Greek · G2198 · unreviewed

ζάω

To live (literally or figuratively)

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ζάω G2198

Pronunciation záō

What does ζάω (záō) mean in the Bible?

ζάω (záō) is a Greek word meaning "to live (literally or figuratively)". ζάω, -ῶ, [in LXX chiefly for חיה (most frequently ptcp. Affirms ongoing covenant life beyond death. This term runs through the canonical themes of Covenant.

Full entry for ζάω (G2198) · Browse the biblical lexicon

Meaning

to live (literally or figuratively)

Extended definition

Living physically or spiritually; distinctively means existing in active relationship with God or Christ.

1prop., to live, be alive (see Syn., see word βίος; in cl. usually of animal life, but sometimes of plants, as Arist., Eth. N, i, 7, 12): Act.20:12, Rom.7:1-3, 1Co.7:39, Rev.19:20, al.; ἐν αὐτῷ ζῶμεν, Act.17:28; ἐμοὶ τὸ ζῆν Χριστός, Php.1:21; διὰ παντὸς τοῦ ζῆν (M, Pr., 215, 249), Heb.2:15; ὃ δὲ νῦν ζῶ ἐν σαρκί, Gal.2:20; ζῇ ἐν ἐμοὶ Χριστός, Gal.2:20; (ὁ) ζῶν, of God (אֵל חַי and cognate phrases, Jos.3:10, Hos.2:1 (1:10), Isa.37:4, al.; see DCG, ii, 39a), Mat.16:16, Jhn.6:57, Rom.9:26, 1Th.1:9, Heb.3:12, Rev.7:2, al.; in juristic phrase, ζῶ ἐγώ (חַי־אָנִי, Num.14:21, al.), as I live, Rom.14:11; ζῆν ἐπ᾽ ἄρτῳ, Mat.4:4, al.; ἐκ, 1Co.9:14; of coming to life, Mrk.16:[11], Rom.6:10 14:9, 2Co.13:4; opposite to νεκρός, Rev.1:18 2:8; metaphorically, Luk.15:32; ζῆν ἐκ νεκρῶν, Rom.6:13; of the spiritual life of Christians, Luk.10:28, Jhn.5:25, Rom.1:17 8:13; εἰς τ. αἰῶνα, Jhn.6:51, 58; σὺν Χριστῷ, 1Th.5:10; ὄνομα ἔχεις ὅτι ζῇς, Rev.3:1.

2As sometimes in cl., = βιόω, to live, pass one's life: Luk.2:36, Act.26:5, Rom.7:9, Col.2:20; ἐν πίστει, Gal.2:20; ἐν τ. ἁμαρτίᾳ, Rom.6:2; εὐσεβῶς, 2Ti.3:12; ἀσώτως, Luk.15:13; with dative (cl.), ἑαυτῳ (Field, Notes, 164), Rom.14:7, 2Co.5:15; τ. δικαιοσύνῃ, Luk.20:38, Rom.6:10, 11 Gal.2:19; τ. Χριστῷ, 2Co.5:15; τ. θεῷ, 1Pe.2:24; πνεύματι, Gal.5:25; κατὰ σάρκα, Rom.8:12, 13;

3Of inanimate things, metaphorically: ὕδωρ ζῶν (i.e. springing water, as opposite to still water), in a spiritual sense, Jhn.4:10, 11 7:38 (DCG, ii, 39f.): ἐλπὶς ζῶσα, 1Pe.1:3; ὁδὸς ζῶσα, Heb.10:20 (cf. ἀνα-, συν-ζάω; Cremer, 270, 721).

Source: STEPBible TBESG + Abbott-Smith

Why This Word Matters

Affirms ongoing covenant life beyond death. 1 Timothy 4:6-10

Affirms that Jesus is alive, not merely remembered. Acts 14:8-20

Contrasts the true God with lifeless idols. Acts 25:13-22

Affirms Paul’s claim that Jesus is living. Luke 20:27–40

Hope rests in the active, reigning God, not in human effort. Luke 24:1–12

Grammatical Forms

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

Tenses

Present Future Aorist Imperfect

Voices

Active Middle

Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 61×

Present Active Matt 16:16 · Matt 26:63 · Rom 7:3 · Rom 9:26 · 2 Cor 3:3 · 2 Cor 6:16 · 1 Tim 3:15 · Heb 3:12 · Heb 10:31 · Heb 12:22 · 1 Pet 1:23 · Rev 7:2 · Rev 15:7 · Matt 27:63 · Luke 15:13 · John 6:51 60×

Aorist Active Luke 2:36 1×

Indicative states a fact or reality 57×

Present Active Mark 16:11 · John 4:50 · John 4:51 · John 4:53 · Rom 6:10 · Rom 7:1 · Rom 14:7 · 1 Cor 7:39 · 2 Cor 13:4 · Gal 2:20 · Heb 7:8 · Heb 9:17 · John 6:57 · John 14:19 · Rom 14:11 · Acts 17:28 28×

Future Middle Matt 4:4 · Matt 9:18 · Luke 4:4 · John 11:25 · Rom 1:17 · Rom 10:5 · Gal 3:11 · Gal 3:12 · Heb 10:38 · Luke 10:28 · Rom 8:13 11×

Future Active Rom 6:2 · 2 Cor 13:4 · Heb 12:9 · Jas 4:15 · John 6:51 · John 6:57 · John 6:58 · John 5:25 · John 14:19 9×

Aorist Active Luke 15:32 · Rom 14:9 · Rev 2:8 · Rev 13:14 · Rev 20:4 · Rev 20:5 · Acts 26:5 7×

Imperfect Active Rom 7:9 · Col 3:7 2×

Infinitive verbal noun — the action in abstract 12×

Present Active Luke 24:23 · Acts 22:22 · Acts 25:19 · Acts 25:24 · Acts 28:4 · Rom 8:12 · 1 Cor 9:14 · 2 Cor 1:8 · Phil 1:21 · Phil 1:22 · 2 Tim 3:12 · Heb 2:15 12×

Subjunctive possibility, probability, or purpose 10×

Aorist Active 1 Thess 5:10 · Titus 2:12 · 1 Pet 2:24 · 1 John 4:9 · Mark 5:23 · Gal 2:19 6×

Present Active Rom 14:8 · 2 Cor 5:15 · 1 Pet 4:6 4×

Discourse Aspect

How this verb appears across 134 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).

Aspect

completed 6 ongoing 27 prospective 20 background 2 subjunctive 10 infinitive 12 participle 57

Tense

present 99 future 20 aorist 13 imperfect 2

Voice

active 123 middle 11

Mood

participle 57 indicative 55 infinitive 12 subjunctive 10

NT Occurrences

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)

Canonical Themes

Covenant

Biblical Occurrences

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

New Testament Witnesses

1 Timothy 4:6-10 living záō

Alive and active, in contrast to lifeless idols.

Acts 14:8-20 Living záō

Alive, possessing life.

Acts 25:13-22 Alive záō Infinitive · Present Active

To live.

Luke 20:27–40 ζώντων záō

living

Luke 24:1–12 ζῶντα záō

living one

Additional Occurrences

Luke 20:27–40 ζώντων záō

Living

Luke 24:1–12 ζῶντα záō

Living

Mark 12:18–27 ζάω záō

to live

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.

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.

1 Corinthians 9 — Rights Surrendered, the Gospel Advanced, and Discipline for the Prize Acts 14 — Through Many Hardships into the Kingdom Acts 25 — Paul Appeals to Caesar and Is Set Before Agrippa Acts 7 — Stephen Testifies to Israel’s Resistance and Christ’s Glory John 11 — The Resurrection and the Life, the Raising of Lazarus, and the Plot to Kill Jesus John 14 — The Way, the Truth, and the Life, the Father Revealed in the Son, and the Promise of the Spirit John 4 — Living Water, True Worship, and the Savior of the World John 7 — The Feast, the Divided Crowd, and the Living Water of Jesus Luke 20 — The Rejected Son, the Questioned Authority, and the Lord Who Silences His Opponents Luke 24 — The Risen Christ Opens the Scriptures, Commissions Witnesses, and Ascends in Blessing Mark 12 — The Rejected Son, the Greatest Commandment, the Lord of David, and the Widow’s Offering Matthew 16 — The Confession of the Christ, the Church Christ Builds, and the Cross-Shaped Way of Discipleship Matthew 22 — The Wedding Banquet, the King’s Invitation, and the Messiah Who Is David’s Lord Philippians 1 — Gospel Partnership and Joyful Witness in Christ Romans 10 — Christ the End of the Law and the Righteousness Received by Faith Romans 12 — Living Sacrifices, Renewed Minds, Humble Service, and Love Without Hypocrisy Romans 14 — Receiving One Another, Honoring the Lord, and Pursuing Peace in Matters of Conscience Romans 6 — Dead to Sin and Alive to God in Christ Jesus

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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