ἀνθομολογέομαι
anthomologéomai
G437 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To express agreement or acknowledgment in response, especially in the form of praise or thanks; to join in expressing recognition or gratitude, often antiphonally or as a response to another’s speech or praise. The word denotes the act of affirming or confessing together in response with others, particularly in the sense of reciprocating or echoing praise or thanksgiving.
Semantic Range
to respond in praise, to give thanks in reply, to join in public thanksgiving, to echo acknowledgment or praise, to confess or acknowledge reciprocally
Root / Etymology
From the preposition ἀντί ('in return, in response') and the middle voice of ὁμολογέω ('to confess, to acknowledge, to agree'). The compound thus literally means 'to confess or agree in response/to one another.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
In extant Greek literature, ἀνθομολογέομαι is rare and primarily attested in literary Koine, including Septuagintal and early Christian/Hellenistic Jewish contexts. It appears with the specific sense of responding in agreement, especially in acts of public praise or thanksgiving—such as liturgical settings where one party expresses thanks and another responds with a confirming or echoing acknowledgment. The term is typically used in reference to communal or reciprocal acts of thanksgiving, often within structured worship or ritual contexts. In the New Testament, it is found in Luke 2:38, where it refers to Anna responding with public thanksgiving to God. English translations often render this as 'give thanks,' 'praise,' or 'acknowledge with thanks,' but typically do not capture the full nuance of responsive or antiphonal expression inherent in the Greek compound. The word implies more than personal gratitude; it is a public or communal acknowledgment, coordinated with the gratitude or praise of others. Distinct from simple ὁμολογέω, which means 'to confess, agree,' the prefix ἀντί adds the sense of mutuality or response.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from ἀντί and the middle voice of ὁμολογέω; to confess in turn, i.e. respond in praise:--give thanks.
Root Family
ἀνθομολογέομαι (anthomologeomai) — confess, agree, acknowledge in response
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G437-01 |
ἀνθωμολογεῖτο | anthomologeito | V IMPF MID IND 3P SG |
she began to give thanks | was responding in praise | she responded in praise | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G437-01 |
Luke 2:38 | ἀνθωμολογεῖτο | anthomologeito | V IMPF MID IND 3P SG |
she began to give thanks | was responding in praise | she responded in praise |