καλέω (kaleō)
kaleō
to call: call
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 139 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb kaleō means to call, summon, or invite. It covers everyday actions like calling out a name (Matthew 1:21) and summoning people for a task (Matthew 20:8). In social contexts, it describes inviting guests to a banquet, as seen in the parable of the wedding feast (Matthew 22:3).
In the New Testament, kaleō carries deep theological weight. It often refers to God’s sovereign invitation to salvation. Paul writes that those God justifies, He also calls (Romans 8:30). This divine calling is not merely a verbal announcement but an effective summons that brings people into relationship with Christ.
The word appears frequently in the Gospels and Acts, highlighting both literal summoning and spiritual invitation. Translators usually render it as "call" or "invite," preserving its dual sense of naming and drawing near.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Greek word kaleō appears throughout the New Testament with a rich range of meanings. It describes everyday actions like calling out a name or summoning someone for a task. In social settings, it invites guests to a banquet. Yet its deepest significance lies in how God uses this word to draw people into relationship with Himself.
When Paul writes that God justifies those He calls, he points to an effective summons that brings believers into Christ. This divine calling is not merely a verbal announcement but an invitation that transforms lives. From Jesus naming His disciples to inviting the marginalized to His table, kaleō reveals God’s desire for connection.
For your faith, this word offers comfort and hope. You are known by name and invited into belonging. Whether you feel distant or close, God’s call remains steady and gracious. It invites you to respond with trust and open your heart to His presence.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 139 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- is being called14×
- being called10×
- is called7×
- having called7×
- to call6×
- invited6×
- you were called5×
- to be called5×
- will be called4×
- having invited4×
- calling4×
- you will call3×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- καλούμενον11×
- ἐκάλεσεν8×
- καλούμενος7×
- καλέσας6×
- κληθήσεται5×
- ἐκλήθητε4×
- καλέσαντος4×
- καλέσαι4×
- καλεῖται4×
- ἐκλήθητε,3×
- ἐκλήθη3×
- κληθῆναι3×
Key Verses
-
Matthew 1:21
She shall give birth to a son. You shall name him Jesus, for it is he who shall save his people from their sins.”
This verse shows kaleō used for naming, linking identity with purpose as Jesus is called to save.
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Matthew 4:21
Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them.
Here Jesus calls disciples away from their work, illustrating the personal summons that defines Christian following.
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Matthew 9:13
But you go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
Jesus declares He came to call sinners, highlighting kaleō’s role in extending grace to the broken and lost.
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Matthew 22:9
Go therefore to the intersections of the highways, and as many as you may find, invite to the wedding feast.’
In this parable, the master calls everyone he finds, showing the universal scope of God’s invitation to salvation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does kaleō mean in the New Testament?
How is divine calling different from a simple verbal announcement?
Where does kaleō appear most frequently in the Gospels?
Every Occurrence (139 verses across 20 books)
Matthew 24 verses
She shall give birth to a son. You shall name him Jesus, for it is he who shall save his people from their sins.”
Matthew 1:23“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall give birth to a son. They shall call his name Immanuel,” which is,…
Matthew 1:25and didn’t know her sexually until she had given birth to her firstborn son. He named him Jesus.
Matthew 2:7Then Herod secretly called the wise men, and learned from them exactly what time the star appeared.
Matthew 2:15and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet,…
Matthew 2:23and came and lived in a city called Nazareth; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophets that he…
Matthew 4:21Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with…
Matthew 5:9Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.
Matthew 5:19Therefore, whoever shall break one of these least commandments and teach others to do so, shall be called least in the…
Matthew 9:13But you go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ for I came not to call the righteous, but…
Matthew 20:8“When evening had come, the lord of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages,…
Matthew 21:13He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers!”
Matthew 22:3and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come.
Matthew 22:4Again he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner. My cattle…
Matthew 22:8“Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited weren’t worthy.
Matthew 22:9Go therefore to the intersections of the highways, and as many as you may find, invite to the wedding feast.’
Matthew 22:43He said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call him Lord, saying,
Matthew 22:45“If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?”
Matthew 23:7the salutations in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi, Rabbi’ by men.
Matthew 23:8But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi’, for one is your teacher, the Christ, and all of you are brothers.
Matthew 23:9Call no man on the earth your father, for one is your Father, he who is in heaven.
Matthew 23:10Neither be called masters, for one is your master, the Christ.
Matthew 25:14“For it is like a man going into another country, who called his own servants and entrusted his goods to them.
Matthew 27:8Therefore that field has been called “The Field of Blood” to this day.