ἀρνέομαι (G720) — Greek Lexicon

ἀρνέομαι

arnéomai

G720 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To repudiate, deny, or refuse a claim, assertion, or association; to state that something is not true or to disown a person or fact. The primary sense is to deny or contradict, either in word or by disavowal of relationship or acknowledgement. Can extend to rejecting authority, refusing assent, or disowning a person or group.

Semantic Range

to deny (a statement or claim), to disavow (relationship or association), to refuse (to grant, accept, or acknowledge), to reject, to decline, to disclaim

Root / Etymology

From the negative ἀ- (a-, 'not') and stem related to ῥέω (rheo, 'to speak, say'), though the precise root is debated; possibly related to earlier Greek ἀρνέομαι (to refuse, decline) with uncertain connection to ῥέω. The etymology is ultimately uncertain.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, ἀρνέομαι signified 'to refuse' or 'decline' (an offer, request, or role), often within legal or formal settings. By the Hellenistic and Koine period, its scope expanded prominently to include denial of statements, facts, or personal associations (e.g., denying knowledge of a person), as observed in Acts and the Gospels (e.g., Peter's denial of Jesus). In both the Septuagint and the New Testament, it can indicate the formal renunciation or rejection of religious or communal ties, not necessarily a categorical lie but a distancing or disavowal under pressure. Standard English renderings such as 'deny,' 'refuse,' or 'disown' capture many core uses but sometimes flatten the nuance: the term can be used for explicit verbal denial, but in some contexts also carries the sense of existential or communal rejection (for instance, the legal or social implications of denying a relationship).

Translation Consistency

primary "deny" 15 occurrences

'Deny' is the most natural, common English verb that covers the primary SILEX sense (to repudiate or state that something is not true) and also reasonably conveys disavowal/disowning in typical contexts. It matches the majority of existing renderings ("denied/deny") and provides consistent, idiomatic translations for all forms.

Alternatives (18 occurrences):

"denied" (11x) "(plural) denied" (2x) "disowning" (1x) "having disavowed" (1x) "disowned" (1x) "having disowned" (1x) "having denied" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

perhaps from Α (as a negative particle) and the middle voice of ῥέω; to contradict, i.e. disavow, reject, abnegate:--deny, refuse.

Root Family

ἀρνέομαι (arneomai) — to deny, to refuse, to repudiate

Root ἀρν- to deny, to refuse, to repudiate

Word Forms

20 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`G720-18`	ἠρνήσατο	ernesato	`V AOR MID IND 3P SG`	he denied	he disavowed	he denied	8
`G720-12`	ἀρνούμενος	arnoumenos	`V PRS MID PTCP NOM M SG`	denying	one who is denying	one who is denying	3
`G720-19`	ἠρνήσω	erneso	`V AOR MID IND 2P SG`	have denied	you denied	you denied	2
`G720-10`	ἀρνούμενοι	arnoumenoi	`V PRS MID PTCP NOM M PL`	denying	those disowning	those denying	2
`G720-07`	ἀρνήσηταί	arnesetai	`V AOR MID SUBJ 3P SG`	deny	he/she might deny	he/she might deny	2
`G720-17`	ἠρνήσασθε	ernesasthe	`V AOR MID IND 2P PL`	denied	you repudiated	you (plural) denied	2
`G720-08`	ἀρνήσομαι	arnesomai	`V FUT MID IND 1P SG`	I will deny	I will deny	I will deny	1
`G720-14`	ἠρνεῖτο	erneito	`V IMPF MID IND 3P SG`	he denied	he was denying	he was denying	1
`G720-03`	ἀρνησάμενός	arnesamenos	`V AOR MID PTCP NOM M SG`	denies	having disavowed	having disavowed	1
`G720-06`	ἀρνήσῃ	arnese	`V FUT MID IND 2P SG`	deny	you will deny	you will deny	1
`G720-02`	ἀρνησάμενοι	arnesamenoi	`V AOR MID PTCP NOM M PL`	deny	having denied themselves	having denied	1
`G720-16`	ἠρνήσαντο	ernesanto	`V AOR MID IND 3P PL`	they disowned	they denied for themselves	they disowned	1
`G720-05`	ἀρνησάσθω	arnesastho	`V AOR MID IMP 3P SG`	let him deny	let him disown	let him deny	1
`G720-04`	ἀρνήσασθαι	arnesasthai	`V AOR MID INF`	to deny	to deny	to deny	1
`G720-09`	ἀρνησόμεθα	arnesometha	`V FUT MID IND 1P PL`	we deny him	we will deny	we deny	1
`G720-20`	ἤρνηται	ernetai	`V PRF MID IND 3P SG`	has denied	has denied	has denied	1
`G720-11`	ἀρνουμένων	arnoumenon	`V PRS MID PTCP GEN M PL`	denying	of those disowning	disowning	1
`G720-01`	ἀρνεῖσθαι	arneisthai	`V PRS MID INF`	to deny	to deny, disown	to deny	1
`G720-15`	ἠρνημένοι	ernemenoi	`V PRF MID PTCP NOM M PL`	having denied	having disowned	having disowned	1
`G720-13`	ἀρνοῦνται	arnountai	`V PRS MID IND 3P PL`	they deny	they were denying	they deny	1

Occurrences in Scripture

33 occurrences

Filter by SIDANCE:

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`G720-07`	Matthew 10:33	ἀρνήσηταί	arnesetai	`V AOR MID SUBJ 3P SG`	deny	he/she might deny	he/she might deny
`G720-08`	Matthew 10:33	ἀρνήσομαι	arnesomai	`V FUT MID IND 1P SG`	I will deny	I will deny	I will deny
`G720-18`	Matthew 26:70	ἠρνήσατο	ernesato	`V AOR MID IND 3P SG`	denied	he disavowed	he denied
`G720-18`	Matthew 26:72	ἠρνήσατο	ernesato	`V AOR MID IND 3P SG`	he denied	he disavowed	he denied
`G720-18`	Mark 14:68	ἠρνήσατο	ernesato	`V AOR MID IND 3P SG`	he denied	he disavowed	he denied
`G720-14`	Mark 14:70	ἠρνεῖτο	erneito	`V IMPF MID IND 3P SG`	he denied	he was denying	he was denying
`G720-11`	Luke 8:45	ἀρνουμένων	arnoumenon	`V PRS MID PTCP GEN M PL`	denying	of those disowning	disowning
`G720-05`	Luke 9:23	ἀρνησάσθω	arnesastho	`V AOR MID IMP 3P SG`	let him deny	let him disown	let him deny
`G720-03`	Luke 12:9	ἀρνησάμενός	arnesamenos	`V AOR MID PTCP NOM M SG`	denies	having disavowed	having disavowed
`G720-18`	Luke 22:57	ἠρνήσατο	ernesato	`V AOR MID IND 3P SG`	denied	he disavowed	he denied
`G720-18`	John 1:20	ἠρνήσατο	ernesato	`V AOR MID IND 3P SG`	he denied	he disavowed	he denied
`G720-06`	John 13:38	ἀρνήσῃ	arnese	`V FUT MID IND 2P SG`	deny	you will deny	you will deny
`G720-18`	John 18:25	ἠρνήσατο	ernesato	`V AOR MID IND 3P SG`	he denied	he disavowed	he denied
`G720-18`	John 18:27	ἠρνήσατο	ernesato	`V AOR MID IND 3P SG`	denied	he disavowed	he denied
`G720-17`	Acts 3:13	ἠρνήσασθε	ernesasthe	`V AOR MID IND 2P PL`	denied	you repudiated	you (plural) denied
`G720-17`	Acts 3:14	ἠρνήσασθε	ernesasthe	`V AOR MID IND 2P PL`	denied	you repudiated	you (plural) denied
`G720-01`	Acts 4:16	ἀρνεῖσθαι	arneisthai	`V PRS MID INF`	to deny	to deny, disown	to deny
`G720-16`	Acts 7:35	ἠρνήσαντο	ernesanto	`V AOR MID IND 3P PL`	they disowned	they denied for themselves	they disowned
`G720-20`	1 Timothy 5:8	ἤρνηται	ernetai	`V PRF MID IND 3P SG`	has denied	has denied	has denied
`G720-09`	2 Timothy 2:12	ἀρνησόμεθα	arnesometha	`V FUT MID IND 1P PL`	we deny him	we will deny	we deny
`G720-07`	2 Timothy 2:12	ἀρνήσεται	arnesetai	`V FUT MID IND 3P SG`	will deny	he/she might deny	will deny
`G720-04`	2 Timothy 2:13	ἀρνήσασθαι	arnesasthai	`V AOR MID INF`	to deny	to deny	to deny
`G720-15`	2 Timothy 3:5	ἠρνημένοι	ernemenoi	`V PRF MID PTCP NOM M PL`	having denied	having disowned	having disowned
`G720-13`	Titus 1:16	ἀρνοῦνται	arnountai	`V PRS MID IND 3P PL`	they deny	they were denying	they deny
`G720-02`	Titus 2:12	ἀρνησάμενοι	arnesamenoi	`V AOR MID PTCP NOM M PL`	deny	having denied themselves	having denied
`G720-18`	Hebrews 11:24	ἠρνήσατο	ernesato	`V AOR MID IND 3P SG`	refused	he disavowed	he denied
`G720-10`	2 Peter 2:1	ἀρνούμενοι	arnoumenoi	`V PRS MID PTCP NOM M PL`	denying	those disowning	those denying
`G720-12`	1 John 2:22	ἀρνούμενος	arnoumenos	`V PRS MID PTCP NOM M SG`	denying	one who is denying	one who is denying
`G720-12`	1 John 2:22	ἀρνούμενος	arnoumenos-2	`V PRS MID PTCP NOM M SG`	denying	one who is denying	one who is denying
`G720-12`	1 John 2:23	ἀρνούμενος	arnoumenos	`V PRS MID PTCP NOM M SG`	denying	one who is denying	one who is denying
`G720-10`	Jude 1:4	ἀρνούμενοι	arnoumenoi	`V PRS MID PTCP NOM M PL`	denying	those disowning	those denying
`G720-19`	Revelation 2:13	ἠρνήσω	erneso	`V AOR MID IND 2P SG`	you denied	you denied	you denied
`G720-19`	Revelation 3:8	ἠρνήσω	erneso	`V AOR MID IND 2P SG`	have denied	you denied	you denied

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