33:7 (); commonly with πρός κύριον, πρός τόν Θεόν added, Judges 10:12 (Alex.); Psalm 3:5; Psalm 106:13 (), etc.). τίνι, to cry or call to: Revelation 7:2; Revelation 14:15,(cf. Psalm 118:145 (); ἕτερος πρός ἕτερον, Isaiah 6:3). (Compare: ἀνακράζω. Synonym: see βοάω, at the end.)

Topical Lexicon
General Sense of the Verb

Across the New Testament, the term designates a strong, urgent, often public vocal outburst. It covers the whole range from terrified shrieks to authoritative proclamations, yet always conveys intensity and immediacy. Whether uttered by demons, disciples, apostles, or angels, the cry demands attention and evokes response.

Old Testament Echoes

The Greek verb regularly translates Hebrew terms for crying out in distress (for example, Exodus 2:23; Psalm 34:17) and for prophetic proclamation (Isaiah 40:3). These backgrounds shape New Testament usage: the cry may be a plea for deliverance, a warning of judgment, or a declaration of salvation. Thus the verb reinforces continuity between covenant eras—God hears, God answers, God speaks.

Uses in the Gospels

1. Recognition of Jesus’ Authority

Demons cry out, acknowledging His divine status (Matthew 8:29; Mark 3:11; Mark 5:7). Their involuntary shouts paradoxically become testimonies to His supremacy.

2. Desperate Appeals for Mercy

The blind men near Jericho “cried out, ‘Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!’” (Matthew 20:30). Similar petitions come from the Canaanite woman (Matthew 15:22) and Bartimaeus (Mark 10:47-48; Luke 18:39). Persistent, loud pleading is commended, not rebuked.

3. Fear and Need

The disciples, thinking they see a ghost, “cried out in fear” (Matthew 14:26). Peter, sinking beneath the waves, “cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’” (Matthew 14:30). The verb underscores human frailty met by Christ’s rescuing power.

4. Public Acclamation

At the triumphal entry the crowds “were crying out, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’” (Matthew 21:9; Mark 11:9). Children in the temple continue the cry (Matthew 21:15), fulfilling messianic prophecy and provoking the priests’ indignation.

5. The Cross

The mob’s hostile shouts—“Crucify Him!” (Mark 15:13-14; Matthew 27:23)—contrast with Jesus’ own loud cry at death (Matthew 27:50; Mark 15:37). His final shout signals completed atonement while exposing human rebellion.

Acts of the Apostles

1. Evangelistic Boldness

Paul “cried out in the Council, ‘Brothers, I am a Pharisee…’” (Acts 23:6), turning hostility into Gospel witness. Barnabas and Paul “tore their clothes and rushed into the crowd, crying out” against idolatry (Acts 14:14-15). Spirit-empowered speech confronts error.

2. Spiritual Conflict

The slave girl with a spirit of divination “kept crying out” after Paul and his company (Acts 16:17), highlighting missionary advance amid demonic opposition.

3. Civil Unrest

In Ephesus, idol-makers “cried out” for Artemis (Acts 19:28, 32, 34). Mass shouting exposes the emptiness of false worship and throws Gospel heroes onto divine protection.

4. Martyrdom Scene

Stephen “cried out, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them’” (Acts 7:60), echoing Christ’s own words and illustrating grace under persecution.

Pauline and General Epistles

1. Spirit-Driven Intimacy

“We cry, ‘Abba, Father’” (Romans 8:15), and “the Spirit of His Son cries out, ‘Abba, Father’ in our hearts” (Galatians 4:6). The loud, filial cry marks the believer’s assured adoption.

2. Prophetic Warning

Isaiah “cries out concerning Israel” about the remnant (Romans 9:27), reinforcing prophetic authority in apostolic teaching.

3. Social Justice

Unpaid wages “are crying out against you” (James 5:4), personifying injustice as a piercing plea that reaches “the ears of the Lord of Hosts.”

The Revelation of Jesus Christ

1. Heavenly Appeals and Decrees

Souls under the altar “cried out in a loud voice, ‘How long, Sovereign Lord…?’” (Revelation 6:10), modeling lament that trusts divine timing.

2. Angelic Proclamations

A mighty angel “cried out with a loud voice like the roar of a lion” (Revelation 10:3), announcing the completion of God’s mystery.

3. Doom of Babylon

“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!” another angel “cried out” (Revelation 18:2). The verb frames both mercy and judgment; here, finality rings.

4. Salvation Song

An innumerable multitude “cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation to our God…’” (Revelation 7:10), revealing worship’s exuberant volume.

Theology of Crying Out

• Divine Accessibility: Scripture consistently portrays the Lord inclining His ear to the earnest cry (Psalm background; Matthew 14:30; Romans 8:15).
• Messianic Identity: Shouts identify Jesus as Son of God, Son of David, and Savior, often from unexpected witnesses (demons, Gentiles, children).
• Spiritual Warfare: The loud cry surfaces where the kingdom of light clashes with darkness (Mark 1:23-26; Acts 16:17).
• Eschatological Expectation: Apocalyptic cries announce both judgment and salvation, underscoring God’s sovereign timeline.
• Ethical Accountability: The cry of the oppressed reaches heaven, warning against complacency (James 5:4).

Ministry Implications Today

1. Encourage Urgent Prayer: The New Testament legitimizes loud, desperate appeals. Churches can foster corporate and personal prayer that is fervent, not merely formal.

2. Bold Proclamation: Evangelists and pastors should not fear raising their voice when truth and salvation must be asserted in public arenas.

3. Compassion for the Suffering: As Jesus stopped for those who cried out, believers must heed contemporary cries—from persecuted saints to marginalized neighbors.

4. Prophetic Warning and Hope: Like the angels of Revelation, the church must cry out both judgment on sin and the gracious offer of salvation, keeping both notes in balance.

5. Assurance of Adoption: Teaching on the Spirit’s inner cry fortifies believers in their identity and combats orphan-hearted doubt.

Thus the vibrant thread of crying out runs from earthly need to heavenly throne, binding the biblical narrative into one audible testimony: God hears, God answers, God reigns.

Forms and Transliterations
εκέκραγον εκεκραξα εκέκραξα εκέκραξά ἐκέκραξα εκέκραξαν εκεκράξατε εκέκραξε εκέκραξεν έκραζε εκραζεν έκραζεν ἔκραζεν εκραζον έκραζον ἔκραζον έκραξα εκραξαν έκραξαν ἔκραξαν έκραξας έκραξε εκραξεν έκραξεν ἔκραξεν κέκραγα κεκράγασι κέκραγε κεκραγεν κέκραγεν κεκραγέναι κεκραγέτωσαν κεκραγότων κεκραγώς κεκραιπαληκώς κεκράξαι κεκράξαντες κεκράξατε κεκράξεσθε κεκράξεται κεκράξομαι κέκραξον κεκράξονται κραζει κράζει κραζειν κράζειν κράζεις κραζομεν κράζομεν κραζον κράζον κρᾶζον κραζοντα κράζοντα κραζοντας κράζοντας κραζοντες κράζοντες κραζοντων κραζόντων κράζουσα κραζουσι κράζουσι κράζουσιν κραζων κράζων κραιπαλήσατε κραιπαλών κράξαν κραξαντες κράξαντες κραξας κράξας κραξουσιν κράξουσιν κραυγάζοντα ekekraxa ekékraxa ekraxan ékraxan ekraxen ékraxen ekrazen ékrazen ekrazon ékrazon kekragen kékragen kraugazonta kraugázonta kraxantes kráxantes kraxas kráxas kraxousin kráxousin krazei krázei krazein krázein krazomen krázomen krazon krazōn krázon krázōn krâzon krazontas krázontas krazontes krázontes krazonton krazontōn krazónton krazóntōn krazousin krázousin
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Matthew 8:29 V-AIA-3P
GRK: καὶ ἰδοὺ ἔκραξαν λέγοντες Τί
NAS: And they cried out, saying, What
KJV: behold, they cried out, saying,
INT: And Behold they cried out saying What

Matthew 9:27 V-PPA-NMP
GRK: δύο τυφλοὶ κράζοντες καὶ λέγοντες
NAS: followed Him, crying out, Have mercy
KJV: followed him, crying, and saying,
INT: two blind [men] crying and saying

Matthew 14:26 V-AIA-3P
GRK: τοῦ φόβου ἔκραξαν
NAS: It is a ghost! And they cried out in fear.
KJV: a spirit; and they cried out for fear.
INT: fear they cried out

Matthew 14:30 V-AIA-3S
GRK: ἀρξάμενος καταποντίζεσθαι ἔκραξεν λέγων Κύριε
NAS: to sink, he cried out, Lord,
KJV: to sink, he cried, saying,
INT: having begun to sink he cried out saying master

Matthew 15:22 V-IIA-3S
GRK: ἐκείνων ἐξελθοῦσα ἔκραζεν λέγουσα Ἐλέησόν
NAS: came out and [began] to cry out, saying,
INT: same having come out cried saying Have mercy on

Matthew 15:23 V-PIA-3S
GRK: αὐτήν ὅτι κράζει ὄπισθεν ἡμῶν
NAS: because she keeps shouting at us.
KJV: away; for she crieth after us.
INT: her for she cries out after us

Matthew 20:30 V-AIA-3P
GRK: Ἰησοῦς παράγει ἔκραξαν λέγοντες Κύριε
NAS: was passing by, cried out, Lord,
KJV: passed by, cried out, saying,
INT: Jesus is passing by cried out saying Lord

Matthew 20:31 V-AIA-3P
GRK: δὲ μεῖζον ἔκραξαν λέγοντες Κύριε
NAS: them to be quiet, but they cried out all the more,
KJV: but they cried the more,
INT: moreover all the more they cried out saying Lord

Matthew 21:9 V-IIA-3P
GRK: οἱ ἀκολουθοῦντες ἔκραζον λέγοντες Ὡσαννὰ
NAS: who followed, were shouting, Hosanna
KJV: that followed, cried, saying,
INT: those following were crying out saying Hosanna

Matthew 21:15 V-PPA-AMP
GRK: παῖδας τοὺς κράζοντας ἐν τῷ
NAS: and the children who were shouting in the temple,
KJV: and the children crying in the temple,
INT: children the crying in the

Matthew 27:23 V-IIA-3P
GRK: δὲ περισσῶς ἔκραζον λέγοντες Σταυρωθήτω
NAS: has He done? But they kept shouting all the more,
KJV: But they cried out the more,
INT: and all the more they cried out saying Let [him] be crucified

Matthew 27:50 V-APA-NMS
GRK: Ἰησοῦς πάλιν κράξας φωνῇ μεγάλῃ
NAS: And Jesus cried out again with a loud
KJV: Jesus, when he had cried again
INT: Jesus again having cried with a voice loud

Mark 3:11 V-IIA-3P
GRK: αὐτῷ καὶ ἔκραζον λέγοντες ὅτι
NAS: Him, they would fall down before Him and shout, You are the Son
KJV: him, and cried, saying,
INT: him and cried saying

Mark 5:5 V-PPA-NMS
GRK: ὄρεσιν ἦν κράζων καὶ κατακόπτων
NAS: and day, he was screaming among
KJV: in the tombs, crying, and cutting
INT: mountains he was crying and cutting

Mark 5:7 V-APA-NMS
GRK: καὶ κράξας φωνῇ μεγάλῃ
NAS: and shouting with a loud voice,
KJV: And cried with a loud voice,
INT: and having cried with a voice loud

Mark 9:24 V-APA-NMS
GRK: εὐθὺς κράξας ὁ πατὴρ
NAS: father cried out and said,
KJV: of the child cried out, and said
INT: immediately having cried out the father

Mark 9:26 V-APA-NMS
GRK: καὶ κράξας καὶ πολλὰ
NAS: After crying out and throwing
KJV: And [the spirit] cried, and rent
INT: And having cried out and many

Mark 10:47 V-PNA
GRK: ἐστιν ἤρξατο κράζειν καὶ λέγειν
NAS: he began to cry out and say,
KJV: he began to cry out, and
INT: it is he began to cry out and to say

Mark 10:48 V-IIA-3S
GRK: πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἔκραζεν Υἱὲ Δαυίδ
NAS: him to be quiet, but he kept crying out all
KJV: but he cried the more
INT: much more cried out Son of David

Mark 11:9 V-IIA-3P
GRK: οἱ ἀκολουθοῦντες ἔκραζον Ὡσαννά Εὐλογημένος
NAS: who followed were shouting: Hosanna!
KJV: they that followed, cried, saying,
INT: those following were crying out Hosanna blessed

Mark 15:13 V-AIA-3P
GRK: δὲ πάλιν ἔκραξαν Σταύρωσον αὐτόν
NAS: They shouted back, Crucify
KJV: And they cried out again, Crucify
INT: and back they cried out Crucify him

Mark 15:14 V-AIA-3P
GRK: δὲ περισσῶς ἔκραξαν Σταύρωσον αὐτόν
NAS: has He done? But they shouted all the more,
KJV: And they cried out the more exceedingly,
INT: but much more cried out Crucify him

Luke 9:39 V-PIA-3S
GRK: καὶ ἐξαίφνης κράζει καὶ σπαράσσει
NAS: him, and he suddenly screams, and it throws him into a convulsion
KJV: he suddenly crieth out; and
INT: and suddenly he cries out and it throws into convulsions

Luke 18:39 V-IIA-3S
GRK: πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἔκραζεν Υἱὲ Δαυίδ
KJV: but he cried so much the more,
INT: much more cried out Son of David

Luke 19:40 V-FIA-3P
GRK: οἱ λίθοι κράξουσιν
NAS: the stones will cry out!
KJV: the stones would immediately cry out.
INT: the stones will cry out

Strong's Greek 2896
55 Occurrences


ἐκέκραξα — 1 Occ.
ἔκραξαν — 7 Occ.
ἔκραξεν — 10 Occ.
ἔκραζεν — 5 Occ.
ἔκραζον — 8 Occ.
κέκραγεν — 1 Occ.
κράξαντες — 1 Occ.
κράξας — 4 Occ.
κράξουσιν — 1 Occ.
κράζει — 5 Occ.
κράζειν — 1 Occ.
κράζων — 2 Occ.
κράζομεν — 1 Occ.
κρᾶζον — 1 Occ.
κράζοντας — 1 Occ.
κράζοντες — 4 Occ.
κραζόντων — 1 Occ.
κράζουσιν — 1 Occ.

2895
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