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Greek · G1754 · unreviewed

ἐνεργέω

To be active, efficient

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ἐνεργέω G1754
Pronunciation energéō

What does ἐνεργέω (energéō) mean in the Bible?

ἐνεργέω (energéō) is a Greek word meaning "to be active, efficient". ἐνεργέω, -ῶ [in LXX: Num.

Full entry for ἐνεργέω (G1754) · Browse the biblical lexicon

Meaning

to be active, efficient
Extended definition

Divine or supernatural power actively operating within persons or circumstances, not merely potential.

(for full lexical treatment, see AR, Eph., 243 ff.);

1intrans., to be at work or in action, to operate (opposite to ἀργέω): before ἐν, with dative of person(s), Mat.14:2, Mrk.6:14, Eph.2:2; with dative of person(s), before εἰς (Lft., in l), Gal.2:8.
2Trans., to work, effect, do: with accusative of thing(s), 1Co.12:11, Eph.1:11; id, before ἐν, with dative of person(s), 1Co.12:6, Gal.3:5, Php.2:13; ἐ. ἐνέργειαν, Eph.1:19-20 Pass. (taken as mid. by Lft., Ga., 204 f.; but see AR, Eph., l.with; Milligan, Th., 28 f.; Mayor, Ja., 177 ff.), in NT, "always used of some principle or power at work" (Meyer), to be actuated, set in operation: 2Th.2:7; before ἐν, Rom.7:5, 2Co.1:6 4:12, Eph.3:20, Col.1:29, 1Th.2:13; before διά, with genitive of thing(s), Gal.5:6; ἐνεργουμένη (M, Pr., 156), Jas.5:16 (Cremer, 262).
Source: STEPBible TBESG + Abbott-Smith
Grammatical Forms

How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.

Tenses
Present Imperfect Aorist Perfect
Voices
Active Middle
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 11×
Present Active 1 Cor 12:6 · Gal 3:5 · Phil 2:13 · Eph 1:11 · Eph 2:2 5×
Present Middle Gal 5:6 · Jas 5:16 · Eph 3:20 · Col 1:29 · 2 Cor 1:6 5×
Aorist Active Gal 2:8 1×
Indicative states a fact or reality 9×
Present Middle 2 Cor 4:12 · 1 Thess 2:13 · 2 Thess 2:7 3×
Present Active Matt 14:2 · Mark 6:14 · 1 Cor 12:11 3×
Imperfect Middle Rom 7:5 1×
Aorist Active Gal 2:8 1×
Perfect Active Eph 1:20 1×
Infinitive verbal noun — the action in abstract 1×
Present Active Phil 2:13 1×
21 total occurrences across all forms in the biblical text Morphology: MorphGNT SBLGNT — CC BY-SA 3.0
Discourse Aspect

How this verb appears across 21 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).

Aspect
completed 1 ongoing 6 resultant 1 background 1 infinitive 1 participle 11
Tense
present 17 aorist 2 perfect 1 imperfect 1
Voice
active 12 middle 9
Mood
participle 11 indicative 9 infinitive 1
NT Occurrences
Matthew 14:2 ἐνεργοῦσιν present active indicative ongoing Mark 6:14 ἐνεργοῦσιν present active indicative ongoing Romans 7:5 ἐνηργεῖτο imperfect middle indicative background 1 Corinthians 12:11 ἐνεργεῖ present active indicative ongoing 1 Corinthians 12:6 ἐνεργῶν present active participle participle 2 Corinthians 1:6 ἐνεργουμένης present middle participle participle 2 Corinthians 4:12 ἐνεργεῖται present middle indicative ongoing Galatians 2:8 ἐνεργήσας aorist active participle participle Galatians 2:8 ἐνήργησεν aorist active indicative completed Galatians 3:5 ἐνεργῶν present active participle participle Galatians 5:6 ἐνεργουμένη present middle participle participle Ephesians 1:11 ἐνεργοῦντος present active participle participle Ephesians 1:20 ἐνήργηκεν perfect active indicative resultant Ephesians 2:2 ἐνεργοῦντος present active participle participle Ephesians 3:20 ἐνεργουμένην present middle participle participle Philippians 2:13 ἐνεργῶν present active participle participle Philippians 2:13 ἐνεργεῖν present active infinitive infinitive Colossians 1:29 ἐνεργουμένην present middle participle participle 1 Thessalonians 2:13 ἐνεργεῖται present middle indicative ongoing 2 Thessalonians 2:7 ἐνεργεῖται present middle indicative ongoing James 5:16 ἐνεργουμένη present middle participle participle

Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.

Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)

Biblical Occurrences

Each occurrence shows the passage reference, the original language term as it appears in that context, its transliteration, and the contextual sense.

Biblical Witnesses
Ephesians 1:11-14 works energéō Participle · Present Active
God's active power effecting or accomplishing purposes in believers
Ephesians 1:20-23 working energéō Indicative · Perfect Active
God's mighty power actively at work, demonstrated in Christ's resurrection and exaltation
Ephesians 2:1-3 works energéō Participle · Present Active
Evil spiritual forces actively operating in those disobedient to God
Ephesians 3:14-21 work energéō Participle · Present Middle
God's power actively at work within believers, far exceeding human capacity
Appears In

Compound and idiomatic lexemes in which this word is a constituent. Follow a link to study the phrase and its other participating words.

πίστις · ἀγάπη · ἐνεργέω G4102, G26, G1754
faith active or operating through love
Word Pictures (Robertson)

A.T. Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) discusses this term in the following chapters. Open any chapter and go to the Word Pictures tab to read his verse-by-verse commentary.

Philippians 2 — The Mind of Christ and the Humility of Gospel Witness

A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) — public domain

Sources

MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain

Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0

Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0

STEPBible Data — CC BY 4.0

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