Lexical Summary peithó: To persuade, to convince, to trust, to have confidence Original Word: πείθω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance to persuadeA primary verb; to convince (by argument, true or false); by analogy, to pacify or conciliate (by other fair means); reflexively or passively, to assent (to evidence or authority), to rely (by inward certainty) -- agree, assure, believe, have confidence, be (wax) conflent, make friend, obey, persuade, trust, yield. HELPS Word-studies 3982 peíthō(the root of 4102 /pístis, "faith") – to persuade; (passive) be persuaded of what is trustworthy. The Lord persuades the yielded believer to be confident in His preferred-will (Gal 5:10; 2 Tim 1:12). 3982 (peíthō) involves "obedience, but it is properly the result of (God's) persuasion" (WS, 422). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. verb Definition to persuade, to have confidence NASB Translation assure (1), confident (3), convinced (7), followed (2), have confidence (2), having confidence (2), listen (1), obey (3), obeying (1), persuade (4), persuaded (8), persuading (1), put...trust (1), put confidence (1), put...confidence (1), relied (1), seeking the favor (1), sure (2), took...advice (1), trust (2), trusted (1), trusting (1), trusts (1), urging (1), win...over (1), won over (2). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 3982: ΠειθώΠειθώ, Πειθους, ἡ, 1. Peitho, proper name of a goddess, literally, Persuasion; LatinSuada orSuadela. 2. persuasive power, persuasion: 1 Corinthians 2:4 ἐν πειθοι — accusative to certain inferior authorities. (On the word, see Müller's note on Josephus, contra Apion 2, 21, 3. (Hesiod, Herodotus, others.)) STRONGS NT 3982: πείθωπείθω ((from the root meaning 'to bind'; allied with πίστις, fides, foedus, etc.; Curtius, § 327; Vanicek, p. 592)); imperfect ἔπειθον; future πείσω; 1 aorist ἐπεισα; 2 perfect πέποιθα; pluperfect ἐπεποίθειν (Luke 11:22); passive (or middle, present πείθομαι; imperfect ἐπειθομην); perfect πέπεισμαι; 1 aorist ἐπείσθην; 1 future πεισθήσομαι (Luke 16:31); from Homer down; 1. Active; a. to persuade, i. e. to induce one by words to believe: absolutely πείσας μετέστησεν ἱκανόν ὄχλον, Acts 19:26; τί, to cause belief in a thing (which one sets forth), Acts 19:8 R G T (cf. Buttmann, 150 (131) n.) (Sophocles O. C. 1442); with the genitive of the thing, ibid. L Tr WH; τινα, one, Acts 18:4; τινα τί, one of a thing, Acts 28:23 Rec. (Herodotus 1, 163; Plato, Apology, p. 37 a., and elsewhere; (cf. Buttmann, as above)); τινα περί τίνος, concerning a thing, ibid. G L T Tr WH. b. as in classical Greek from Homer down, with an accusative of a person, to make friends of, win one's favor, gain one's good-will, Acts 12:20; or to seek to win one, strive to please one, 2 Corinthians 5:11; Galatians 1:10; to conciliate by persuasion, Matthew 28:14 (here T WH omit; Tr brackets αὐτόν); Acts 14:19; equivalent to to tranquillize (A. V. assure), τάς καρδίας ἡμῶν, 1 John 3:19. c. to persuade unto i. e. move or induce one by persuasion to do something: τινα followed by an infinitive (R § 139, 46), Acts 13:43; Acts 26:28 (Xenophon, an. 1, 3, 19; Polybius 4, 64,2; Diodorus 11, 15; 12, 39; Josephus, Antiquities 8, 10, 3); τινα followed by ἵνα (cf. Winers Grammar, 338 (317); Buttmann, § 139, 40), Matthew 27:20 (Plutarch, apoph. Alex. 21). 2. Passive and middle (cf. Winers Grammar, 253 (238)); a. to be persuaded, to suffer oneself to be persuaded; to be induced to believe: absol, Luke 16:31; Acts 17:4; to have faith, Hebrews 11:13 Rec.; τίνι, in a thing, Acts 28:24; to believe, namely, ὅτι, Hebrews 13:18 L T Tr WH. πέπεισμαι τί (on the neuter accusative cf. Buttmann, § 131, 10) περί τίνος (genitive of person), to be persuaded (of) a thing concerning a person, Hebrews 6:9 (A. V. we are persuaded better things of you, etc.); πεπεισμένος εἰμί, to have persuaded oneself, and πείθομαι, to believe (cf. English to be persuaded), followed by an accusative with an infinitive, Luke 20:6; Acts 26:26; πέπεισμαι ὅτι, Romans 8:38; 2 Timothy 1:5, 12; with ἐν κυρίῳ added (see ἐν, I. 6 b.), Romans 14:14; περί τίνος ὅτι, Romans 15:14. b. to listen to, obey, yield to, comply with: τίνι, one, Acts 5:36f, 39( 3. 2 perfect πέποιθα (the Sept. mostly for בָּטַח, also for חָסָה, נִשְׁעַן Niphal of the unused שָׁעַן), intransitive, to trust, have confidence, be confident: followed by an accusative with an infinitive, Romans 2:19; by ὅτι, Hebrews 13:18 Rec.; by ὅτι with a preparatory αὐτό τοῦτο (Winer's Grammar, § 23, 5), Philippians 1:6; τοῦτο πεποιθώς οἶδα ὅτι, Philippians 1:25; πέποιθα with a dative of the person or the thing in which the confidence reposes (so in classical Greek (on its construction in the N. T. see Buttmann, § 133, 5; Winer's Grammar, 214 (201); § 33, d.)): Philippians 1:14; Philemon 1:21 (2 Kings 17:20; Proverbs 14:16; Proverbs 26:26; Isaiah 28:17; Sir. 35:24 (Sir. 32:24); Wis. 14:29); ἑαυτῷ followed by an infinitive 2 Corinthians 10:7; ἐν τίνι, to trust in, put confidence in a person or thing (cf. Buttmann, as above), Philippians 3:3, 4; ἐν κυρίῳ followed by ὅτι, Philippians 2:24; ἐπί τίνι, Matthew 27:43 L text WH marginal reading; Mark 10:24 (where T WH omit; Tr marginal reading brackets the clause); Luke 11:22; Luke 18:9; 2 Corinthians 1:9; Hebrews 2:13 (and very often in the Sept., as Deuteronomy 28:52; 2 Chronicles 14:11; Psalm 2:13; Proverbs 3:5; Isaiah 8:17; Isaiah 31:1); ἐπί τινα, Matthew 27:43 where L text WH marginal reading ἐπί with the dative (Isaiah 36:5; Habakkuk 2:18; 2 Chronicles 16:7f, etc.); ἐπί τινα followed by ὅτι, 2 Corinthians 2:3; 2 Thessalonians 3:4; εἰς τινα followed by ὅτι, Galatians 5:10. (Compare: ἀναπείθω.) The verb behind Strong’s 3982 gathers the concepts of persuading others, being convinced in one’s own mind, and yielding in obedient trust. In Scripture these strands interweave to depict how the gospel moves from proclamation to inward assurance and then outward submission. From the leaders who “persuaded the crowds” against Jesus (Matthew 27:20) to Paul who “tried to persuade them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and the Prophets” (Acts 28:23), the word traces both righteous and unrighteous influence. Persuasion in Evangelism and Apologetics Acts repeatedly portrays evangelistic dialogue rather than coercion. In synagogue and marketplace Paul “reasoned every Sabbath, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks” (Acts 18:4). Some “were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas” (Acts 17:4), while others hardened. The same term describes negative agitation: unbelieving Jews “persuaded the crowds” and stoned Paul (Acts 14:19). The church’s mission therefore depends on Spirit-empowered reasoning that appeals to mind and conscience: “Since then we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men” (2 Corinthians 5:11). Faith, Assurance, and Conviction Perfect-tense forms express settled certainty. “I am convinced that neither death nor life…will be able to separate us from the love of God” (Romans 8:38-39). Paul is “convinced of this” concerning the Philippians’ perseverance (Philippians 1:25) and Timothy’s sincere faith (2 Timothy 1:5). Such assurance rests not on human resolve but on God’s faithfulness: “I know whom I have believed and am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him” (2 Timothy 1:12). Obedience and Submission When the verb takes the middle/passive sense it speaks of heeding, not merely agreeing. Galatians laments, “You were running so well. Who has hindered you from obeying the truth?” (Galatians 5:7). Hebrews exhorts, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls” (Hebrews 13:17). James uses the example of bridled horses “so that they obey us” (James 3:3). Genuine persuasion of the heart produces willing obedience. Warnings Against Misplaced Confidence Trust can be fatally misplaced. Jesus warns, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God” (Mark 10:24). The parable targets “some who were confident in their own righteousness” (Luke 18:9). Self-reliance crumbles under trial, as Paul recalls being “so utterly burdened beyond our strength…so that we would not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead” (2 Corinthians 1:9). Corporate Encouragement and Mutual Confidence Ministry teams frequently affirm trust in one another. “We are confident about you in the Lord, that you are doing and will continue to do what we command” (2 Thessalonians 3:4). Paul writes Philemon, “Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask” (Philemon 1:21). Such expressions foster accountability grounded in shared submission to Christ. Christ the Object and Model of Trust At Calvary the mockers misunderstood true confidence: “He trusts in God; let God rescue Him now if He wants Him” (Matthew 27:43). Yet Hebrews applies Isaiah’s words to Jesus: “I will put My trust in Him” (Hebrews 2:13). The Son’s perfect reliance provides the pattern and ground for the believer’s assurance. Eschatological Hope and Moral Certainty Persuasion shapes ethical decisions: “I am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself” (Romans 14:14). John joins assurance with loving action: “By this we will know that we belong to the truth, and we will set our hearts at rest before Him” (1 John 3:19). Future hope reinforces present steadfastness: “I am convinced that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6). Pastoral Application 1. Preachers: engage mind and heart, trusting the Spirit to persuade. The stream of Strong’s 3982 runs from proclamation to conviction to obedient service, illustrating how divine truth wins the mind, grips the heart, and directs the will. Englishman's Concordance Matthew 27:20 V-AIA-3PGRK: οἱ πρεσβύτεροι ἔπεισαν τοὺς ὄχλους NAS: and the elders persuaded the crowds KJV: elders persuaded the multitude INT: the elders persuaded the crowds Matthew 27:43 V-RIA-3S Matthew 28:14 V-FIA-1P Mark 10:24 V-RPA-AMP Luke 11:22 V-LIA-3S Luke 16:31 V-FIP-3P Luke 18:9 V-RPA-AMP Luke 20:6 V-RPM/P-NMS Acts 5:36 V-IIM/P-3P Acts 5:37 V-IIM/P-3P Acts 5:40 V-AIP-3P Acts 12:20 V-APA-NMP Acts 13:43 V-IIA-3P Acts 14:19 V-APA-NMP Acts 17:4 V-AIP-3P Acts 18:4 V-IIA-3S Acts 19:8 V-PPA-NMS Acts 19:26 V-APA-NMS Acts 21:14 V-PPM/P-GMS Acts 23:21 V-ASP-2S Acts 26:26 V-PIM/P-1S Acts 26:28 V-PIA-2S Acts 27:11 V-IIM/P-3S Acts 28:23 V-PPA-NMS Acts 28:24 V-IIM/P-3P Strong's Greek 3982 |
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