← G1784 G1786 →

ἐντολή

entolḗ

G1785 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A directive or order issued by an authority, especially in a formal or official context; a command, order, or injunction. In various contexts, it can denote a specific instruction, an established rule, or a commandment, particularly those regarded as binding or authoritative (e.g., within legal, social, or religious frameworks). In Hellenistic and Roman-era Jewish contexts, often refers to the commandments found in the Torah or other scriptural texts.

Semantic Range

order, command, instruction, directive, authoritative prescription, specific rule or commandment, divine or scriptural precept

Root / Etymology

From the verb ἐντέλλομαι ('to command, to give an order'), itself derived from the prefix ἐν- ('in, upon') and the root τελ- ('to complete, fulfill, accomplish'). The noun ἐντολή expresses the concrete act or result of commanding.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, ἐντολή appears relatively infrequently and generally means an order or commission. By the Hellenistic period, especially in the Septuagint and later Jewish-Greek literature, ἐντολή becomes the standard term for referring to divine or scriptural commandments—translating the Hebrew מִצְוָה (mitzvah). In the New Testament, ἐντολή typically denotes an authoritative command, often God's instructions as found in the Torah or the teachings of Jesus. The term contrasts with νόμος (nomos, 'law'), which refers to a complete body of law or system; ἐντολή usually refers to a particular rule or directive within such a system. English translations such as 'commandment' or 'precept' capture much of this scope but may not always express the range from formal legal rule to simple directive. Notably, use of ἐντολή is more frequent in Jewish-Greek translations than in contemporary Greco-Roman writers, signaling its development as a specialized term in the context of scriptural tradition.

Translation Consistency

primary "commandment" 47 occurrences

Entolḗ most often denotes a binding rule or authoritative precept, especially in Jewish/Scriptural contexts (e.g., the Torah). 'Commandment' is the natural, common English rendering that covers the typical religious and legal senses and can be inflected consistently (commandments) for plural forms.

Alternatives (3 occurrences):
"authoritative commands" (3x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from ἐντέλλομαι; injunction, i.e. an authoritative prescription:--commandment, precept.

Root Family

ἐντελ- (éntalma) — to command, to order, to prescribe

Root ἐντελ- to command, to instruct, to order
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
G1778 ἔνταλμα authoritative directives
G1781 ἐντέλλομαι I commanded

Word Forms

7 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G1785-05 ἐντολὴν entolen N ACC F SG commandment a command a commandment 19
G1785-03 ἐντολάς entolas N ACC F PL commandments authoritative commands commandments 18
G1785-04 ἐντολὴ entole N NOM F SG commandment authoritative command authoritative commandment 14
G1785-06 ἐντολῆς entoles N GEN F SG commandment of a command of a commandment 9
G1785-02 ἐντολαῖς entolais N DAT F PL commandments to the commands to the commandments 3
G1785-07 ἐντολῶν entolon N GEN F PL commandments of commands of commandments 3
G1785-01 ἐντολαὶ entolai N NOM F PL commandments authoritative commands authoritative commands 1

Occurrences in Scripture

67 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G1785-07 Matthew 5:19 ἐντολῶν entolon N GEN F PL commandments of commands of commandments
G1785-05 Matthew 15:3 ἐντολὴν entolen N ACC F SG commandment a command commandment
G1785-03 Matthew 19:17 ἐντολάς entolas N ACC F PL commandments authoritative commands commandments
G1785-04 Matthew 22:36 ἐντολὴ entole N NOM F SG commandment authoritative command authoritative commandment
G1785-04 Matthew 22:38 ἐντολή entole N NOM F SG commandment authoritative command authoritative commandment
G1785-02 Matthew 22:40 ἐντολαῖς entolais N DAT F PL commandments to the commands to the commandments
G1785-05 Mark 7:8 ἐντολὴν entolen N ACC F SG commandment a command commandment
G1785-05 Mark 7:9 ἐντολὴν entolen N ACC F SG commandment a command commandment
G1785-05 Mark 10:5 ἐντολὴν entolen N ACC F SG commandment a command commandment
G1785-03 Mark 10:19 ἐντολὰς entolas N ACC F PL commandments authoritative commands commandments
G1785-04 Mark 12:28 ἐντολὴ entole N NOM F SG commandment authoritative command authoritative commandment
G1785-04 Mark 12:31 ἐντολὴ entole N NOM F SG commandment authoritative command authoritative commandment
G1785-02 Luke 1:6 ἐντολαῖς entolais N DAT F PL commandments to the commands to the commandments
G1785-05 Luke 15:29 ἐντολήν entolen N ACC F SG commandment a command a commandment
G1785-03 Luke 18:20 ἐντολὰς entolas N ACC F PL commandments authoritative commands commandments
G1785-05 Luke 23:56 ἐντολήν entolen N ACC F SG commandment a command commandment
G1785-05 John 10:18 ἐντολὴν entolen N ACC F SG commandment a command a commandment
G1785-03 John 11:57 ἐντολὰς entolas N ACC F PL orders authoritative commands authoritative commands
G1785-05 John 12:49 ἐντολὴν entolen N ACC F SG a commandment a command a commandment
G1785-04 John 12:50 ἐντολὴ entole N NOM F SG commandment authoritative command authoritative commandment
G1785-05 John 13:34 ἐντολὴν entolen N ACC F SG commandment a command a commandment
G1785-03 John 14:15 ἐντολὰς entolas N ACC F PL commandments authoritative commands commandments
G1785-03 John 14:21 ἐντολάς entolas N ACC F PL commandments authoritative commands commandments
G1785-03 John 15:10 ἐντολάς entolas N ACC F PL commandments authoritative commands authoritative commands
G1785-03 John 15:10 ἐντολὰς entolas-2 N ACC F PL commandments authoritative commands authoritative commands
G1785-04 John 15:12 ἐντολὴ entole N NOM F SG commandment authoritative command authoritative commandment
G1785-05 Acts 17:15 ἐντολὴν entolen N ACC F SG a commandment a command a commandment
G1785-06 Romans 7:8 ἐντολῆς entoles N GEN F SG commandment of a command of a commandment
G1785-06 Romans 7:9 ἐντολῆς entoles N GEN F SG commandment of a command of a commandment
G1785-04 Romans 7:10 ἐντολὴ entole N NOM F SG commandment authoritative command authoritative commandment
G1785-06 Romans 7:11 ἐντολῆς entoles N GEN F SG commandment of a command of a commandment
G1785-04 Romans 7:12 ἐντολὴ entole N NOM F SG commandment authoritative command authoritative commandment
G1785-06 Romans 7:13 ἐντολῆς entoles N GEN F SG commandment of a command of a commandment
G1785-04 Romans 13:9 ἐντολή entole N NOM F SG commandment authoritative command authoritative commandment
G1785-07 1 Corinthians 7:19 ἐντολῶν entolon N GEN F PL of commandments of commands of commandments
G1785-04 1 Corinthians 14:37 ἐντολή entole N NOM F SG commandment authoritative command authoritative commandment
G1785-07 Ephesians 2:15 ἐντολῶν entolon N GEN F PL commandments of commands of commandments
G1785-04 Ephesians 6:2 ἐντολὴ entole N NOM F SG commandment authoritative command authoritative commandment
G1785-03 Colossians 4:10 ἐντολάς entolas N ACC F PL instructions authoritative commands commandments
G1785-05 1 Timothy 6:14 ἐντολὴν entolen N ACC F SG commandment a command a commandment
G1785-02 Titus 1:14 ἐντολαῖς entolais N DAT F PL commandments to the commands to the commandments
G1785-05 Hebrews 7:5 ἐντολὴν entolen N ACC F SG commandment a command a commandment
G1785-06 Hebrews 7:16 ἐντολῆς entoles N GEN F SG of commandment of a command of a commandment
G1785-06 Hebrews 7:18 ἐντολῆς entoles N GEN F SG of the commandment of a command commandment
G1785-06 Hebrews 9:19 ἐντολῆς entoles N GEN F SG precept of a command commandment
G1785-06 2 Peter 2:21 ἐντολῆς entoles N GEN F SG commandment of a command commandment
G1785-06 2 Peter 3:2 ἐντολῆς entoles N GEN F SG commandment of a command commandment
G1785-03 1 John 2:3 ἐντολὰς entolas N ACC F PL commandments authoritative commands commandments
G1785-03 1 John 2:4 ἐντολὰς entolas N ACC F PL commandments authoritative commands commandments
G1785-05 1 John 2:7 ἐντολὴν entolen N ACC F SG commandment a command a commandment
← G1784 Greek Lexicon G1786 →