G1785 — ἐντολή (entolē)¶

Core Data¶

Strong's: G1785
Original: ἐντολή
Transliteration: entolē
Pronunciation: en-tol-ay
Part of Speech: Feminine noun (n-f)
Root: ἐντέλλομαι (entellomai) G1781 — to command, enjoin upon
Occurrences: 65 unique verses (71 tokens) in NT
First Occurrence: Matthew 5:19 — "Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so..."
Hapax Legomenon: No

Lexicon Definition¶

From G1781 (entellomai); an injunction, i.e. an authoritative prescription — commandment, precept.

Louw-Nida Semantic Domain¶

Domain: 033032 — Command, Order (subdomain of 033 Communication)
Other words in domain: ἀπαγγέλλω (G518), διαστέλλω (G1291), διαταγή (G1296), διάταγμα (G1297), διατάσσω (G1299), δόγμα (G1378), ἔνταλμα (G1778), ἐντέλλομαι (G1781), ἐπιταγή (G2003), ἐπιτάσσω (G2004), κέλευσμα (G2752), κελεύω (G2753), παραγγελία (G3852)

UBS Semantic Domains¶

033 — Communication

Translation Distribution (KJV)¶

Translation	Verses	%
commandment	33	50.8%
commandments	22	33.8%
a commandment	5	7.7%
precept	2	3.1%
of the commandment	1	1.5%
of the commandments	1	1.5%
of commandments	1	1.5%
the commandments	1	1.5%

Rendered "commandment(s)" in 93.8% of verses; only twice as "precept" (Mark 10:5, Hebrews 9:19). Counts are by unique verses; 6 verses contain the word twice (accounting for 71 tokens vs. 65 verses).

Distribution by Book¶

Book	Count	Per 100 Verses
2 John	3	23.1
1 John	10	9.5
2 Peter	2	3.3
Titus	1	2.2
Romans	7	1.6
Ephesians	2	1.3
Hebrews	4	1.3
Mark	8	1.2
Colossians	1	1.1
John	9	1.0
1 Timothy	1	0.9
Matthew	7	0.7
Revelation	3	0.7
1 Corinthians	2	0.5
Luke	4	0.3
Acts	1	0.1

Johannine concentration is the defining feature: John + 1 John + 2 John = 22 unique verses (34% of all uses) across 997 verses of text. 2 John carries the highest density in the NT (23.1 per 100v). Paul clusters in Romans 7 (law-and-sin discourse). Hebrews uses it exclusively for the Levitical commandment. Revelation places it in the end-time remnant formula.

Semantic Categories¶

1. The Decalogue / Mosaic Law¶

Matt 22:36 — "Master, which [is] the great commandment in the law?"
Mark 12:28–29 — "Which is the first commandment of all?... Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord"
Luke 18:20 — "Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill..."
Rom 13:9 — "if [there be] any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself"

2. Christ's New Commandment — Love¶

John 13:34 — "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you"
John 15:12 — "This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you"
1 John 2:7–8 — "I write no new commandment... Again, a new commandment I write unto you"
2 John 1:5 — "not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another"

3. The Father's Commandment to Christ¶

John 10:18 — "This commandment have I received of my Father"
John 12:49 — "the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say"
John 12:50 — "I know that his commandment is life everlasting"
John 15:10 — "even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love"

4. Keeping Commandments as Knowing / Loving God¶

John 14:15 — "If ye love me, keep my commandments"
1 John 2:3 — "hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments"
1 John 5:3 — "this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous"
Rev 14:12 — "they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus"

5. Commandment, Sin, and Death (Pauline)¶

Rom 7:8 — "sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence"
Rom 7:10 — "the commandment, which [was ordained] to life, I found [to be] unto death"
Rom 7:12 — "the law [is] holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good"

6. Human Traditions vs. God's Commandment¶

Matt 15:3 — "Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?"
Mark 7:8–9 — "laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men"
Titus 1:14 — "Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth"

7. Priestly / Levitical Commandment¶

Heb 7:5 — "they that are of the sons of Levi... have a commandment to take tithes of the people"
Heb 7:16 — "not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life"
Heb 7:18 — "there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof"

Common Collocations¶

Word	Strong's	Co-verses	Typical Pattern
θεός (theos)	G2316	14x (22%)	"commandments of God"
τηρέω (tēreō)	G5083	14x (22%)	"keep his/the commandments" — defining Johannine collocation
ἀγαπάω (agapaō)	G25	11x (17%)	love as both motive and content of the commandment
πατήρ (patēr)	G3962	11x (17%)	"Father's commandment" / "commandment of my Father"
λαμβάνω (lambanō)	G2983	9x (14%)	"received a commandment"
νόμος (nomos)	G3551	9x (14%)	"commandment in the law" / "law of commandments"
ἔχω (echō)	G2192	7x (11%)	"hath my commandments" (John 14:21)
καθώς (kathōs)	G2531	7x (11%)	"as I have loved... as I have kept" (Johannine love formula)
δίδωμι (didōmi)	G1325	6x (9%)	"I give you a/this commandment"
Ἰησοῦς (Iēsous)	G2424	6x (9%)	Christ as giver of the commandment
κύριος (kyrios)	G2962	6x (9%)	"commandment of the Lord"
ποιέω (poieō)	G4160	6x (9%)	"do his commandments" (Rev 22:14)
γινώσκω (ginōskō)	G1097	5x (8%)	"hereby we know that we know him, if we keep" (1 John)
γράφω (graphō)	G1125	5x (8%)	"I write no new commandment" (1–2 John)
εἷς (heis)	G1520	5x (8%)	"the first/one commandment" (Decalogue contexts)
ζωή (zōē)	G2222	5x (8%)	commandment connected to life (John 12:50; Rom 7:10)
καινός (kainos)	G2537	5x (8%)	"a new commandment" (John 13:34; 1–2 John)
πᾶς (pas)	G3956	5x (8%)	"first of all the commandments" / "all the commandments"

Note: ἀποκρίνομαι (G611, 5x) and ἔπω (G2036, 5x) appear due to Q&A framing in gospel passages ("which is the great commandment?... he answered...") — contextual rather than thematic.

Also outside top 20 but theologically significant: πρῶτος (G4413, 5x) — "the first/great commandment"; τιμάω (G5091, 4x) — "honour thy father and mother" Decalogue context; παράδοσις (G3862, 4x) — "tradition vs. commandment"; ἁμαρτία (G266, 4x) — sin exploiting the commandment (Romans 7).

Word Family / Cognates¶

G1781 ἐντέλλομαι (entellomai) — root verb: to command, enjoin (17× in NT)
G1778 ἔνταλμα (entalma) — commandment/precept (3×; always pejorative — human traditions: Matt 15:9, Mark 7:7, Col 2:22)

Synonyms¶

search_relationships.py surfaced a broad command/decree cluster rather than strict one-for-one equivalents.

G3551 νόμος (nomos) — law; the broader legal framework in which an ἐντολή functions as a specific commandment.
G1345 δικαίωμα (dikaiōma) — ordinance / righteous requirement; the nearest statutory overlap.
G3051 λόγιον (logion) — oracle / divine utterance; overlaps where a commandment is received as God's spoken directive.
G3142 μαρτύριον (martyrion) — testimony; adjacent covenant-witness vocabulary.
G3545 νομίμως (nomimōs) — lawfully; legal cognate within the same command/law field.

Broader tool-linked neighbors: G5438 φυλακή, G2917 κρίμα, G2665 καταπέτασμα, G1699 ἐμός, G5147 τρίβος.

Antonyms¶

search_relationships.py surfaced no dedicated antonym pair for G1785.

Easily Confused Words¶

Data-verified: other Strong's numbers sharing the same KJV translation in ≥2 distinct verses.

NT Greek — same KJV translation

Word	Strong's	Shared Translation	Key Difference
ἐπιταγή (epitagē)	G2003	commandment (3v)	Emphasizes weight of authority; apostolic decrees (Titus 2:15) and God's sovereign command (Rom 16:26)
ἔνταλμα (entalma)	G1778	commandments (1v)	Always negative — human traditions set against God's word
παραγγελία (parangelia)	G3852	commandments (1v)	Practical directive; apostolic orders/charges (1 Tim 1:5)
νόμος (nomos)	G3551	— (domain overlap)	The law as a whole system; entolē is a specific injunction within it

OT Hebrew — KJV translation overlap

Word	Strong's	Shared Translation	Key Difference
mitsvāh (מִצְוָה)	H4687	commandment (10v), commandments (7v)	Primary Hebrew equivalent; the standard OT divine command
dāvār (דָּבָר)	H1697	commandment (8v), commandments (3v)	"Word/matter"; rendered "commandment" for the Ten "Words"

Domain Neighbors (Louw-Nida 033032 — Command, Order)¶

Word	Strong's	Total vv	Primary KJV Translation	Key Difference
ἀπαγγέλλω (apangellō)	G518	19	told, and told	To report/announce back; about delivering a message, not issuing a command
ἐντέλλομαι (entellomai)	G1781	9	commanded, command	Root verb of entolē; emphasizes the act of commanding
ἐπιτιμάω (epitimaō)	G2008	18	rebuked, and rebuked	To rebuke/charge sternly; correction rather than positive directive
ἐπιταγή (epitagē)	G2003	6	commandment	Stresses the authority behind the command; used for apostolic/divine decrees
διαστέλλω (diastellomai)	G1291	6	he charged, charged	Verb: to charge strictly, with separation/distinction in view
διατάσσω (diatassō)	G1299	5	he commanded, ordained	Verb: to arrange in detail, prescribe orders; used for apostolic directives
ἐπιτάσσω (epitassō)	G2004	4	he commandeth	Verb: to arrange upon, order; used for Jesus commanding demons and the sea
δόγμα (dogma)	G1378	4	decrees, a decree	Official public decree; Caesar's edicts (Luke 2:1) and abolished ordinances (Eph 2:15)
ἔνταλμα (entalma)	G1778	3	commandments	Always pejorative — human traditions opposed to God's word
διαταγή (diatagē)	G1296	2	ordinance	Formal arrangement/ordination; law given through angels (Acts 7:53)
διάταγμα (diatagma)	G1297	1	commandment	Official edict; Pharaoh's decree (Heb 11:23)

Hebrew Source¶

Hebrew Source	Strong's	Score	Co-occ	Notes
mitsvāh (מִצְוָה)	H4687	34.01	153	Primary — divine/human command; PMI 6.75
piqqūd (פִּקּוּד)	H6490	19.80	19	Precept, statute (almost exclusively Psalm 119)
shāmar (שָׁמַר)	H8104	19.53	78	"To keep/guard" — dominant response verb in commandment contexts
chuqqāh (חֻקָּה)	H2708	15.38	23	Statute, ordinance (ritual/ceremonial emphasis)
tsāvāh (צָוָה)	H6680	14.21	48	"To command" — the verb behind the noun
chōq (חֹק)	H2706	14.03	22	Enactment, statute
tōrāh (תּוֹרָה)	H8451	11.87	23	Law, instruction (broader than entolē)
mishpāt (מִשְׁפָּט)	H4941	9.36	24	Judgment, ordinance

Primary source is mitsvāh (מִצְוָה, H4687) by a wide margin. The LXX used ἐντολή as the standard Greek rendering for any specific divine directive, spanning noun (mitsvāh), verb (tsāvāh), and related statute terms.