βλέπω (G991) — Greek Lexicon

βλέπω

blépō

G991 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To see, look at, or observe (with the physical eyes); with extended senses: to perceive, to be aware, to take notice of something, or to pay attention. In some contexts, it can imply being cautious or vigilant, especially with the sense 'take heed; beware.'

Semantic Range

to look, to see, to behold, to observe, to notice, to perceive, to pay attention, to be vigilant, to beware, to take heed

Root / Etymology

From the root βλεπ-, with no clear connection to other Indo-European roots outside Greek. The verb is a primary, non-compound Greek verb for visual perception or physical seeing.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, βλέπω refers primarily to the act of seeing with one's eyes or having the faculty of sight. During the Hellenistic and Koine periods (including the Septuagint and the New Testament), the verb retains its basic meaning of perceiving visually but acquires regular metaphorical extensions: to pay attention, to recognize, or to be wary (e.g., βλέπετε ἀπὸ, 'beware of ...'). The verb is frequently used for literal physical sight, but also in contexts that imply mental attention or spiritual perception without physical seeing, though this is less pronounced than for verbs like ὁράω or ὀπτάνομαι. Where standard English translations might use 'see,' 'look,' 'perceive,' or 'beware,' no single English term equivalently maps the range of βλέπω across all contexts. Compared with ὁράω ('to see,' sometimes of deeper or broader perception), βλέπω tends to remain more grounded in physical or immediate seeing. In New Testament warning contexts (e.g., 'take heed,' 'beware'), βλέπω is often imperative. LXX usage generally mirrors classical patterns, frequently rendering Hebrew verbs for seeing or looking (e.g., ראה). In sum, βλέπω denotes sensory perception with developed metaphorical uses, but its semantic core is immediate, physical seeing or attentiveness.

Translation Consistency

primary "see" 42 occurrences

'See' best matches the primary sense in the SILEX range (to see, perceive, observe, notice) and is the most common natural English rendering in the P2 data. It covers both literal and extended senses (perceive, be aware, behold) while remaining simple and idiomatic for consistent inflection across all forms.

Alternatives (8 occurrences):

"beware" (2x) "watch out" (1x) "vigilant" (1x) "watch" (1x) "(plural) take heed" (1x) "paying attention" (1x) "looking" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primary verb; to look at (literally or figuratively):--behold, beware, lie, look (on, to), perceive, regard, see, sight, take heed. Compare ὀπτάνομαι.

Root Family

βλεπ- (blépō) — to see, to look, to perceive by sight

Root βλεπ- to see, to look, to perceive by sight

Word Forms

26 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`G991-06`	βλέπετε	blepete	`V PRS ACT IND 2P PL`	see	you (plural) are seeing	you (plural) are seeing	33
`G991-13`	βλέπων	blepon	`V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M SG`	seeing	seeing	seeing	12
`G991-16`	βλέποντες	blepontes	`V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M PL`	seeing	seeing ones	seeing ones	12
`G991-02`	βλέπει	blepei	`V PRS ACT IND 3P SG`	he sees	he sees	he sees	10
`G991-03`	βλέπειν	blepein	`V PRS ACT INF`	to see	to see	to see	10
`G991-04`	βλέπεις	blepeis	`V PRS ACT IND 2P SG`	you see	you are seeing	you are seeing	10
`G991-19`	βλέπωσιν	bleposin	`V PRS ACT SUBJ 3P PL`	may see	that they may see	that they may see	6
`G991-08`	βλέπω	blepo	`V PRS ACT IND 1P SG`	I see	I am seeing	I am seeing	5
`G991-09`	βλέπομεν	blepomen	`V PRS ACT IND 1P PL`	we see	we see	we see	5
`G991-10`	βλεπόμενα	blepomena	`V PRS PASS PTCP ACC N PL`	things which are seen	the things being seen	the things being seen	4
`G991-21`	βλέπουσιν	blepousin	`V PRS ACT IND 3P PL`	see	they see	they see	4
`G991-12`	βλεπομένων	blepomenon	`V PRS PASS PTCP GEN N PL`	seen	of the things being seen	of the things being seen	3
`G991-01`	βλέπῃ	blepe	`V PRS ACT SUBJ 3P SG`	He sees	may see	may see	2
`G991-07`	βλεπέτω	blepeto	`V PRS ACT IMP 3P SG`	let him take heed	let him keep watching	let him take heed	2
`G991-15`	βλέποντας	blepontas	`V PRS ACT PTCP ACC M PL`	seeing	those seeing	seeing	2
`G991-17`	βλεπόντων	bleponton	`V PRS ACT PTCP GEN M PL`	they were looking	of those seeing	as they were seeing	2
`G991-22`	βλέψετε	blepsete	`V FUT ACT IND 2P PL`	you will see	you will see	you will see	2
`G991-05`	βλέπῃς	blepes	`V PRS ACT SUBJ 2P SG`	you may see	you might see	you might see	1
`G991-11`	βλεπομένη	blepomene	`V PRS PASS PTCP NOM F SG`	that is seen	being seen	being seen	1
`G991-14`	βλέποντα	bleponta	`V PRS ACT PTCP ACC M SG`	lieth	seeing	facing	1
`G991-18`	βλέπωσι	bleposi	`V PRS ACT SUBJ 3P PL`	they may see	they may see	they may see	1
`G991-20`	βλέπουσι	blepousi	`V PRS ACT IND 3P PL`	see	they see	see	1
`G991-23`	βλέψον	blepson	`V AOR ACT IMP 2P SG`	Look	Look!	Look	1
`G991-24`	ἔβλεπεν	eblepen	`V IMPF ACT IND 3P SG`	he could see	was looking	was seeing	1
`G991-25`	ἔβλεπον	eblepon	`V IMPF ACT IND 3P PL`	were looking	they were looking	they were looking	1
`G991-26`	ἔβλεψα	eblepsa	`V AOR ACT IND 1P SG`	I saw	I saw	I saw	1

Occurrences in Scripture

133 occurrences

Filter by SIDANCE:

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`G991-13`	Matthew 5:28	βλέπων	blepon	`V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M SG`	looks	seeing	seeing
`G991-13`	Matthew 6:4	βλέπων	blepon	`V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M SG`	sees	seeing	seeing
`G991-13`	Matthew 6:6	βλέπων	blepon	`V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M SG`	sees	seeing	seeing
`G991-13`	Matthew 6:18	βλέπων	blepon	`V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M SG`	sees	seeing	seeing
`G991-04`	Matthew 7:3	βλέπεις	blepeis	`V PRS ACT IND 2P SG`	you see	you are seeing	you are seeing
`G991-06`	Matthew 11:4	βλέπετε	blepete	`V PRS ACT IND 2P PL`	you see	you (plural) are seeing	you (plural) are seeing
`G991-03`	Matthew 12:22	βλέπειν	blepein	`V PRS ACT INF`	to see	to see	to see
`G991-16`	Matthew 13:13	βλέποντες	blepontes	`V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M PL`	seeing	seeing ones	seeing ones
`G991-21`	Matthew 13:13	βλέπουσιν	blepousin	`V PRS ACT IND 3P PL`	they see	they see	they see
`G991-16`	Matthew 13:14	βλέποντες	blepontes	`V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M PL`	seeing	seeing ones	seeing ones
`G991-22`	Matthew 13:14	βλέψετε	blepsete	`V FUT ACT IND 2P PL`	you will see	you will see	you will see
`G991-21`	Matthew 13:16	βλέπουσιν	blepousin	`V PRS ACT IND 3P PL`	see	they see	they see
`G991-06`	Matthew 13:17	βλέπετε	blepete	`V PRS ACT IND 2P PL`	you see	you (plural) are seeing	you (plural) are seeing
`G991-13`	Matthew 14:30	βλέπων	blepon	`V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M SG`	seeing	seeing	seeing
`G991-15`	Matthew 15:31	βλέποντας	blepontas	`V PRS ACT PTCP ACC M PL`	seeing	those seeing	seeing
`G991-15`	Matthew 15:31	βλέποντας	blepontas-2	`V PRS ACT PTCP ACC M PL`	seeing	those seeing	seeing
`G991-20`	Matthew 18:10	βλέπουσι	blepousi	`V PRS ACT IND 3P PL`	see	they see	see
`G991-04`	Matthew 22:16	βλέπεις	blepeis	`V PRS ACT IND 2P SG`	you regard	you are seeing	you are seeing
`G991-06`	Matthew 24:2	βλέπετε	blepete	`V PRS ACT IND 2P PL`	see ye	you (plural) are seeing	you (plural) are seeing
`G991-06`	Matthew 24:4	βλέπετε	blepete	`V PRS ACT IMP 2P PL`	See	you (plural) are seeing	watch out
`G991-16`	Mark 4:12	βλέποντες	blepontes	`V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M PL`	seeing	seeing ones	seeing ones
`G991-18`	Mark 4:12	βλέπωσι	bleposi	`V PRS ACT SUBJ 3P PL`	they may see	they may see	they may see
`G991-06`	Mark 4:24	βλέπετε	blepete	`V PRS ACT IMP 2P PL`	Take heed	you (plural) are seeing	see to it
`G991-04`	Mark 5:31	βλέπεις	blepeis	`V PRS ACT IND 2P SG`	You see	you are seeing	you are seeing
`G991-06`	Mark 8:15	βλέπετε	blepete	`V PRS ACT IMP 2P PL`	beware	you (plural) are seeing	beware
`G991-06`	Mark 8:18	βλέπετε	blepete	`V PRS ACT IND 2P PL`	see	you (plural) are seeing	you (plural) are seeing
`G991-04`	Mark 8:23	βλέπεις	blepeis	`V PRS ACT IND 2P SG`	you see	you are seeing	you are seeing
`G991-08`	Mark 8:24	βλέπω	blepo	`V PRS ACT IND 1P SG`	I see	I am seeing	I am seeing
`G991-04`	Mark 12:14	βλέπεις	blepeis	`V PRS ACT IND 2P SG`	you regard	you are seeing	you are seeing
`G991-06`	Mark 12:38	βλέπετε	blepete	`V PRS ACT IMP 2P PL`	beware	you (plural) are seeing	beware
`G991-04`	Mark 13:2	βλέπεις	blepeis	`V PRS ACT IND 2P SG`	Do you see	you are seeing	you are seeing
`G991-06`	Mark 13:5	βλέπετε	blepete	`V PRS ACT IMP 2P PL`	See	you (plural) are seeing	you (plural) are seeing
`G991-06`	Mark 13:9	βλέπετε	blepete	`V PRS ACT IMP 2P PL`	be on your guard	you (plural) are seeing	be vigilant
`G991-06`	Mark 13:23	βλέπετε	blepete	`V PRS ACT IMP 2P PL`	take heed	you (plural) are seeing	watch
`G991-06`	Mark 13:33	βλέπετε	blepete	`V PRS ACT IMP 2P PL`	Take heed	you (plural) are seeing	you (plural) take heed
`G991-04`	Luke 6:41	βλέπεις	blepeis	`V PRS ACT IND 2P SG`	you look	you are seeing	you are seeing
`G991-13`	Luke 6:42	βλέπων	blepon	`V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M SG`	beholding	seeing	seeing
`G991-03`	Luke 7:21	βλέπειν	blepein	`V PRS ACT INF`	sight	to see	to see
`G991-04`	Luke 7:44	βλέπεις	blepeis	`V PRS ACT IND 2P SG`	do-you-see	you are seeing	you are seeing
`G991-16`	Luke 8:10	βλέποντες	blepontes	`V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M PL`	seeing	seeing ones	seeing ones
`G991-19`	Luke 8:10	βλέπωσιν	bleposin	`V PRS ACT SUBJ 3P PL`	they may see	that they may see	that they may see
`G991-19`	Luke 8:16	βλέπωσιν	bleposin	`V PRS ACT SUBJ 3P PL`	may see	that they may see	that they may see
`G991-06`	Luke 8:18	βλέπετε	blepete	`V PRS ACT IMP 2P PL`	Take heed	you (plural) are seeing	be paying attention
`G991-13`	Luke 9:62	βλέπων	blepon	`V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M SG`	looking	seeing	looking
`G991-16`	Luke 10:23	βλέποντες	blepontes	`V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M PL`	see	seeing ones	seeing ones
`G991-06`	Luke 10:23	βλέπετε	blepete	`V PRS ACT IND 2P PL`	you see	you (plural) are seeing	you (plural) are seeing
`G991-06`	Luke 10:24	βλέπετε	blepete	`V PRS ACT IND 2P PL`	see	you (plural) are seeing	you (plural) are seeing
`G991-19`	Luke 11:33	βλέπωσιν	bleposin	`V PRS ACT SUBJ 3P PL`	may see	that they may see	that they may see
`G991-06`	Luke 21:8	βλέπετε	blepete	`V PRS ACT IMP 2P PL`	Take heed	you (plural) are seeing	be seeing
`G991-16`	Luke 21:30	βλέποντες	blepontes	`V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M PL`	you see	seeing ones	seeing ones

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