# G1097 - ginosko **Strong's:** [G1097](https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g1097/) · BLB lookup **Pronunciation:** ghin-oce'-ko **Part of speech:** verb **Hebrew equivalent (LXX):** [H3045 - yada](/codex/h3045-yada/), *yadaʿ* (to know), direct correspondent. **NT occurrences:** 222, heavily concentrated in the Johannine literature (esp. John 56× / [1 John 25](/codex/1-john-25/)× / [2 John 1](/codex/2-john-1/)× / [3 John 1](/codex/3-john-1/)×) and Pauline epistles. The Synoptics have ~80; Acts ~16. ## Semantic range (Thayer / BDAG) 1. **To come to know / learn / discover**, the inceptive sense; the *acquiring* of knowledge through perception, experience, or instruction. 2. **To know experientially / perceptually**, the *experiential* / *relational* knowledge sense, as distinct from *theoretical* knowledge. The Hebrew *yadaʿ* tradition shapes this strongly. 3. **To recognize / acknowledge**, the *identifying* sense; e.g., "they did not *know* Him" = "they did not recognize who He was." 4. **To understand / perceive / apprehend**, the cognitive-comprehension sense. 5. **To know intimately / sexually (idiom)**, Hebrew *yadaʿ* idiom for sexual knowing carried over into Greek ([Matt 1:25](/codex/matthew-1-25/), "Joseph kept her a virgin until she gave birth"; [Luke 1:34](/codex/luke-1-34/), "I have not *known* a man"). 6. **To know (covenant-relational)**, the relational-covenantal sense: to *know* God / Christ / the truth as covenantal participation, not merely cognitive grasp. ## Theological force, relational / experiential knowledge The Greek *ginōskō* is shaped substantially by the Hebrew *yadaʿ* via the LXX. The OT-Hebrew "knowledge" concept is *relational-experiential*, not (or not primarily) abstract / propositional. To *know* (*yadaʿ* / *ginōskō*) God in biblical idiom is to *be in covenantal relationship with* Him, to experience, encounter, follow, and conform to Him. ### *Ginōskō* vs. *oida*, the two-word distinction NT Greek has *two* primary "to know" verbs, often treated as near-synonyms but with subtle differences: - **G1097 *ginōskō***, typically the *experiential / inceptive* sense; *coming to know* through encounter or relationship; *progressive* / *learned* knowledge. - **G1492 *oida*** (eidō), typically the *intuitive / immediate / settled* sense; *knowing-as-having-known*; *complete* / *unmediated* knowledge. The distinction is *not* mechanical; many NT contexts use them interchangeably. But where the difference matters, *ginōskō* leans toward the *progressive-relational-experiential* end and *oida* toward the *settled-intuitive-comprehensive* end. **[John 21:17](/codex/john-21-17/)** captures both: "Lord, You *know* (*oidas*) all things; You *know* (*ginōskeis*) that I love You", Peter appeals to Christ's omniscient *oida* and his own *ginōskō*-perception. ### Stream 1, Knowing God as covenantal relationship The Johannine literature deploys *ginōskō* with maximum intensity for the *relational-covenantal-knowing* of God in Christ: - **[John 17:3](/codex/john-17-3/)**, "this is *eternal life*, that they may *know* (*ginōskōsin*) You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent", eternal life is *defined as* the relational-knowing of the Father and the Son - **[John 10:14-15](/codex/john-10-14-15/), [27](/codex/john-10-27/)**, "I am the good shepherd, and I *know* My own and My own *know* Me, even as the Father *knows* Me and I *know* the Father", covenantal mutual-knowing as the structural pattern - **[John 14:7](/codex/john-14-7/)**, "if you had *known* Me, you would have *known* My Father also" - **[John 14:9](/codex/john-14-9/)**, "have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to *know* Me, Philip?" - **[1 John 2:3-4](/codex/1-john-2-3-4/), [13-14](/codex/1-john-2-13-14/); 3:6; 4:6-8**, Johannine epistemological-pastoral test: "by this we *know* that we have come to *know* Him, if we keep His commandments" - **[1 John 4:7-8](/codex/1-john-4-7-8/)**, "everyone who loves is born of God and *knows* God; the one who does not love does not *know* God, for God is love" The Johannine pattern: *to know* God / Christ is to *be in love-and-obedience-relationship* with Him; cognitive recognition of theological propositions is necessary-but-not-sufficient. ### Stream 2, Pauline knowing as covenantal-redemptive participation Paul deploys *ginōskō* especially for *the believer's knowing-and-being-known by Christ*: - **[Galatians 4:9](/codex/galatians-4-9/)**, "now that you have come to *know* God, or rather to *be known* by God" - **[Philippians 3:8](/codex/philippians-3-8/), [10](/codex/philippians-3-10/)**, "the surpassing value of *knowing* (*gnōseōs*) Christ Jesus my Lord... that I may *know* Him and the power of His resurrection" - **[2 Timothy 2:19](/codex/2-timothy-2-19/)**, "the Lord *knows* those who are His" - **[1 Corinthians 8:3](/codex/1-corinthians-8-3/); 13:12**, "if anyone loves God, he is *known* by Him... now I know in part, but then I will *know* fully just as I also have been *known* fully" The Pauline pattern preserves the priority of *being known* by God, the divine-side relational-knowing as the ground for the human-side covenantal-knowing. **The Christian epistemology is Christological**: knowledge of God is *in Christ*, mediated through union with Him, not autonomous. ### Stream 3, Hebrew yada / sexual-knowing extension The Hebrew *yadaʿ* idiom for sexual knowing ([Gen 4:1](/codex/genesis-4-1/), "Adam *knew* Eve his wife") carries into LXX-Greek and NT-Greek. The relational-personal *yadaʿ* / *ginōskō* applies maximally to the *most-intimate* relational reality, sexual union, but extends through the same logic to the *most-intimate* spiritual reality, covenantal union with God. ## Notable verses ### Johannine, covenantal knowing - **[John 1.10](/codex/john-1-10/)**, "He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not *know* Him" - **[John 8.32](/codex/john-8-32/)**, "you will *know* the truth, and the truth will set you free" - **[John 10:14-15](/codex/john-10-14-15/), [27](/codex/john-10-27/)**, Good Shepherd knows His own - **[John 14:7](/codex/john-14-7/), [9](/codex/john-14-9/)**, "if you had known Me..." - **[John 17.3](/codex/john-17-3/)**, eternal life as knowing the Father and the Son - **[John 17:25](/codex/john-17-25/)**, "the world has not *known* You, yet I have *known* You" - **[1 John 2:3-4](/codex/1-john-2-3-4/)**, "by this we know that we have come to know Him" - **[1 John 4:7-8](/codex/1-john-4-7-8/)**, "the one who does not love does not know God, for God is love" ### Pauline, covenantal-redemptive knowing - **[Galatians 4:9](/codex/galatians-4-9/)**, "to *know* God, or rather to *be known* by God" - **[Philippians 3:8](/codex/philippians-3-8/), [10](/codex/philippians-3-10/)**, knowing Christ - **[1 Corinthians 13:12](/codex/1-corinthians-13-12/)**, "now I know in part... then I will know fully" - **[2 Timothy 2:19](/codex/2-timothy-2-19/)**, "the Lord knows those who are His" ### Recognition / discovery sense - **[Matthew 12:33](/codex/matthew-12-33/)**, "the tree is *known* by its fruit" - **[Luke 2:43](/codex/luke-2-43/); 24:35**, "they *recognized* Him" - **[Mark 5:43](/codex/mark-5-43/); 9:30**, "no one should *know*" (concealment commands) ### Covenant-recognition use - **[Matthew 7:23](/codex/matthew-7-23/)**, "I never *knew* you", the eschatological non-recognition - **[2 Timothy 2:19](/codex/2-timothy-2-19/)**, "the Lord knows those who are His" (counterpart) ### Hebrew-yada extension (sexual) - **[Matthew 1:25](/codex/matthew-1-25/)**, Joseph "kept her a virgin (*ouk eginōsken autēn*) until she gave birth" - **[Luke 1:34](/codex/luke-1-34/)**, Mary: "I have not *known* a man" ## Patristic / scholarly note The Christian epistemology of *ginōskō* has been the subject of major theological reflection. **Augustine** (*De Trinitate*; *Confessions*), develops *cognitio fidei* (knowledge by faith) as the distinctively Christian epistemology; faith and reason interact, but faith-knowledge is not subordinated to autonomous reason. **Anselm** (*Proslogion*), *fides quaerens intellectum*, faith seeking understanding; the *credo ut intelligam* tradition operates on the *ginōskō*-as-relational-and-progressive logic. In modern theology, **Karl Barth** (*Church Dogmatics* II.1), emphasizes the *priority of being-known by God*; the Pauline *kathōs kai epegnōsthēn* ([1 Cor 13:12](/codex/1-corinthians-13-12/)) is the structural pattern. **Cornelius Van Til** (presuppositional epistemology), the *Christian theory of knowledge* must account for the relational-covenantal *ginōskō* as the framework, not abstract-Greek *epistēmē*. The **Hebrew *yadaʿ* / Greek *ginōskō* / Reformed knowledge** lineage informs the Reformed doctrine that *true knowledge of God is inseparable from union with Christ*. **Calvin** (*Institutes* I.1-3), opens the *Institutes* with the *duplex cognitio Dei* (two-fold knowledge of God: as Creator, as Redeemer); knowledge of God is necessarily covenantal-personal, not propositional alone. The contrast with **Hellenistic philosophical epistemology** (Plato's *epistēmē*, abstract intellectual knowledge of eternal Forms) is real: the biblical-Hebrew *yadaʿ* / NT *ginōskō* does not displace propositional-knowledge but *embeds* it in relational-covenantal context. To *know* God in biblical idiom is *necessarily* to be in covenant with Him; pure intellectual recognition without relationship does not constitute biblical *ginōskō* (cf. [James 2:19](/codex/james-2-19/), the demons believe and tremble). ## Verses in this codex _See Obsidian's backlinks pane for every verse page linking here._ Anchors: [John 17.3](/codex/john-17-3/) (eternal life as knowing), [John 10.14-15](/codex/john-10-14-15/) (Good Shepherd), [John 14:7-9](/codex/john-14-7-9/), [1 John 4:7-8](/codex/1-john-4-7-8/) (love and knowing God), [Galatians 4:9](/codex/galatians-4-9/) (known by God), [Philippians 3:8](/codex/philippians-3-8/), [10](/codex/philippians-3-10/) (knowing Christ), [1 Corinthians 13:12](/codex/1-corinthians-13-12/) (in part / fully), [2 Timothy 2:19](/codex/2-timothy-2-19/). ## See also - [H3045 - yada](/codex/h3045-yada/), *yadaʿ* (to know), Hebrew correspondent - *G1492 - eido* / *oida*, *oida* (to know intuitively), companion verb in NT Greek - G1108 - gnosis, *gnōsis* (knowledge, noun) - G1922 - epignosis, *epignōsis* (full knowledge, intensified) - [Reformed Epistemology](/codex/reformed-epistemology/), the doctrinal framework - [Justified True Belief](/codex/justified-true-belief/), adjacent epistemological concept - Passages: [John 17.3](/codex/john-17-3/), [John 10.14-15](/codex/john-10-14-15/), [1 John 4:7-8](/codex/1-john-4-7-8/), [Galatians 4:9](/codex/galatians-4-9/), [Philippians 3:10](/codex/philippians-3-10/), [1 Corinthians 13:12](/codex/1-corinthians-13-12/)