ἀκροατής (akroatēs)
akroatēs
hearer
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 4 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun akroatēs simply means a hearer or listener. In the New Testament, it appears only four times, primarily in James and Romans. The word describes someone who receives spoken words through their ears, focusing on the act of listening rather than any deeper internal processing.
Its most significant usage occurs in James 1:22-25, where the author contrasts being merely a hearer with being a doer of the word. Here, the term highlights a passive role; one who listens but does not act remains self-deceived. This distinction underscores that hearing alone, without corresponding action, is incomplete.
Etymologically, the word derives from akroaomai, meaning to listen intently. While it implies attention, the lexical data shows it does not inherently guarantee understanding or obedience. In Romans 2:13, Paul uses a related concept to argue that hearing the law without keeping it brings no justification, reinforcing the idea that the listener’s response is what ultimately matters.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word for 'hearer' reminds us that listening is only the first step in our walk with God. It describes someone who receives a message, but it does not guarantee that the message changes their life. In James 1:22, we are gently reminded that hearing alone can lead to self-deception if it does not lead to action. This is not about earning salvation through hard work, but about letting truth take root in your daily habits.
When we read Scripture or listen to teaching, the goal is not just to fill our ears with good words. The blessing comes when we let those words shape how we treat others and how we face challenges. It is a simple invitation: do not just absorb the message, but live it out. This active faith brings peace and stability, grounding your life in something real rather than fleeting thoughts.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 4 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- hearers2×
- a hearer2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἀκροατὴς2×
- ἀκροαταὶ2×
Key Verses
-
James 1:22
But be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves.
This verse sets the main theme by warning that passive listening without action leads to self-deception.
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James 1:23
For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his natural face in a mirror;
The metaphor of a mirror shows how a hearer might see the truth clearly but then walk away unchanged.
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James 1:25
But he who looks into the perfect law of freedom and continues, not being a hearer who forgets but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in what he does.
Here the word is contrasted with being a 'doer,' linking true blessing to consistent application of God's law.
-
Romans 2:13
For it isn’t the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be justified
Paul uses this concept to show that intellectual knowledge of God's standards does not make one right with Him.