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εὐλογέω

eulogéō

G2127 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To speak well of, to extol or give praise; in religious or cultic contexts, to pronounce a blessing or invoke prosperity upon someone or something. The word expresses both human and divine acts: people eulogize or praise one another or God, and God or officials confer a blessing upon people or things, often with the expectation of benefit, prosperity, or favor. The meaning can range from general praise or commendation to a formal or ritual declaration of benefit or well-being, especially in religious settings.

Semantic Range

to praise, to speak well of, to express approval, to invoke blessing, to confer favor, to give thanks, to pronounce a ritual or prophetic benediction

Root / Etymology

From εὖ ('well, good') and λέγω ('to speak'), combined as a compound meaning 'to speak well.' Cognate with classical and later Greek use. Root: εὖ + λογ-.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, εὐλογέω primarily means 'to speak well of,' 'praise,' or 'commend,' with limited religious connotation. In the Septuagint, the term translates Hebrew בָּרַךְ (barak), expanding its meaning to include the act of pronouncing blessing, both human and divine, with the expectation that words carry performative power (e.g., priests blessing the people, God blessing individuals or groups). This performative sense is continued in the New Testament, where εὐλογέω often describes Jesus or others invoking divine favor or benefit, as well as giving thanks to God. The term can also signify the act of 'blessing' food before eating, aligning with the sense of giving thanks. English translations as 'bless' or 'praise' sometimes obscure the distinction between speaking well of someone (praise) and performing a ritual or effectual utterance (invoking or conferring blessing). In Jewish and early Judean contexts, the act of blessing was both a form of praise and a way of invoking God’s favor, deeply rooted in Israelite tradition. The semantic range is broader than English 'bless,' encompassing praise, thanksgiving, and performative benediction. Distinct from κατευλογέω, which sometimes intensifies the sense of conferring blessing, and from δοξάζω ('to glorify'), which emphasizes acknowledgment of honor or glory rather than explicitly pronouncing well-being or favor.

Translation Consistency

primary "bless" 36 occurrences

εὐλογέω most commonly and naturally means to confer a blessing or speak well of someone; ‘bless’ covers both praising and the ritual/proclamatory sense (divine or human) and is the usual, natural English rendering across contexts.

Alternatives (5 occurrences):
"keep speaking well of" (3x) "speaking well" (2x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from a compound of εὖ and λόγος; to speak well of, i.e. (religiously) to bless (thank or invoke a benediction upon, prosper):--bless, praise.

Root Family

εὐλογέω (eulogeō) — to speak, to say, to reason, to speak well

Root λογ- to speak, to say, to reason, to reckon

Word Forms

16 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G2127-10 εὐλόγησεν eulogesen V AOR ACT IND 3P SG blessed he spoke well of he blessed 9
G2127-07 εὐλογημένος eulogemenos V PRF PASS PTCP NOM M SG Blessed having been spoken well of having been blessed 7
G2127-09 εὐλογήσας eulogesas V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M SG blessed having pronounced a blessing having blessed 5
G2127-03 εὐλογεῖτε eulogeite V PRS ACT IMP 2P PL bless Keep speaking well of Keep speaking well of 3
G2127-13 εὐλογοῦμεν eulogoumen V PRS ACT IND 1P PL we bless we speak well of we bless 3
G2127-05 εὐλογημένη eulogemene V PRF PASS PTCP NOM F SG blessed having been spoken well of having been blessed 2
G2127-12 εὐλογῶν eulogon V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M SG blessing one speaking well blessing 2
G2127-16 εὐλογοῦντες eulogountes V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M PL blessing speaking well speaking well 2
G2127-04 εὐλόγηκεν eulogeken V PRF ACT IND 3P SG blessed he/she has spoken well of has blessed 1
G2127-06 εὐλογημένοι eulogemenoi V PRF PASS PTCP VOC M PL are blessed O ones having been blessed O ones having been blessed 1

Occurrences in Scripture

41 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G2127-10 Matthew 14:19 εὐλόγησεν eulogesen V AOR ACT IND 3P SG blessed he spoke well of he blessed
G2127-07 Matthew 21:9 εὐλογημένος eulogemenos V PRF PASS PTCP NOM M SG Blessed having been spoken well of having been blessed
G2127-07 Matthew 23:39 εὐλογημένος eulogemenos V PRF PASS PTCP NOM M SG blessed having been spoken well of having been blessed
G2127-06 Matthew 25:34 εὐλογημένοι eulogemenoi V PRF PASS PTCP VOC M PL are blessed O ones having been blessed O ones having been blessed
G2127-09 Matthew 26:26 εὐλογήσας eulogesas V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M SG blessed having pronounced a blessing having blessed
G2127-10 Mark 6:41 εὐλόγησεν eulogesen V AOR ACT IND 3P SG blessed he spoke well of he blessed
G2127-09 Mark 8:7 εὐλογήσας eulogesas V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M SG having blessed having pronounced a blessing having blessed
G2127-07 Mark 11:9 εὐλογημένος eulogemenos V PRF PASS PTCP NOM M SG Blessed having been spoken well of having been blessed
G2127-05 Mark 11:10 εὐλογημένη eulogemene V PRF PASS PTCP NOM F SG Blessed having been spoken well of having been blessed
G2127-09 Mark 14:22 εὐλογήσας eulogesas V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M SG he blessed having pronounced a blessing having blessed
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