Hear, Hearing

1. akouo
2. eisakouo
3. diakouo
4. epakouo
5. epakroaomai
6. proakouo
7. parakouo

1. akoe

akouo the usual word denoting "to hear," is used
(a) intransitively, e.g., Matt_11:15; Mark 4;23;
(b) transitively when the object is expressed, sometimes in the accusative case, sometimes in the genitive. Thus in Acts_9:7, "hearing the voice," the noun "voice" is in the partitive genitive case [i.e., hearing (something) of], whereas in Acts_22:9, "they heard not the voice," the construction is with the accusative. This removes the idea of any contradiction. The former indicates a "hearing" of the sound, the latter indicates the meaning or message of the voice (this they did not hear). "The former denotes the sensational perception, the latter (the accusative case) the thing perceived" (Cremer). In John_5:25,28, the genitive case is used, indicating a "sensational perception" that the Lord's voice is sounding; in John_3:8, of "hearing" the wind, the accusative is used, stressing "the thing perceived."

That God "hears" prayer signifies that He answers prayer, e.g., John_9:31; 1_John_5:14,15. Sometimes the verb is used with para ("from beside"), e.g., John_1:40, "one of the two which heard John speak," lit., "heard from beside John," suggesting that he stood beside him; in John_8:26,40, indicating the intimate fellowship of the Son with the Father; the same construction is used in Acts_10:22; 2_Tim_2:2, in the latter case, of the intimacy between Paul and Timothy. See HEARKEN.

See also : akouo in other topics

eisakouo "to listen to" (eis, to, and akouo), has two meanings,
(a) "to hear and obey," 1_Cor_14:21, "they will not hear;"
(b) "to hear so as to answer," of God's answer to prayer, Matt_6:7; Luke_1:13; Acts_10:31; Heb_5:7.

diakouo "to hear through, hear fully" (dia, "through," and akouo), is used technically, of "hearing" judicially, in Acts_23:35, of Felix in regard to the charges against Paul. In the Sept., Deut_1:16; Job_9:33.

epakouo "to listen to, hear with favor, at or upon an occasion" (epi, "upon," and akouo), is used in 2_Cor_6:2 (RV, "hearken").

See also : epakouo in other topics

epakroaomai "to listen attentively to" (epi, used intensively, and a verb akin to akouo), is used in Acts_16:25, "(the prisoners) were listening to (them)," RV, expressive of rapt attention.

proakouo signifies "to hear before" (pro), Col_1:5, where Lightfoot suggests that the preposition contrasts what they heard before, the true Gospel, with the false gospel of their recent teachers.

parakouo primarily signifies "to overhear, hear amiss or imperfectly" (para, "beside, amiss," and akouo); then (in the NT) "to hear without taking heed, to neglect to hear," Matt_18:17 (twice); in Mark_5:36 the best mss. have this verb, which the RV renders "not heeding" (marg., "overhearing"); some mss. have akouo, AV, "hearing." It seems obvious that the Lord paid no attention to those from the ruler's house and their message that his daughter was dead. Cp. the noun parakoe, "disobedience."

akoe akin to akouo, denotes
(a) "the sense of hearing," 1_Cor_12:17; 2_Pet_2:8; a combination of verb and noun is used in phrases which have been termed Hebraic as they express somewhat literally an OT phraseology, e.g., "By hearing ye shall hear," Matt_13:14; Acts_28:26, RV, a mode of expression conveying emphasis;
(b) "the organ of hearing," Mark_7:35, "ears;" Luke_7:1, RV, "ears," for AV, "audience;" Acts_17:20; 2_Tim_4:3,4; Heb_5:11, "dull of hearing," lit., "dull as to ears;"
(c) "a thing heard, a message or teaching," John_12:38, "report;" Rom_10:16; 1_Thess_2:13, "the word of the message," lit. "the word of hearing" (AV, "which ye heard"); Heb_4:2, "the word of hearing," RV, for AV, "the word preached;" in a somewhat similar sense, "a rumor, report," Matt_4:24; Matt_14:1; Mark_1:28, AV, "fame," RV, "report;" Matt_24:6; Mark_13:7, "rumors (of wars);"
(d) "the receiving of a message," Rom_10:17, something more than the mere sense of "hearing" [see B1(a)]; so with the phrase "the hearing of faith," Gal_3:2,5, which it seems better to understand so than under B1(c). See EAR, FAME, PREACH, REPORT, RUMOR.

Notes:
(1) For diagnosis (investigation, followed by decision), rendered "hearing" in Acts_25:21, AV, see DECISION.
(2) For the phrase to be dull of hearing, lit., "to hear heavily," Matt_13:15; Acts_28:27, see DULL.
(3) For akroaterion, "a place of hearing," Acts_25:23, see PLACE.

See also : akoe in other topics