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ἐπαγγελία

epangelía

G1860 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A declaration or announcement, particularly a pledge or promise given by one party to another; in specialized contexts, a solemn or binding assurance of action, benefit, or obligation, often characterized by formal commitment. In Hellenistic and Koine Greek, frequently used for commitments made by authorities, teachers, or divine sources, especially assurances of future benefit or fulfillment.

Semantic Range

announcement, declaration, (legal) pledge, formal promise, assurance, divine promise, solemn commitment

Root / Etymology

From ἐπαγγέλλω (epangéllō, 'to announce, proclaim, promise'). The term is built from the preposition ἐπί ('upon, over') and the verb ἀγγέλλω ('to announce, proclaim'), with the nominal ending -ία, forming an abstract noun indicating the act or result of promising. Root: ἐπαγγελ-

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, ἐπαγγελία can refer to any announcement or public proclamation, with a general sense of reporting information or making a declaration. In the Hellenistic period and later, the sense shifts towards a legal or formal promise, often involving obligations or guarantees. In documentary papyri, ἐπαγγελία frequently denotes formal pledges, oaths, or financial obligations. In the Septuagint, the term is sometimes used to translate Hebrew words for divine promises or covenants, especially God's assurances to the patriarchs or Israel; this shapes its semantic field in the New Testament, where it predominantly refers to divine promises—particularly promises given by God concerning salvation, inheritance, or the Messiah. Unlike the broad English term 'promise,' ἐπαγγελία may imply a formal or covenantal framework. Standard English translations as 'promise' often obscure the legal or solemn sense inherent in many occurrences. Distinct from λύσις ('release') or δέσμευση ('commitment, obligation') in Greek, ἐπαγγελία emphasizes the declarative, future-oriented character of the assurance. The term receives additional theological weight in the New Testament, but fundamentally denotes a binding declaration or pledge, not only in religious contexts but also in secular and legal documents of the era.

Translation Consistency

primary "promise" 50 occurrences

'Promise' best captures the typical and widest use of ἐπαγγελία — a pledge/assurance often pointing to a future benefit (including divine promises). It is the most natural, common English equivalent in translation, covers legal/solemn senses, and can be inflected for number and possessives while keeping a single consistent base word.

✓ All renderings match approved senses

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from ἐπαγγέλλω; an announcement (for information, assent or pledge; especially a divine assurance of good):--message, promise.

Root Family

ἐπαγγελ- (epangelía) — to announce, to promise, to declare

Root ἐπαγγελ- to announce, to promise, to declare
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
G1862 ἐπάγγελμα a formal pledge
G4279 προεπαγγέλλομαι he pledged beforehand

Word Forms

6 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G1860-05 ἐπαγγελίας epaggelias N GEN F SG promise of a solemn promise of a solemn promise 23
G1860-04 ἐπαγγελίαν epaggelian N ACC F SG promise solemn promise a solemn promise 16
G1860-01 ἐπαγγελία epaggelia N NOM F SG promise solemn promise the solemn promise 7
G1860-02 ἐπαγγελίαι epaggeliai N NOM F PL promises solemn promises solemn promises 3
G1860-06 ἐπαγγελιῶν epaggelion N GEN F PL promises of solemn promises of solemn promises 2
G1860-03 ἐπαγγελίαις epaggeliais N DAT F PL promises to the solemn promises promises 1

Occurrences in Scripture

52 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G1860-04 Luke 24:49 ἐπαγγελίαν epaggelian N ACC F SG promise solemn promise a solemn promise
G1860-04 Acts 1:4 ἐπαγγελίαν epaggelian N ACC F SG promise solemn promise a solemn promise
G1860-04 Acts 2:33 ἐπαγγελίαν epaggelian N ACC F SG promise solemn promise a solemn promise
G1860-01 Acts 2:39 ἐπαγγελία epaggelia N NOM F SG promise solemn promise the solemn promise
G1860-05 Acts 7:17 ἐπαγγελίας epaggelias N GEN F SG promise of a solemn promise of a solemn promise
G1860-04 Acts 13:23 ἐπαγγελίαν epaggelian N ACC F SG promise solemn promise a solemn promise
G1860-04 Acts 13:32 ἐπαγγελίαν epaggelian N ACC F SG promise solemn promise a solemn promise
G1860-04 Acts 23:21 ἐπαγγελίαν epaggelian N ACC F SG promise solemn promise a solemn promise
G1860-05 Acts 26:6 ἐπαγγελίας epaggelias N GEN F SG promise of a solemn promise of a solemn promise
G1860-01 Romans 4:13 ἐπαγγελία epaggelia N NOM F SG promise solemn promise the solemn promise
G1860-01 Romans 4:14 ἐπαγγελία epaggelia N NOM F SG promise solemn promise the solemn promise
G1860-04 Romans 4:16 ἐπαγγελίαν epaggelian N ACC F SG promise solemn promise a solemn promise
G1860-04 Romans 4:20 ἐπαγγελίαν epaggelian N ACC F SG promise solemn promise a solemn promise
G1860-02 Romans 9:4 ἐπαγγελίαι epaggeliai N NOM F PL promises solemn promises solemn promises
G1860-05 Romans 9:8 ἐπαγγελίας epaggelias N GEN F SG promise of a solemn promise of a solemn promise
G1860-05 Romans 9:9 ἐπαγγελίας epaggelias N GEN F SG of promise of a solemn promise of a solemn promise
G1860-05 Romans 15:8 ἐπαγγελίας epaggelias N ACC F PL promises of a solemn promise promises
G1860-02 2 Corinthians 1:20 ἐπαγγελίαι epaggeliai N NOM F PL promises solemn promises solemn promises
G1860-05 2 Corinthians 7:1 ἐπαγγελίας epaggelias N ACC F PL promises of a solemn promise promises
G1860-04 Galatians 3:14 ἐπαγγελίαν epaggelian N ACC F SG promise solemn promise a solemn promise
G1860-02 Galatians 3:16 ἐπαγγελίαι epaggeliai N NOM F PL promises solemn promises solemn promises
G1860-04 Galatians 3:17 ἐπαγγελίαν epaggelian N ACC F SG promise solemn promise a solemn promise
G1860-05 Galatians 3:18 ἐπαγγελίας epaggelias N GEN F SG promise of a solemn promise of a solemn promise
G1860-05 Galatians 3:18 ἐπαγγελίας epaggelias-2 N GEN F SG promise of a solemn promise of a solemn promise
G1860-06 Galatians 3:21 ἐπαγγελιῶν epaggelion N GEN F PL promises of solemn promises of solemn promises
G1860-01 Galatians 3:22 ἐπαγγελία epaggelia N NOM F SG promise solemn promise the solemn promise
G1860-04 Galatians 3:29 ἐπαγγελίαν epaggelian N ACC F SG the promise solemn promise a solemn promise
G1860-05 Galatians 4:23 ἐπαγγελίας epaggelias N GEN F SG promise of a solemn promise of a solemn promise
G1860-05 Galatians 4:28 ἐπαγγελίας epaggelias N GEN F SG promise of a solemn promise of a solemn promise
G1860-05 Ephesians 1:13 ἐπαγγελίας epaggelias N GEN F SG promise of a solemn promise of a solemn promise
G1860-05 Ephesians 2:12 ἐπαγγελίας epaggelias N GEN F SG promise of a solemn promise of a solemn promise
G1860-05 Ephesians 3:6 ἐπαγγελίας epaggelias N GEN F SG promise of a solemn promise of a solemn promise
G1860-01 Ephesians 6:2 ἐπαγγελίᾳ epaggelia N DAT F SG promise solemn promise the solemn promise
G1860-04 1 Timothy 4:8 ἐπαγγελίαν epaggelian N ACC F SG promise solemn promise a solemn promise
G1860-04 2 Timothy 1:1 ἐπαγγελίαν epaggelian N ACC F SG the promise solemn promise a solemn promise
G1860-05 Hebrews 4:1 ἐπαγγελίας epaggelias N GEN F SG a promise of a solemn promise of a solemn promise
G1860-05 Hebrews 6:12 ἐπαγγελίας epaggelias N ACC F PL promises of a solemn promise of a solemn promise
G1860-05 Hebrews 6:15 ἐπαγγελίας epaggelias N GEN F SG promise of a solemn promise of a solemn promise
G1860-05 Hebrews 6:17 ἐπαγγελίας epaggelias N GEN F SG promise of a solemn promise of a solemn promise
G1860-05 Hebrews 7:6 ἐπαγγελίας epaggelias N ACC F PL promises of a solemn promise promises
G1860-03 Hebrews 8:6 ἐπαγγελίαις epaggeliais N DAT F PL promises to the solemn promises promises
G1860-04 Hebrews 9:15 ἐπαγγελίαν epaggelian N ACC F SG promise solemn promise a solemn promise
G1860-04 Hebrews 10:36 ἐπαγγελίαν epaggelian N ACC F SG promise solemn promise a solemn promise
G1860-05 Hebrews 11:9 ἐπαγγελίας epaggelias N GEN F SG promise of a solemn promise of a solemn promise
G1860-05 Hebrews 11:9 ἐπαγγελίας epaggelias-2 N GEN F SG promise of a solemn promise of a solemn promise
G1860-05 Hebrews 11:13 ἐπαγγελίας epaggelias N ACC F PL promises of a solemn promise of a solemn promise
G1860-05 Hebrews 11:17 ἐπαγγελίας epaggelias N ACC F PL promises of a solemn promise of promises
G1860-06 Hebrews 11:33 ἐπαγγελιῶν epaggelion N GEN F PL promises of solemn promises of solemn promises
G1860-04 Hebrews 11:39 ἐπαγγελίαν epaggelian N ACC F SG promise solemn promise a solemn promise
G1860-01 2 Peter 3:4 ἐπαγγελία epaggelia N NOM F SG promise solemn promise the solemn promise
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