G1486 — ἔθω (éthō)¶
Core Data¶
- Strong's: G1486
- Original: ἔθω (used in NT only as perfect εἴωθα / pluperfect εἰώθει / perfect participle εἰωθός)
- Transliteration: éthō
- Pronunciation: eth
- Part of Speech: verb
- Root: Primary verb (no derivation listed)
- Occurrences: 4 in NT
- Books: 4 (Matthew, Mark, Luke, Acts)
- First Occurrence: Matt 27:15 — "the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner"
- Hapax Legomenon: No
Note on morphology: G1486 is a defective verb — it occurs in the NT exclusively in perfect/pluperfect forms that carry present/imperfect meaning ("was accustomed to"). G1486a (εἴωθα) is listed separately in some lexical systems for the perfect stem.
| Form | Parsing | Verses |
|---|---|---|
| εἰώθει | Plupf Act Ind 3Sg | Matt 27:15; Mark 10:1 |
| εἰωθός | Perf Act Part NomSg Neut | Luke 4:16; Acts 17:2 |
Lexicon Definition¶
A primary verb; to be used (by habit or conventionality). The word expresses settled habitual behavior — not a one-time act but a regular, established practice. In all four NT occurrences the perfect/pluperfect form emphasizes the state of being accustomed, treating the habit as a completed-and-ongoing condition.
Semantic Domains¶
Louw-Nida: - 041.002 — Custom, Tradition
Related words in 041.002: ἐθίζω (G1480), ἔθος (G1485), ἦθος (G2239), νομίζω (G3543), παρατηρέω (G3906), συνήθεια (G4914)
UBS Semantic Domains: - [041] Behavior and Related States
Translation Distribution (KJV)¶
| Translation | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| was wont | 1 | 25% |
| he was wont | 1 | 25% |
| his custom was | 1 | 25% |
| his manner was | 1 | 25% |
KJV uses archaic "wont" (= accustomed) and "custom/manner" interchangeably for the same Greek word.
Distribution by Book¶
| Book | Count | Per 100 Verses |
|---|---|---|
| Matthew | 1 | 0.1 |
| Mark | 1 | 0.1 |
| Luke | 1 | 0.1 |
| Acts | 1 | 0.1 |
Spread evenly across the Synoptics and Acts; absent from Paul, John, and the General Epistles. Concentrated in narrative contexts describing habitual religious or civic behavior.
Semantic Categories¶
1. Habitual Sabbath / Synagogue Practice¶
- Luke 4:16 — "as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read"
- Acts 17:2 — "Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures"
Both uses describe a regular pattern of synagogue attendance and scriptural engagement on the sabbath.
2. Habitual Teaching Activity¶
- Mark 10:1 — "the people resort unto him again; and, as he was wont, he taught them again"
Describes Jesus's established pattern of teaching crowds wherever he traveled, not a special event but a recognized habit.
3. Official / Political Custom¶
- Matt 27:15 — "at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would"
Describes an established civic/political practice of the Roman governor — a custom of governance, not personal piety.
Common Collocations¶
| Word | Strong's | Co-occurrences | Typical Pattern |
|---|---|---|---|
| σάββατον (sábbaton) | G4521 | 2x | Habitual sabbath practice (Luke 4:16; Acts 17:2) |
| εἰσέρχομαι (eisérchomai) | G1525 | 2x | "went in [to the synagogue/them]" (Luke 4:16; Acts 17:2) |
| ἀνίστημι (anístēmi) | G450 | 2x | Rising to perform the habitual act (Mark 10:1; Acts 17:2) |
| ἔρχομαι (érchomai) | G2064 | 2x | Coming to where the custom is performed |
| ὄχλος (óchlos) | G3793 | 2x | Crowds as context for habitual teaching (Mark 10:1; Matt 27:15) |
All collocations are contextual; the word has no fixed theological collocation partners.
Related Words¶
Word Family / Cognates¶
| Word | Strong's | POS | Meaning | Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἐθίζω (ethízō) | G1480 | verb | to accustom | 1x (Luke 2:27) |
| ἔθος (éthos) | G1485 | noun | custom, habit, tradition | 12x |
| ἦθος (ēthos) | G2239 | noun | moral character, manners | 1x (1 Cor 15:33) |
| συνήθεια (sunḗtheia) | G4914 | noun | custom, habit | 3x |
All derive from the same Greek root concept of repeated practice becoming established behavior.
Synonyms¶
No direct synonyms were returned by search_relationships.py for G1486.
Antonyms¶
No antonyms were returned by search_relationships.py for G1486.
Easily Confused Words¶
| Word | Strong's | Shared Translation | Key Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| ἔθος (éthos) | G1485 | "custom," "manner," "wont" | G1485 is the noun (the custom itself); G1486 is the verb (to be in the habit of doing it) |
| νομίζω (nomízō) | G3543 | "was wont" (Acts 16:13) | νομίζω primarily means "to suppose/presume" and expresses socially presumed convention; G1486 expresses the personal habitual act |
Domain Neighbors (Louw-Nida 041.002)¶
| Word | Strong's | Gloss | Key Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| ἐθίζω (ethízō) | G1480 | to accustom | Active causative: to train into a habit; G1486 = to be in the habit |
| ἔθος (éthos) | G1485 | custom, habit | Noun form of same root; names the custom itself |
| ἦθος (ēthos) | G2239 | custom, character | Broader: moral character or social manners |
| νομίζω (nomízō) | G3543 | to presume/suppose | Can describe conventional practice; less personal than G1486 |
| παρατηρέω (paratēréō) | G3906 | to observe closely | Observing/keeping a tradition; distinct: guarding vs. habitual doing |
| συνήθεια (sunḗtheia) | G4914 | custom, habit | Noun; often used for collective social habit vs. individual behavior |
Hebrew Source¶
No LXX mapping data available. G1486 is a Greek primary verb with no strong tracked correspondence to a specific Hebrew lexeme. The semantic field is covered in Hebrew by words such as H4941 (mishpat, "manner/custom"), H1870 (derek, "way/manner"), and H2708 (chuqqah, "statute/custom").
Generated from: gather_word_data.py, greek_parser.py, louw_nida.db, strongs_translations.db, search_relationships.py Last updated: 2026-04-27