ὁμολογέω (homologeō)
homologeō
to confess/profess
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 23 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb homologeō describes a public agreement or acknowledgment, rooted in the idea of saying the same thing as another. It moves beyond private belief to open declaration, often used when someone admits guilt, affirms a truth, or pledges loyalty. In the New Testament, it appears frequently in contexts where faith requires visible testimony rather than silent conviction.
A key distinction lies in its use for both confession of sin and profession of faith. For instance, 1 John 1:9 links it to admitting wrongdoing before God, while Matthew 10:32 connects it to acknowledging Christ before others. This dual usage shows that true alignment with God involves both honesty about one’s state and boldness in declaring allegiance.
The word carries legal and relational weight, appearing in papyri as formal agreements or receipts. In Scripture, this translates into a confident stance: believers are called to stand with truth, even under pressure. Translators often render it “confess” or “profess,” capturing its forceful, public nature.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word homologeō carries the sense of saying the same thing as another. It moves beyond private belief to open declaration, often used when someone admits guilt or affirms a truth. In the New Testament, it appears frequently in contexts where faith requires visible testimony rather than silent conviction.
This dual usage shows that true alignment with God involves both honesty about one’s state and boldness in declaring allegiance. For instance, 1 John 1:9 links it to admitting wrongdoing before God, while Matthew 10:32 connects it to acknowledging Christ before others. This word carries legal and relational weight, appearing in papyri as formal agreements or receipts.
In Scripture, this translates into a confident stance: believers are called to stand with truth, even under pressure. Translators often render it “confess” or “profess,” capturing its forceful, public nature. You can find comfort in knowing that your faith is not meant to be hidden but shared openly.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 23 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- will confess3×
- confessing3×
- shall confess2×
- confesses2×
- you shall confess1×
- we shall confess1×
- they were confessing,1×
- they profess1×
- may confess1×
- is confession1×
- he promised1×
- he confessed1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ὡμολόγησεν4×
- ὁμολογήσῃ3×
- ὁμολογήσω3×
- ὁμολογήσει2×
- ὁμολογοῦσιν2×
- ὁμολογεῖ2×
- ὡμολόγουν,1×
- ὡμολόγησας1×
- ὁμολογῶν1×
- ὁμολογῶμεν1×
- ὁμολογῶ1×
- ὁμολογήσῃς1×
Key Verses
-
Matthew 10:32
Everyone therefore who confesses me before men, I will also confess him before my Father who is in heaven.
This verse highlights the reciprocal nature of confession, where acknowledging Christ publicly leads to His acknowledgment of us before the Father.
-
Romans 10:9
that if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Here, confession is linked directly to salvation, emphasizing that verbal declaration of Jesus as Lord is integral to the belief process.
-
Hebrews 13:15
Through him, then, let’s offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of lips which proclaim allegiance to his name.
The author redefines confession as a sacrifice of praise, framing it as a continuous offering of lips that proclaim allegiance to God’s name.