ὅλος (holos)
holos
all
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 102 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The Greek word holos conveys the idea of something being whole, entire, or complete in every part. It is a primary adjective used to describe persons and things that are undivided or fully intact. In the New Testament, it appears frequently in the Gospels and Acts, often translating the Hebrew concept of "all" or "totality." The sources highlight its use with both definite and indefinite nouns, allowing it to specify either a specific whole entity or an indefinite complete amount.
A notable feature of holos is its flexibility in placement. It can precede the noun it modifies, follow it, or even stand between the article and the noun when describing abstract concepts. This structural variety allows for nuanced emphasis on completeness. For instance, it describes Jesus healing "all" who were sick (Matthew 4:24) and Paul noting that the whole world was deceived (Revelation 12:9). It also appears in phrases like "the whole city" (Acts 21:31), stressing the totality of a group or location.
Its etymology as a primary word underscores its fundamental nature in Greek expression. Unlike other terms that might imply a collection of parts, holos emphasizes the integrity of the whole. Translators render it variously as "all," "whole," or "entire" depending on context. This precision helps readers grasp the full scope of biblical statements, whether referring to a person’s entire body or the complete duration of an event.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word holos reminds us that God’s care is never partial or fragmented. When Scripture speaks of Jesus healing 'all' who were sick, it points to a completeness in His compassion that leaves no one behind. This wholeness extends beyond physical health; it invites us into a life where every part of our being—mind, soul, and strength—is engaged with God.
In moments when we feel broken or divided, this term offers a quiet assurance. It suggests that redemption aims for integrity, restoring the full person rather than just fixing isolated problems. We are invited to bring our entire selves to Him, trusting that His grace is sufficient for the whole of our existence, not merely the parts we can easily present.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 102 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- all85×
- whole16×
- all.4×
- entirely2×
- wholly;1×
- wholly1×
- whole,1×
- of all1×
- all,1×
- [the] whole1×
- [is] full1×
- All1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ὅλον33×
- ὅλης20×
- ὅλην19×
- ὅλῃ14×
- ὅλη8×
- ὅλῳ6×
- ὅλος4×
- ὅλου2×
- ὅλον.¶2×
- ὅλην,2×
- ὅλους1×
- ὅλου.1×
Key Verses
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Matthew 22:37
Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
This verse defines the scope of love for God as total, requiring the engagement of every faculty rather than a portion of our devotion.
-
Matthew 4:24
The report about him went out into all Syria. They brought to him all who were sick, afflicted with various diseases and torments, possessed with demons, epileptics, and paralytics; and he healed them.
The use here emphasizes the breadth of Jesus' ministry, showing that His healing power reached every category of illness without exception.
-
Matthew 5:29
If your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna.
Here the word highlights the value of the whole person over a single part, illustrating the serious cost of sin on our entire being.
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Mark 1:33
All the city was gathered together at the door.
This occurrence captures the communal response to Jesus, showing how His presence gathered the entire community in expectation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between holos and pas?
How does this word apply to my daily walk with God?
Where does this word appear most frequently?
Every Occurrence (102 verses across 16 books)
Matthew 21 verses
Now all this has happened that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying,
Matthew 4:23Jesus went about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the Good News of the Kingdom, and healing…
Matthew 4:24The report about him went out into all Syria. They brought to him all who were sick, afflicted with various diseases…
Matthew 5:29If your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you…
Matthew 5:30If your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off, and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you…
Matthew 6:22“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light.
Matthew 6:23But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness,…
Matthew 9:26The report of this went out into all that land.
Matthew 9:31But they went out and spread abroad his fame in all that land.
Matthew 13:33He spoke another parable to them. “The Kingdom of Heaven is like yeast which a woman took and hid in three measures of…
Matthew 14:35When the people of that place recognized him, they sent into all that surrounding region and brought to him all who…
Matthew 16:26For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what will a man give in exchange…
Matthew 20:6About the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle. He said to them, ‘Why do you stand here all day…
Matthew 21:4All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying,
Matthew 22:37Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
Matthew 22:40The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”
Matthew 24:14This Good News of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world for a testimony to all the nations, and then the end…
Matthew 26:13Most certainly I tell you, wherever this Good News is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also…
Matthew 26:56But all this has happened that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and…
Matthew 26:59Now the chief priests, the elders, and the whole council sought false testimony against Jesus, that they might put him…
Matthew 27:27Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium, and gathered the whole garrison together against him.