συνείδησις (G4893) — Greek Lexicon

συνείδησις

syneídēsis

G4893 noun

SILEX Entry

Root συνειδ- to know together, to be conscious, to witness

Definition

The faculty of internal awareness or consciousness, especially concerning moral choices; an internal sense or judgment regarding the rightness or wrongness of one's actions. In some contexts, it denotes a shared or mutual awareness, or the act of being conscious of something together with others. Its primary sense is a self-aware moral consciousness, an inner judge or witness evaluating behavior or intention.

Semantic Range

consciousness, sense of right and wrong, moral awareness, conscience, internal witness, joint knowledge, shared awareness

Root / Etymology

From the verb συνείδω (to know together, to be aware jointly) with the suffix -σις, forming a noun of action or state. The first element συν- (with, together) combines with εἴδω (to see, to know), reflecting the idea of joint or internal knowing, hence 'consciousness,' 'awareness.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, συνείδησις was used to denote personal or mutual awareness, often with a sense of shared responsibility or complicity. By the Hellenistic and early Jewish periods, it developed a more inward sense, indicating a person's own awareness or consciousness, especially of moral or ethical matters. In the Septuagint, it is rare, usually translating phrases relating to inner consciousness. In the New Testament and contemporary Jewish-Greek writings, it usually refers to the moral conscience or an inner sense that approves or condemns action. The term can suggest communal as well as individual dimensions, but in most Koine sources, especially Paul's letters, it is the internal moral faculty that assesses one's own actions. Standard English translations render it as 'conscience,' but this can underplay its wider usage of self-awareness or shared consciousness. It stands in contrast to terms like διάνοια (mind, understanding) or καρδία (heart), but sometimes overlaps; συνείδησις is more focused on moral judgment than intellectual apprehension.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from a prolonged form of συνείδω; co-perception, i.e. moral consciousness:--conscience.

Root Family

συνείδησις (syneidēsis) — internal awareness, moral consciousness, joint knowing, internal witness

Word Forms

5 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	Occurrences
`G4893-04`	συνείδησιν	suneidesin	`N ACC F SG`	conscience	moral consciousness	16
`G4893-02`	συνειδήσεως	suneideseos	`N GEN F SG`	conscience	of moral consciousness	7
`G4893-01`	συνειδήσει	suneidesei	`N DAT F SG`	conscience	to conscience	3
`G4893-05`	συνείδησις	suneidesis	`N NOM F SG`	conscience	moral consciousness	3
`G4893-03`	συνειδήσεσιν	suneidesesin	`N DAT F PL`		to consciences	1

Occurrences in Scripture

30 total occurrences

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1
`G4893-01`	Acts 23:1	συνειδήσει	suneidesei	`N DAT F SG`	conscience	to conscience
`G4893-04`	Acts 24:16	συνείδησιν	suneidesin	`N ACC F SG`	conscience	moral consciousness
`G4893-02`	Romans 2:15	συνειδήσεως	suneideseos	`N GEN F SG`		of moral consciousness
`G4893-02`	Romans 9:1	συνειδήσεώς	suneideseos	`N GEN F SG`		of moral consciousness
`G4893-04`	Romans 13:5	συνείδησιν	suneidesin	`N ACC F SG`	conscience	moral consciousness
`G4893-05`	1 Corinthians 8:7	συνείδησις	suneidesis	`N NOM F SG`	conscience	moral consciousness
`G4893-05`	1 Corinthians 8:10	συνείδησις	suneidesis	`N NOM F SG`	conscience	moral consciousness
`G4893-04`	1 Corinthians 8:12	συνείδησιν	suneidesin	`N ACC F SG`	conscience	moral consciousness
`G4893-04`	1 Corinthians 10:25	συνείδησιν	suneidesin	`N ACC F SG`	conscience	moral consciousness
`G4893-04`	1 Corinthians 10:27	συνείδησιν	suneidesin	`N ACC F SG`	conscience	moral consciousness
`G4893-04`	1 Corinthians 10:28	συνείδησιν	suneidesin	`N ACC F SG`	conscience	moral consciousness
`G4893-04`	1 Corinthians 10:29	συνείδησιν	suneidesin	`N ACC F SG`	conscience	moral consciousness
`G4893-02`	1 Corinthians 10:29	συνειδήσεως	suneideseos	`N GEN F SG`	conscience	of moral consciousness
`G4893-02`	2 Corinthians 1:12	συνειδήσεως	suneideseos	`N GEN F SG`		of moral consciousness
`G4893-04`	2 Corinthians 4:2	συνείδησιν	suneidesin	`N ACC F SG`		moral consciousness
`G4893-03`	2 Corinthians 5:11	συνειδήσεσιν	suneidesesin	`N DAT F PL`		to consciences
`G4893-02`	1 Timothy 1:5	συνειδήσεως	suneideseos	`N GEN F SG`	conscience	of moral consciousness
`G4893-04`	1 Timothy 1:19	συνείδησιν	suneidesin	`N ACC F SG`	conscience	moral consciousness
`G4893-01`	1 Timothy 3:9	συνειδήσει	suneidesei	`N DAT F SG`	conscience	to conscience
`G4893-04`	1 Timothy 4:2	συνείδησιν	suneidesin	`N ACC F SG`	conscience	moral consciousness
`G4893-01`	2 Timothy 1:3	συνειδήσει	suneidesei	`N DAT F SG`	conscience	to conscience
`G4893-05`	Titus 1:15	συνείδησις	suneidesis	`N NOM F SG`	conscience	moral consciousness
`G4893-04`	Hebrews 9:9	συνείδησιν	suneidesin	`N ACC F SG`		moral consciousness
`G4893-04`	Hebrews 9:14	συνείδησιν	suneidesin	`N ACC F SG`		moral consciousness
`G4893-04`	Hebrews 10:2	συνείδησιν	suneidesin	`N ACC F SG`		moral consciousness
`G4893-02`	Hebrews 10:22	συνειδήσεως	suneideseos	`N GEN F SG`		of moral consciousness
`G4893-04`	Hebrews 13:18	συνείδησιν	suneidesin	`N ACC F SG`	conscience	moral consciousness
`G4893-04`	1 Peter 2:19	συνείδησιν	suneidesin	`N ACC F SG`	conscience	moral consciousness
`G4893-04`	1 Peter 3:16	συνείδησιν	suneidesin	`N ACC F SG`	conscience	moral consciousness
`G4893-02`	1 Peter 3:21	συνειδήσεως	suneideseos	`N GEN F SG`	of conscience	of moral consciousness

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