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ᾄδω

áidō

G103 verb

SILEX Entry

Root ᾄδ- to sing, to chant

Definition

To sing; to produce musical tones with the voice, often to words or melodies. The primary sense is the act of singing, whether alone or in group, and is used in both secular and sacred contexts. In literary contexts, may refer to chanting or reciting in a melodic manner.

Semantic Range

to sing, to chant, to recite in song, to perform vocally, to celebrate in verse

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root ᾄδ-; ultimately of uncertain pre-Greek origin, though attested from earliest Greek literatures. No certain Hebrew or Aramaic cognate.

Historical & Contextual Notes

ᾄδω is an ancient Greek verb, present in Homeric and classical literature, where it describes singing, particularly epic poetry or songs honoring the gods, heroes, or communal events. In the Septuagint, ᾄδω commonly renders Hebrew שִׁיר (shir, to sing), used in psalms and temple contexts. In the New Testament, it appears in settings emphasizing public or communal singing, especially in relation to praise or worship (e.g., Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16). It can be distinguished from ψάλλω (psallō), which originally referred to plucking a stringed instrument and later came to mean 'to sing with accompaniment'; ᾄδω generally emphasizes vocal performance, regardless of accompaniment. Standard English translations with 'sing' or 'sing praise' capture the core sense, but miss possible reference to recitative performance or poetic declamation in older texts. The term does not inherently specify sacred or secular music; the context determines such distinctions.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primary verb; to sing:--sing.

Root Family

ᾄδω (aidō) — to sing, to chant, to recite in song

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
G103-02 ᾄδουσιν adousin V PRS ACT IND 3P PL they sing they are singing 3
G103-01 ᾄδοντες adontes V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M PL singing singing 2

Occurrences in Scripture

5 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
G103-01 Ephesians 5:19 ᾄδοντες adontes V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M PL singing singing
G103-01 Colossians 3:16 ᾄδοντες adontes V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M PL singing singing
G103-02 Revelation 5:9 ᾄδουσιν adousin V PRS ACT IND 3P PL they are singing
G103-02 Revelation 14:3 ᾄδουσιν adousin V PRS ACT IND 3P PL they sing they are singing
G103-02 Revelation 15:3 ᾄδουσιν adousin V PRS ACT IND 3P PL they sing they are singing
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