θαυμάζω
thaumázō
G2296 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To be astonished or amazed; express wonder or admiration in response to something unexpected or extraordinary. In various contexts, it can denote not only the emotional response of astonishment but also a sense of respectful admiration and, at times, perplexity or bewilderment. The core sense is emotional or cognitive reaction to something impressive, unusual, or hard to comprehend.
Semantic Range
to be astonished, to express wonder, to admire, to be perplexed, to marvel, to be amazed, to respond to the extraordinary
Root / Etymology
From the noun θαῦμα ('wonder', 'marvel', 'a thing astonishing or remarkable'), itself likely from a Proto-Indo-European root for 'wonder' or 'amaze'. Cognate with related Greek terms such as θαύμασμα (object of wonder) and θαυμαστός (wonderful, marvelous).
Historical & Contextual Notes
θαυμάζω appears from the classical period onwards, with its root sense of being struck with awe, surprise, or admiration at an event, person, or supernatural phenomenon. In Koine and particularly in the New Testament, it is used for surprised or amazed responses to teachings, miracles, or deeds—by both positive observers (who are impressed or in awe) and more neutral or skeptical witnesses (who are perplexed or incredulous). The nuance can vary: it may simply be emotional amazement, or, depending on context, recognition of something worthy of respect or veneration. Occasionally, it can indicate a kind of skeptical surprise (i.e., 'being taken aback'). Standard English translations often alternate between 'marvel', 'be amazed', or 'wonder', but these can obscure the underlying mix of emotional and cognitive reaction the word conveys. In the Septuagint, θαυμάζω renders Hebrew terms for 'to be astonished' or 'to marvel' and functions similarly. The term is distinct from ἐκπλήσσομαι ('to be struck with terror or alarm') in that θαυμάζω emphasizes positive or neutral wonder rather than fear.
Translation Consistency
θαυμάζω primarily expresses astonished admiration or wonder; 'marvel' captures both the sense of being astonished and of admiring the extraordinary, matches the majority of attested English renderings (marveled/marveling), and yields natural, Bible-appropriate phrasing across forms.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from θαῦμα; to wonder; by implication, to admire:--admire, have in admiration, marvel, wonder.
Root Family
θαυμ- (thaumázō) — to wonder, to be amazed, to admire
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| G2297 | θαυμάσιος | wondrous things |
Word Forms
18 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2296-02 |
ἐθαύμασαν | ethaumasan | V AOR ACT IND 3P PL |
they marveled | they marveled | they marveled | 8 |
G2296-06 |
ἐθαύμαζον | ethaumazon | V IMPF ACT IND 3P PL |
they marvelled | they were marveling | they were marveling | 7 |
G2296-04 |
ἐθαύμασεν | ethaumasen | V AOR ACT IND 3P SG |
marveled | he/she was amazed | he marveled | 6 |
G2296-14 |
θαυμάζητε | thaumazete | V PRS ACT SUBJ 2P PL |
marvel | you may marvel | you may marvel | 5 |
G2296-13 |
θαυμάζειν | thaumazein | V PRS ACT INF |
to marvel | to be amazed | to marvel | 2 |
G2296-17 |
θαυμάζοντες | thaumazontes | V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M PL |
flattering | marveling | marveling | 2 |
G2296-18 |
θαυμαζόντων | thaumazonton | V PRS ACT PTCP GEN M PL |
marveling | of those marveling | of those marveling | 2 |
G2296-01 |
ἐθαύμασα | ethaumasa | V AOR ACT IND 1P SG |
I wondered | I marveled | I marveled | 1 |
G2296-03 |
ἐθαύμασας | ethaumasas | V AOR ACT IND 2P SG |
did you marvel | you marveled | you marveled | 1 |
G2296-05 |
ἐθαυμάσθη | ethaumasthe | V AOR PASS IND 3P SG |
was amazed | was amazed | was amazed | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
43 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2296-04 |
Matthew 8:10 | ἐθαύμασεν | ethaumasen | V AOR ACT IND 3P SG |
marveled | he/she was amazed | he marveled |
G2296-02 |
Matthew 8:27 | ἐθαύμασαν | ethaumasan | V AOR ACT IND 3P PL |
were-amazed | they marveled | they marveled |
G2296-02 |
Matthew 9:33 | ἐθαύμασαν | ethaumasan | V AOR ACT IND 3P PL |
were amazed | they marveled | they marveled |
G2296-07 |
Matthew 15:31 | θαυμάσαι | thaumasai | V AOR ACT INF |
to marvel | to marvel | to marvel |
G2296-02 |
Matthew 21:20 | ἐθαύμασαν | ethaumasan | V AOR ACT IND 3P PL |
marveled | they marveled | they marveled |
G2296-02 |
Matthew 22:22 | ἐθαύμασαν | ethaumasan | V AOR ACT IND 3P PL |
they marveled | they marveled | they marveled |
G2296-13 |
Matthew 27:14 | θαυμάζειν | thaumazein | V PRS ACT INF |
to marvel | to be amazed | to marvel |
G2296-06 |
Mark 5:20 | ἐθαύμαζον | ethaumazon | V IMPF ACT IND 3P PL |
were amazed | they were marveling | they were marveling |
G2296-04 |
Mark 6:6 | ἐθαύμασεν | ethaumasen | V AOR ACT IND 3P SG |
he marveled | he/she was amazed | he marveled |
G2296-13 |
Mark 15:5 | θαυμάζειν | thaumazein | V PRS ACT INF |
to marvel | to be amazed | to marvel |
G2296-04 |
Mark 15:44 | ἐθαύμασεν | ethaumasen | V AOR ACT IND 3P SG |
wondered | he/she was amazed | he marveled |
G2296-06 |
Luke 1:21 | ἐθαύμαζον | ethaumazon | V IMPF ACT IND 3P PL |
they marveled | they were marveling | they were marveling |
G2296-02 |
Luke 1:63 | ἐθαύμασαν | ethaumasan | V AOR ACT IND 3P PL |
they marveled | they marveled | they marveled |
G2296-02 |
Luke 2:18 | ἐθαύμασαν | ethaumasan | V AOR ACT IND 3P PL |
wondered | they marveled | they marveled |
G2296-17 |
Luke 2:33 | θαυμάζοντες | thaumazontes | V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M PL |
marveling | marveling | marveling |
G2296-06 |
Luke 4:22 | ἐθαύμαζον | ethaumazon | V IMPF ACT IND 3P PL |
wondered | they were marveling | they were marveling |
G2296-04 |
Luke 7:9 | ἐθαύμασεν | ethaumasen | V AOR ACT IND 3P SG |
marveled | he/she was amazed | he marveled |
G2296-02 |
Luke 8:25 | ἐθαύμασαν | ethaumasan | V AOR ACT IND 3P PL |
they marveled | they marveled | they marveled |
G2296-18 |
Luke 9:43 | θαυμαζόντων | thaumazonton | V PRS ACT PTCP GEN M PL |
while they wondered | of those marveling | while they were marveling |
G2296-02 |
Luke 11:14 | ἐθαύμασαν | ethaumasan | V AOR ACT IND 3P PL |
they marveled | they marveled | they marveled |
G2296-04 |
Luke 11:38 | ἐθαύμασεν | ethaumasen | V AOR ACT IND 3P SG |
marveled | he/she was amazed | he marveled |
G2296-08 |
Luke 20:26 | θαυμάσαντες | thaumasantes | V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M PL |
having marveled | having marveled | having marveled |
G2296-16 |
Luke 24:12 | θαυμάζων | thaumazon | V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M SG |
marveling | marveling | marveling |
G2296-18 |
Luke 24:41 | θαυμαζόντων | thaumazonton | V PRS ACT PTCP GEN M PL |
marveling | of those marveling | of those marveling |
G2296-10 |
John 3:7 | θαυμάσῃς | thaumases | V AOR ACT SUBJ 2P SG |
be amazed | you may marvel | you may marvel |
G2296-06 |
John 4:27 | ἐθαύμαζον | ethaumazon | V IMPF ACT IND 3P PL |
they marvelled | they were marveling | they were marveling |
G2296-14 |
John 5:20 | θαυμάζητε | thaumazete | V PRS ACT SUBJ 2P PL |
may marvel | you may marvel | you may marvel |
G2296-14 |
John 5:28 | θαυμάζετε | thaumazete | V PRS ACT IMP 2P PL |
marvel | you may marvel | you may marvel |
G2296-06 |
John 7:15 | ἐθαύμαζον | ethaumazon | V IMPF ACT IND 3P PL |
were marveling | they were marveling | they were marveling |
G2296-14 |
John 7:21 | θαυμάζετε | thaumazete | V PRS ACT IND 2P PL |
marvel | you may marvel | you marvel |
G2296-06 |
Acts 2:7 | ἐθαύμαζον | ethaumazon | V IMPF ACT IND 3P PL |
they marveled | they were marveling | they were marveling |
G2296-14 |
Acts 3:12 | θαυμάζετε | thaumazete | V PRS ACT IND 2P PL |
marvel | you may marvel | you may marvel |
G2296-06 |
Acts 4:13 | ἐθαύμαζον | ethaumazon | V IMPF ACT IND 3P PL |
they marvelled | they were marveling | they were marveling |
G2296-04 |
Acts 7:31 | ἐθαύμασεν | ethaumasen | V AOR ACT IND 3P SG |
marveled | he/she was amazed | he marveled |
G2296-09 |
Acts 13:41 | θαυμάσατε | thaumasate | V AOR ACT IMP 2P PL |
wonder | Marvel! | marvel |
G2296-15 |
Galatians 1:6 | θαυμάζω | thaumazo | V PRS ACT IND 1P SG |
I am amazed | I marvel | I marvel |
G2296-12 |
2 Thessalonians 1:10 | θαυμασθῆναι | thaumasthenai | V AOR PASS INF |
to be marveled at | to be marveled at | to be marveled at |
G2296-14 |
1 John 3:13 | θαυμάζετε | thaumazete | V PRS ACT IMP 2P PL |
be surprised | you may marvel | you may marvel |
G2296-17 |
Jude 1:16 | θαυμάζοντες | thaumazontes | V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M PL |
flattering | marveling | marveling |
G2296-05 |
Revelation 13:3 | ἐθαυμάσθη | ethaumasthe | V AOR PASS IND 3P SG |
was amazed | was amazed | was amazed |
G2296-01 |
Revelation 17:6 | ἐθαύμασα | ethaumasa | V AOR ACT IND 1P SG |
I wondered | I marveled | I marveled |
G2296-03 |
Revelation 17:7 | ἐθαύμασας | ethaumasas | V AOR ACT IND 2P SG |
did you marvel | you marveled | you marveled |
G2296-11 |
Revelation 17:8 | θαυμάσονται | thaumasontai | V FUT MID IND 3P PL |
will wonder | they will marvel | they will marvel |