πιστόω (G4104) — Greek Lexicon

πιστόω

pistóō

G4104 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To make trustworthy, to render someone or something worthy of trust, to cause to be believed or to have confidence in; in passive forms, to become convinced, to be assured, to be trusted; also, to confirm or demonstrate the reliability or truth of something to another.

Semantic Range

to make trustworthy, to cause to be believed, to assure, to be convinced, to confirm reliability, to cause confidence in, to be trusted

Root / Etymology

From the adjective πιστός ('trustworthy,' 'faithful'), itself from the root πειθ- ('to persuade,' 'to trust'). πιστόω is a causative verb formation, meaning 'to make trustworthy' or 'to assure.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

πιστόω is attested rarely in Greek literature and appears primarily in later Koine texts, including the New Testament (e.g., 2 Timothy 3:14). In earlier periods, related forms such as πείθω ('to persuade') and πιστεύω ('to believe') are much more common. The passive ('to be convinced' or 'assured') often reflects the sense of receiving confirmation or assurance about a truth, idea, or individual. In NT contexts, the word denotes being assured in what one has been taught or has learned, showing nuance between inner conviction and external confirmation. Standard English versions usually render the term as 'be assured,' 'be convinced,' or 'to have confidence in,' but the sense of causing trustworthiness in something or someone can be overlooked. The verb can refer both to the person being assured and to the object being made trustworthy or credible.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from πιστός; to assure:--assure of.

Root Family

πιστόω (pistoō) — to trust, to persuade, to assure, to confirm reliability

Root πιστ- to trust, to persuade, to have confidence

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`G4104-01`	ἐπιστώθης	epistothes	`V AOR PASS IND 2P SG`	have become convinced	you were assured	you were assured	1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 occurrence

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`G4104-01`	2 Timothy 3:14	ἐπιστώθης	epistothes	`V AOR PASS IND 2P SG`	have become convinced	you were assured	you were assured

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