Lexical Summary sunepimartureó: To testify with, to confirm, to bear witness together Original Word: συνεπιμαρτυρέω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance bear witness withFrom sun and epimartureo; to testify further jointly, i.e. Unite in adding evidence -- also bear witness. see GREEK sun see GREEK epimartureo NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom sun and epimartureó Definition to testify or bear witness together with. Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4901: συνεπιμαρτυρέωσυνεπιμαρτυρέω, συνεπιμαρτύρω, participle genitive singular masculine συνεπιμαρτυροῦντος; to attest together with; to join in bearing witness, to unite in adding testimony: Hebrews 2:4. (Aristotle, Polybius, (Plutarch), Athen., Sextus Empiricus; Clement of Rome, 1 Cor. 23, 5 [ET]; 43, 1 [ET].) STRONGS NT 4901a: συνεπιτίθημισυνεπιτίθημι: 2 aorist middle συνεπεθεμην; to place upon (or near) together with, help in putting on; middle to attack jointly, to assail together, set upon with (see ἐπιτίθημι, 2 b.): Acts 24:9 G L T Tr WH (R. V. joined in the charge) (so in Thucydides 6, 10; Xenophon, Cyril 4, 2, 3; Plato, Phileb., p. 16 a.; Polybius 5, 78, 4; Diodorus 1, 21). Strong’s Greek 4901 denotes the act of God “bearing witness together with” the apostolic proclamation. It appears once in the Greek New Testament in Hebrews 2:4, where the writer explains how the Lord confirmed the message of salvation “by signs, wonders, various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will”. The term emphasizes a coordinated, cooperative testimony—God acting in real time to validate the preached word. Context in Hebrews Hebrews 2:1–4 forms an exhortation not to “drift away” from the gospel. The argument proceeds from (1) the authoritative word spoken through angels at Sinai, to (2) the greater word spoken by the Lord, to (3) the divine verification of that word. Verse 4 supplies the capstone: God Himself corroborated the apostolic message, joining His testimony to theirs. The rare verb underscores that the confirmation was neither accidental nor peripheral; it was an intentional, redemptive-historical event. Divine Testimony through Signs 1. Signs and Wonders: Miraculous acts that arrest attention (Acts 2:22; Acts 5:12). By linking these phenomena to the verb, the author teaches that supernatural manifestations served a specific theological purpose: authenticating the once-for-all gospel delivered by the Son (Hebrews 1:1–2). Old Testament Background Scripture consistently requires multiple witnesses for legal confirmation (Deuteronomy 19:15). Prophetic proclamations were likewise validated by fulfilled signs (Exodus 4:1–9; 1 Kings 18:36–39). Hebrews adopts this jurisprudential principle, now applying it to the new covenant revelation: God is the corroborating party who provides incontestable evidence. Theological Significance • Revelation and Verification: The God who speaks also authenticates, maintaining harmony between word and deed (Numbers 23:19). Historical Perspective In the apostolic era, public miracles and charismatic gifts functioned as “accreditation credentials” (cf. 2 Corinthians 12:12). Early Christian writers—Justin Martyr, Irenaeus—refer to ongoing healings and deliverances as evidence of the risen Christ’s power. The concentrated occurrence of such signs during the foundational period aligns with Hebrews’ timeframe, illustrating how God “bore witness together with” the first preachers. Application for Ministry • Confidence in the Gospel: Since God has already supplied conclusive testimony, contemporary proclamation rests not on human ingenuity but on divine validation recorded in Scripture. Related Concepts and Words martureō (Strong’s 3140): to bear witness. summartureō (Strong’s 4828): to testify jointly, used in Romans 8:16 of the Spirit’s inner witness. epimartureō (Strong’s 1957): to testify further, found in Acts 10:43. See Also Luke 24:49; Acts 14:3; Romans 15:18–19; 1 Thessalonians 1:5. Englishman's Concordance Hebrews 2:4 V-PPA-GMSGRK: συνεπιμαρτυροῦντος τοῦ θεοῦ KJV: God also bearing [them] witness, both INT: bearing witness with [them] God |
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