ἀνθομολογέομαι (anthomologeomai)
anthomologeomai
to praise
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb anthomologeomai carries the sense of giving thanks or praising in response to what God has done. Its structure combines a prefix meaning "in return" with a root meaning "to confess" or "speak openly." This creates a picture of reciprocal speech: humanity acknowledging God’s goodness, and God’s grace prompting that acknowledgment.
In the New Testament, this word appears only once, in Luke 2:38. The prophetess Anna, after seeing the infant Jesus, "gave thanks" (anthomologeomai) to God and spoke about Him to all who were looking for redemption in Jerusalem. The context suggests her praise was not a private thought but a public declaration, fitting the word’s nuance of open confession.
While similar to the more common verb for thanksgiving, eucharisteō, anthomologeomai emphasizes the responsive nature of praise. It is less about a general state of gratitude and more about a specific act of acknowledging God’s character in light of His actions. For readers, it highlights that true thanksgiving often involves speaking out loud, turning personal relief into public testimony.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word anthomologeomai describes a specific kind of praise that arises in response to God’s actions. It combines the idea of speaking openly with the sense of giving something back. When we encounter God’s goodness, this word suggests our natural reaction is to declare it aloud, turning personal gratitude into public testimony.
In Luke 2:38, Anna uses this term after seeing the infant Jesus. Her thanksgiving was not a quiet thought but an active declaration to others seeking redemption. This reminds us that praise often grows from recognition of what God has already done for us, inviting us to share that hope with those around us.
May your own moments of recognizing God’s faithfulness lead you to speak His goodness openly, finding joy in the simple act of giving thanks and sharing that light with others.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- she was giving praise1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἀνθωμολογεῖτο1×
Key Verses
-
Luke 2:38
Coming up at that very hour, she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of him to all those who were looking for redemption in Jerusalem.
This verse shows Anna using the word to describe her immediate, public declaration of thanks upon seeing Jesus, highlighting the responsive and outward nature of her praise.