ἀρνέομαι (arneomai)
arneomai
to deny
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 30 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The Greek verb arneomai means to deny, say no, or refuse to acknowledge someone or something. In the New Testament it appears 30 times, often in the Gospels and pastoral epistles. It is used both absolutely, as when Peter denies knowing Jesus (Matthew 26:70), and with an object, such as disowning Christ (Matthew 10:33) or rejecting false teachers (Titus 1:16). The word carries a strong sense of public repudiation.
A notable shift occurs in later Greek usage, where arneomai takes a personal object to mean “disown” or “refuse to acknowledge.” This is seen when Jesus warns that he will disown those who deny him before others (Luke 12:9). The term also appears in ethical contexts, urging believers to renounce ungodliness (Titus 2:12) or self-interest (Luke 9:23). Its force lies not merely in speech but in decisive action that contradicts prior allegiance.
The word’s theological weight is evident in how it frames loyalty. To arneomai Christ is to break a fundamental bond, while to arneomai oneself is to embrace a new identity rooted in discipleship. Translators typically render it “deny,” though the Greek implies a deeper rupture than simple verbal negation. This verb captures the cost of following Jesus in a world that opposes him.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word arneomai describes a decisive act of repudiation, often involving a public refusal to acknowledge someone or something previously claimed. In the Gospels, we see this in Peter’s painful denial of Jesus, where fear overrode his loyalty. Yet the same word also appears in calls to discipleship, urging believers to deny themselves and take up their cross. This dual usage shows that arneomai is not just about rejecting falsehood, but actively choosing a new allegiance rooted in Christ.
For your faith life, this means that following Jesus may require saying no to things that compete for your heart. It invites you to examine where your actions might contradict your profession of faith. When Christians face pressure to compromise, arneomai reminds us that true loyalty involves both rejecting ungodliness and embracing the identity found in Christ. This is not a burden, but a path to deeper freedom and peace.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 30 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- denied4×
- he denied3×
- will deny2×
- having denied2×
- denying2×
- you will deny1×
- you have denied1×
- we will deny [Him],1×
- to deny [it];1×
- to deny1×
- they rejected1×
- they deny [Him]1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἠρνήσατο8×
- ἀρνούμενος3×
- ἠρνήσω2×
- ἠρνήσασθε2×
- ἤρνηται1×
- ἠρνήσαντο1×
- ἠρνημένοι.1×
- ἠρνεῖτο.1×
- ἀρνήσῃ1×
- ἀρνήσομαι1×
- ἀρνήσηταί1×
- ἀρνήσεται1×
Key Verses
-
Matthew 10:33
But whoever denies me before men, I will also deny him before my Father who is in heaven.
This verse establishes the reciprocal nature of loyalty, warning that denying Christ publicly leads to His denial before the Father.
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Luke 9:23
He said to all, “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.
Here arneomai is used reflexively, linking self-denial directly to the cost of discipleship and cross-bearing.
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Titus 2:12
instructing us to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we would live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age;
The word illustrates how denying ungodliness is the practical means by which believers live godly lives in the present age.
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II Timothy 2:13
If we are faithless, he remains faithful; for he can’t deny himself.”
This unique occurrence highlights God’s faithfulness to His own nature, contrasting human failure with divine constancy.