Topical Encyclopedia
The concept of "knowing" in the Bible encompasses a range of meanings, from intellectual understanding to intimate relational knowledge. The Hebrew word often translated as "know" is יָדַע (yada), and the Greek equivalent is γινώσκω (ginōskō). Both terms convey a depth of understanding that goes beyond mere cognitive awareness, often implying a personal, experiential, and relational aspect.
Old Testament UsageIn the Old Testament, "know" frequently refers to an intimate, covenantal relationship. For example,
Genesis 4:1 states, "Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain." Here, "knew" signifies a deep, personal union. This relational aspect is also evident in God's relationship with His people. In
Exodus 33:17, the LORD says to Moses, "I will do the very thing you have asked, for you have found favor in My sight, and I know you by name." This indicates a personal, chosen relationship.
The prophetic literature often uses "know" to describe the desired relationship between God and Israel. In
Hosea 6:6, God declares, "For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings." This knowledge is not merely intellectual but involves a heartfelt commitment to God's ways.
New Testament UsageIn the New Testament, "know" continues to carry the connotation of relational depth. Jesus emphasizes the importance of knowing Him as the path to eternal life. In
John 17:3, He prays, "Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent." This knowledge is transformative and salvific, rooted in a personal relationship with God through Christ.
The Apostle Paul frequently speaks of knowing Christ as the ultimate goal of the believer's life. In
Philippians 3:10, he expresses his desire "to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to Him in His death." This knowledge involves both understanding and experiencing the life and sufferings of Christ.
Theological ImplicationsThe biblical concept of knowing God is foundational to the Christian faith. It implies a relationship that is both initiated and sustained by God’s grace. In
1 Corinthians 8:3, Paul writes, "But the one who loves God is known by God." This suggests that true knowledge of God is reciprocal and rooted in love.
Furthermore, knowing God is linked to obedience and moral living. In 1
John 2:3-4, it is written, "By this we can be sure that we have come to know Him: if we keep His commandments. Whoever says, 'I know Him,' but does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him." Thus, knowing God is evidenced by a life that reflects His character and commands.
Practical ApplicationFor believers, the call to know God is an invitation to a lifelong journey of faith and discipleship. It involves studying Scripture, prayer, and living in community with other believers. As one grows in the knowledge of God, it leads to a deeper love for Him and a greater desire to serve others.
In summary, the biblical understanding of "know" is rich and multifaceted, encompassing intellectual, relational, and experiential dimensions. It is central to the believer's relationship with God and is reflected in a life of faith, love, and obedience.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) Knee.
2. (v. i.) To perceive or apprehend clearly and certainly; to understand; to have full information of; as, to know one's duty.
3. (v. i.) To be convinced of the truth of; to be fully assured of; as, to know things from information.
4. (v. i.) To be acquainted with; to be no stranger to; to be more or less familiar with the person, character, etc., of; to possess experience of; as, to know an author; to know the rules of an organization.
5. (v. i.) To recognize; to distinguish; to discern the character of; as, to know a person's face or figure.
6. (v. i.) To have sexual commerce with.
7. (v. i.) To have knowledge; to have a clear and certain perception; to possess wisdom, instruction, or information; -- often with of.
8. (v. i.) To be assured; to feel confident.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
KNOW; KNOWLEDGEno, nol'-ej (in Hebrew chiefly yadha`, noun da`ath; in Greek ginosko, oida' "to know fully," epiginosko, noun gnosis epignosis): Knowledge strictly is the apprehension by the mind of some fact or truth in accordance with its real nature; in a personal relation the intellectual act is necessarily conjoined with the element of affection and will (choice, love, favor, or, conversely, repugnance, dislike, etc.). Knowledge is distinguished from "opinion" by its greater certainty. The mind is constituted with the capacity for knowledge, and the desire to possess and increase it. The character of knowledge varies with its object. The senses give knowledge of outward appearances; the intellect connects and reasons about these appearances, and arrives at general laws or truths; moral truth is apprehended through the power inherently possessed by men of distinguishing right and wrong in the light of moral principles; spiritual qualities require for their apprehension spiritual sympathy ("They are spiritually judged,"1 Corinthians 2:14). The highest knowledge possible to man is the knowledge of God, and while there is that in God's infinity which transcends man's power of comprehension (Job 11:7, 9), God is knowable in the measure in which He has revealed Himself in creation (Romans 1:19, 20, "that which is known of God," etc.), and supremely in Jesus Christ, who alone perfectly knows the Father, and reveals Him to man (Matthew 11:27). This knowledge of God in Jesus Christ is "life eternal" (John 17:3). Knowledge is affirmed of both God and man, but with the wide contrast that God's knowledge is absolute, unerring, complete, intuitive, embracing all things, past, present, and future, and searching the inmost thoughts of the heart (Psalm 139:1, 23); whereas man's is partial, imperfect, relative, gradually acquired, and largely mixed with error ("Now we see in a mirror darkly.... in part,"1 Corinthians 13:12). All these points about knowledge are amply brought out in the Scripture usage of the terms. A large part of the usage necessarily relates to natural knowledge (sometimes with a carnal connotation, asGenesis 4:1, 17), but the greatest stress also is laid on the possession of moral and spiritual knowledge (e.g.Psalm 119:66Proverbs 1:4, 7, 22, 29;Proverbs 8:10, etc.;Luke 1:77Romans 15:142 Peter 1:5, 6). The highest knowledge, as said, is the knowledge of God and Christ, and of God's will (Hosea 6:6Romans 11:33Ephesians 1:17;Ephesians 4:13Philippians 1:9;Philippians 3:8Colossians 1:9, 10, etc.). The moral conditions of spiritual knowledge are continually insisted on ("If any man willeth to do his will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it is of God,"John 7:17). On the. other hand, the pride of intellectual knowledge is condemned; it must be joined with love ("Knowledge puffeth up,1 Corinthians 8:1). The stronger term epignosis is used to denote the full and more perfect knowledge which is possessed in Christ, the conditions of which are humility and love. Of knowledge as connoting favor, choice, on the part of God, there are many examples (Psalm 1:6, Yahweh knoweth the way of the righteous";Galatians 4:9, "know God, or rather to be known by God"; compareRomans 8:29, "whom he fore-knew").ectual knowledge as the Divine omnipotence is different from muscular strength. Consequently, the passage of this knowledge into a human intellect is impossible, and the problem of the incarnation should be stated: What effect did Divine omniscience in the person have on the conscious intellect of the manhood? There is so little help from the past to be gained in answering this question, that it must remain open at present-if, indeed, it is ever capable of a full answer. But that ignorance in the intellect of the manhood is fully consistent with omniscience in the person seems to be not merely a safe answer to the question as stated, but an inevitable answer if the true humanity of Christ is to be maintained at all.
SeeFOREKNOWLEDGE.
James Orr
Greek
1921. epiginosko -- toknow exactly, to recognize... to
know exactly, to recognize. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: epiginosko
Phonetic Spelling: (ep-ig-in-oce'-ko) Short Definition: I come to
know, discern
...1097. ginosko -- to come toknow, recognize, perceive
... to come toknow, recognize, perceive. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: ginosko
Phonetic Spelling: (ghin-oce'-ko) Short Definition: I come toknow, learn...
314. anaginosko -- toknow certainly,know again, read
... toknow certainly,know again, read. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: anaginosko
Phonetic Spelling: (an-ag-in-oce'-ko) Short Definition: I read Definition...
1987. epistamai -- toknow, to understand
... toknow, to understand. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: epistamai Phonetic
Spelling: (ep-is'-tam-ahee) Short Definition: Iknow, understand Definition: I...
50. agnoeo -- to be ignorant, not toknow
... to be ignorant, not toknow. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: agnoeo Phonetic
Spelling: (ag-no-eh'-o) Short Definition: I do notknow, am ignorant of...
4267. proginosko -- toknow beforehand
... toknow beforehand. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: proginosko Phonetic Spelling:
(prog-in-oce'-ko) Short Definition: Iknow beforehand Definition: Iknow...
1107. gnorizo -- to come toknow, to make known
... to come toknow, to make known. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: gnorizo Phonetic
Spelling: (gno-rid'-zo) Short Definition: I make known, declare,know...
3609a. oida -- to have seen or perceived, hence toknow
... 3609, 3609a. oida. 3609b . to have seen or perceived, hence toknow.
Transliteration: oida Short Definition:know. Word Origin perf....
2467 --know.
know. Phonetic Spelling: (is'-ay-mee) Short Definition:know.know. Assumed by some
as the base of certain irregular forms of epikaluma; toknow --know....
3609. oikeios -- to have seen or perceived, hence toknow
... to have seen or perceived, hence toknow. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration:
oikeios Phonetic Spelling: (oy-ki'-os) Short Definition: of one's family...
Strong's Hebrew
3045. yada -- toknow... 3044, 3045. yada. 3046 . to
know. Transliteration: yada Phonetic Spelling:
(yaw-dah') Short Definition:
know. Word Origin a prim.
...3046. yeda -- toknow
... 3045, 3046. yeda. 3047 . toknow. Transliteration: yeda Phonetic Spelling:
(yed-ah') Short Definition: known.... certify,know, make known, teach....
1847. daath -- knowledge
... Word Origin from yada Definition knowledge NASB Word Usage concern (1),know (3),
knowledge (81), premeditation (2), skill (1), truth (1), unintentionally* (2...
5234. nakar -- to regard, recognize
... 3), acknowledges (1), discern (1), distinguish (1), distinguishes (1), examine
(1), examine and see (1), examined (1), familiar (1),know (2), knows (1...
854. eth -- with (denoting proximity)
... along (2), among (7), before (3), beside (2), besides (2), concerning (1), doing*
(1), has (2), have (1), help* (1), how* (6), including (1),know (1), near (2...
5046. nagad -- to be conspicuous
... 1), disclosed (1), display (1), explain (3), fully reported (1), give evidence
(1), indeed tell (1), inform (3), informed (1), informs (2),know (1), known (1...
3321. yetsab -- to make certain, gain certainty
... Word Origin (Aramaic) corresponding to yatsab Definition to make certain, gain
certainty NASB Word Usage exact meaning (1),know the exact meaning (1). truth....
995. bin -- to discern
... ie(generally) understand -- attend, consider, be cunning, diligently, direct, discern,
eloquent, feel, inform, instruct, have intelligence,know, look well to...
Library
How IKnow God Answers Prayer
How IKnow God Answers Prayer. <. How IKnow God Answers Prayer
Rosalind Goforth. Produced by Free Elf, Emmy and the...
How toKnow the Will of God
... HOW TOKNOW THE WILL OF GOD. "If any man will do His will, he shallknow
of the doctrine, whether it be of God.""John 7:17. THERE...
As toKnow the Father and the Son is Life...
... Book II. Chapter III. As toknow the Father and the Son is life? As to
know the Father and the Son is life, so is it life toknow...
What it is toKnow God, --Tendency of this Knowledge.
... OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE CREATOR CHAPTER 2. WHAT IT IS TOKNOW GOD,"TENDENCY
OF THIS KNOWLEDGE. WHAT IT IS TOKNOW GOD,"TENDENCY OF THIS KNOWLEDGE....
IKnow Thy Works
... XXX IKnow thy Works. To the angel of the church in Ephesus"in Thyatira"in
Sardis"in Philadelphia"in Laodicea write: Iknow thy works.' [2] "Rev.2-3...
Whether AngelsKnow the Future?
... OF THE ANGEL'S KNOWLEDGE OF MATERIAL THINGS (FIVE ARTICLES) Whether angelsknow
the future? Objection 1: It would seem that the angelsknow future events....
Do YouKnow Him?
... Do YouKnow Him? A Sermon (No.552).... Rev. CH SPURGEON,. At the Metropolitan
Tabernacle, Newington. "That I mayknow him.""Philippians 3:10....
January 5. "IKnow Him that He Will do the Law" (Gen. xviii. 19).
... JANUARY 5. "Iknow him that he will do the law" (Gen. xviii. 19). "Iknow
him that he will do the law" (Genesis 18:19). God wants...
Of the Desire toKnow the Bridegroom in his Nature
... THE ADORNMENT OF THE SPIRITUAL MARRIAGE: THE FIRST BOOK CHAPTER XXVI. OF
THE DESIRE TOKNOW THE BRIDEGROOM IN HIS NATURE. A Man who...
Whether a Man CanKnow that He Has Grace
... Article Five Whether a Man canknow that He has Grace. Whether a Man canknow that
He has Grace... 1. It seems that a man canknow that he has grace....
Thesaurus
Know (8133 Occurrences)... 1. (n.) Knee. 2. (vi) To perceive or apprehend clearly and certainly; to understand;
to have full information of; as, to
know one's duty.
...Assuredly (31 Occurrences)
... Acts 2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israelknow assuredly, that God hath made
the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ....
Applied (22 Occurrences)
... (WEB JPS ASV DBY RSV). Ecclesiastes 1:17 I applied my heart toknow wisdom, and
toknow madness and folly. I perceived that this also was a chasing after wind....
Sinful (61 Occurrences)
... (DBY YLT). John 9:24 They called therefore a second time the man who had been blind,
and said to him, Give glory to God: weknow that this man is sinful. (DBY)....
Aware (44 Occurrences)
... (WEB WEY ASV DBY YLT NAS). Acts 23:5 Paul said, "I didn'tknow, brothers, that he
was high priest.... 1 Corinthians 4:4 For Iknow nothing against myself....
Sayest (66 Occurrences)
... Matthew 26:70 But he denied before them all, saying, Iknow not what thou sayest....
Luke 22:60 And Peter said, Man, Iknow not what thou sayest....
Sufferings (27 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Sufferings (27 Occurrences). Acts 9:16 For I will let
himknow the great sufferings which he must pass through for My sake." (WEY)....
Simply (27 Occurrences)
... 4:42 and they said to the woman, "We no longer believe in Him simply because of
your statements; for we have now heard for ourselves, and weknow that this man...
Knowledge
... 6. (vi) Sexual intercourse; -- usually preceded by carnal; as, carnal knowledge.
7. (vt) To acknowledge. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia.KNOW; KNOWLEDGE....
Appears (38 Occurrences)
... (DBY). John 7:27 However weknow where this man comes from, but when the Christ
comes, no one willknow where he comes from." (See RSV)....
Resources
What does it mean to be still and know that I am God? | GotQuestions.orgDoes God know our thoughts? | GotQuestions.orgHow can I get to know God better? | GotQuestions.orgKnow: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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