ἐνωτίζομαι
enōtízomai
G1801 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To listen attentively, to pay close attention (especially with the sense of deliberate or focused hearing); more specifically, to incline one's ear toward someone or something, often with the purpose of obedience or understanding. The core meaning is to direct one's ear to a speaker or message in order to receive it fully, sometimes with connotations of heedfulness or responsiveness. In various contexts, it can also emphasize internalizing what is heard or being receptive to instruction or admonition.
Semantic Range
to listen attentively, to pay heed, to incline the ear, to be receptive, to obey (in the sense of responding appropriately to what is heard), to internalize instruction, to attend closely
Root / Etymology
Compound of preposition ἐν ('in, into') and οὖς ('ear'); thus, literally 'to give to the ear' or 'to make something enter into the ear.' The suffix -ίζομαι denotes the middle/passive voice with a reflexive sense, indicating attention directed by oneself toward hearing.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Attested primarily in later Greek (Hellenistic/Koine), ἐνωτίζομαι appears in Jewish-Greek texts such as the Septuagint (esp. Psalms, e.g., Psalm 5:1 LXX ἐνώτισαι τὰ ῥήματά μου, κύριε) and likewise in early Christian writings, where it frequently carries the sense of 'listen with heedfulness' to divine instruction, prayer, or admonition. Occurrence in the New Testament is rare; the word is more characteristic of the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible and related literature. The Hebrew idiom ('to incline the ear', Hebrew הֶאֱזִין) lies behind the LXX use, and ἐνωτίζομαι serves as a calque translating Hebrew forms of attentive listening, especially to God's word. Standard English renderings like 'hearken,' 'listen,' or 'give ear' sometimes fail to convey the intentional, inner disposition implied. Unlike ἀκούω ('to hear', neutral and general), ἐνωτίζομαι stresses deliberate and receptive listening, often as an act of obedience or humility. The term does not merely reference physical hearing but an attitudinal posture toward the speaker or message.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
middle voice from a compound of ἐν and οὖς; to take in one's ear, i.e. to listen:--hearken.
Root Family
οὖς (oûs) — to hear, to listen, to pay attention (with the ear)
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| G3775 | οὖς | to the ears |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1801-01 |
ἐνωτίσασθε | enotisasthe | V AOR MID IMP 2P PL |
hearken | Listen attentively for yourselves | Listen attentively for yourselves | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1801-01 |
Acts 2:14 | ἐνωτίσασθε | enotisasthe | V AOR MID IMP 2P PL |
hearken | Listen attentively for yourselves | Listen attentively for yourselves |