G2296 — θαυμάζω (thaumázō)¶

Core Data¶

Strong's: G2296
Original: θαυμάζω
Transliteration: thaumázō
Pronunciation: thou-mad'-zo
Part of Speech: Verb
Root: from θαῦμα (thaûma, G2295) — "a wonder, marvel"
Occurrences: 46 unique verses (47 tokens) in NT, across 10 books
First Occurrence: Matt 8:10 — "When Jesus heard [it], he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel."
Hapax Legomenon: No

Lexicon Definition¶

From θαῦμα (G2295); to wonder; by implication, to admire — admire, have in admiration, marvel, wonder.

Semantic Domains¶

Louw-Nida: - Domain: 25.020 — Surprise, Astonish - Parent Domain: 25 — Attitudes and Emotions - Other words in subdomain: ἐκθαμβέω (G1568), ἔκθαμβος (G1569), ἐκθαυμάζω (G2296a), ἐκπλήσσω (G1605), ἔκστασις (G1611), ἐξίστημι (G1839), θαμβέω (G2284), θάμβος (G2285), θαῦμα (G2295), θαυμάσιος (G2297), θαυμαστός (G2298) - Also appears in 33.038 (Flatter) in the phrase "have in admiration" (Jude 1:16).

UBS Semantic Domains: - [025] Attitudes and Emotions - [033] Communication

Domain Neighbors (25.020 — Surprise, Astonish)¶

Strong's	Lemma	Total vv	Primary KJV Translation(s)	Key Difference
G1568	ἐκθαμβέω	3	affrighted, sore amazed	Intensified fear-reaction; "alarmed astonishment"
G1569	ἔκθαμβος	1	greatly wondering	Adjective form of G1568; heightened astonishment
G1605	ἐκπλήσσω	9	were astonished	"Struck out of oneself"; reaction to teaching/miracle
G1611	ἔκστασις	5	amazed, trance	Noun: the state of being "out of place" mentally
G1839	ἐξίστημι	10	amazed, bewitched	Verb of G1611; stronger cognitive displacement
G2284	θαμβέω	3	amazed, astonished	Shock/fear element; startled awe
G2285	θάμβος	3	amazed, astonishment	Noun of G2284
G2295	θαῦμα	1	admiration	Noun root of G2296; the wonder itself
G2297	θαυμάσιος	1	wonderful things	Adjective: that which is wondered at
G2298	θαυμαστός	7	marvellous	Adjective: worthy of wonder

G2296 is the most common verb in this field — the neutral, unmarked "marvel/wonder" term. It does not by itself carry the fear-shock element of θαμβέω or the cognitive-displacement element of ἐξίστημι; context determines whether the wonder is admiring, bewildered, alarmed, or approving.

Translation Distribution (KJV)¶

Translation	Verses	%
marvelled / he marvelled / they marvelled / did marvel	22	47.8%
wondered / he wondered / while they wondered / wondering	11	23.9%
Marvel / marvel / marvel ye / may marvel	6	13.0%
I marvel	1	2.2%
I wondered	1	2.2%
didst thou marvel	1	2.2%
in admiration / to be admired	2	4.3%
shall wonder	1	2.2%
wonder	1	2.2%

KJV alternates freely between "marvel" (~65%) and "wonder" (~28%) without semantic distinction; the remaining renderings ("admire / have in admiration") cluster around passive-voice or intensified forms (2 Thess 1:10; Jude 1:16; Rev 17:6).

Distribution by Book¶

Book	Count	Book Verses	Per 100
2 Thessalonians	1	47	2.1
Luke	13	1151	1.1
Revelation	4	404	1.0
1 John	1	105	1.0
Mark	6	678	0.9
Matthew	8	1071	0.7
John	6	879	0.7
Galatians	1	149	0.7
Acts	5	1007	0.5
Jude	1	25	4.0

Pattern: Heavily weighted toward the Gospels (33 of 46 uses = 72%), where it is the standard narrative reaction-verb to Jesus' words and works. Luke carries the highest Gospel count both absolutely and normalized. Outside the Gospels and Acts, the word is rare (9 uses across the epistles + Revelation) and is consistently used in more theologically loaded or eschatological contexts (2 Thess 1:10; Jude 1:16; the four Revelation uses).

Semantic Categories¶

1. Marveling at Jesus' Words / Teaching¶

Reaction of hearers (crowds, disciples, opponents, Jesus himself at the centurion) to Jesus' verbal authority, answers, or teaching.

Matt 8:10 / Luke 7:9 — Jesus marvels at the centurion's faith.
Matt 22:22 — "when they had heard [these words], they marvelled, and left him."
Mark 12:17 — "and they marvelled at him" (Caesar's coin reply).
Luke 20:26 — "they marvelled at his answer, and held their peace."
John 7:15 — "the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?"

2. Marveling at Miracles / Deeds¶

Reaction to healings, exorcisms, nature miracles, and raisings.

Matt 8:27 — "the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!"
Matt 9:33 — "the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel."
Matt 15:31 — "the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak..."
Mark 5:20 — "all [men] did marvel" (Decapolis publishes Jesus' deeds).
Luke 9:43 — "while they wondered every one at all things which Jesus did."
Luke 11:14 — "the people wondered" (dumb demoniac).
Acts 2:7 — "they were all amazed and marvelled" (Pentecost tongues).

3. Marveling as Unbelief / Perplexity¶

The wonder is disapproving, unsettled, or reflects a failure to understand; sometimes rebuked by Jesus.

Mark 6:6 — "he marvelled because of their unbelief" (Jesus' reaction).
John 3:7 — "Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again."
John 5:28 — "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming..."
John 7:21 — "I have done one work, and ye all marvel."
Gal 1:6 — "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you..." (Paul's rebuke).
1 John 3:13 — "Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you."

4. Marveling at Unexpected / Counter-expectation Events¶

The wonder arises because what occurred violates expectation — a governor surprised by silence, disciples by an empty tomb, Pharisees by omitted washing.

Matt 27:14 — "the governor marvelled greatly" (Jesus' silence before Pilate).
Mark 15:5 — "Pilate marvelled" (at Jesus' silence).
Mark 15:44 — "Pilate marvelled if he were already dead."
Luke 1:21 — "the people... marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple."
Luke 1:63 — "they marvelled all" (Zacharias writing "John").
Luke 11:38 — "the Pharisee... marvelled that he had not first washed."
Luke 24:12 — "departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass" (empty tomb).
Luke 24:41 — "while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered."
John 4:27 — "marvelled that he talked with the woman."
Acts 3:12 — "why marvel ye at this?"
Acts 4:13 — "they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus."
Acts 7:31 — "Moses... wondered at the sight" (burning bush).

5. Wonder Directed at a Divine/Eschatological Object (passive / future)¶

Used in passive or future constructions where the wonder terminates on a theological object — Christ at his coming, or an apocalyptic figure. Includes the only passive and future-passive forms in the word's NT usage.

2 Thess 1:10 — "when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired (θαυμασθῆναι, aor. pass. inf.) in all them that believe."
Rev 13:3 — "all the world wondered (ἐθαυμάσθη, aor. pass. 3sg) after the beast." (the wonder follows the wound-and-healing sequence; verb marks the turn from injury to worldwide reaction.)
Rev 17:6 — "when I saw her, I wondered (ἐθαύμασα) with great admiration (θαῦμα μέγα)." (figura etymologica: cognate accusative intensifies.)
Rev 17:7 — "Wherefore didst thou marvel (ἐθαύμασας)?" (angel to John, responding to 17:6.)
Rev 17:8 — "they that dwell on the earth shall wonder (θαυμασθήσονται, fut. pass. 3pl), whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is."

6. Warning / Rebuke Usage (imperative, esp. negated)¶

θαυμάζω appears in direct imperatives (often negated) to check a wrong reaction in the hearer.

John 3:7 — "Marvel not (μὴ θαυμάσῃς)..."
John 5:28 — "Marvel not at this (μὴ θαυμάζετε)..."
Acts 3:12 — "why marvel ye (τί θαυμάζετε)?"
Acts 13:41 — "Behold, ye despisers, and wonder (θαυμάσατε), and perish" (LXX quotation of Hab 1:5).
1 John 3:13 — "Marvel not (μὴ θαυμάζετε), my brethren."

Revelation Focus — All Five Occurrences¶

Revelation contains four verses (5 occurrences counting the cognate noun in 17:6) of θαυμάζω, clustered in the beast passages.

Ref	Greek Form	Parse	Subject	Object / Direction
Rev 13:3	ἐθαυμάσθη	aor. pass. 3sg	ὅλη ἡ γῆ ("the whole earth")	ὀπίσω τοῦ θηρίου ("after the beast") — follows the wound-and-healing sequence
Rev 17:6	ἐθαύμασα (+ θαῦμα μέγα)	aor. act. 1sg + cognate noun	John	The woman drunken with blood; cognate-accusative intensification
Rev 17:7	ἐθαύμασας	aor. act. 2sg	John (quoted by angel)	Refers back to 17:6
Rev 17:8	θαυμασθήσονται	fut. pass. 3pl	οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ("those who dwell on the earth")	The beast that "was, is not, and shall be present" (καίπερ ἔσται)

Both passive forms (13:3, 17:8) take the beast as the focus of wonder and specify the wondering subjects as earth-dwellers. 17:8 is the only future-tense form of θαυμάζω in the NT. The parallel of aorist-passive (13:3) → future-passive (17:8) frames the beast's reception by the same grammatical voice at two temporal points.

Common Collocations¶

Word	Strong's	Co-occ	Typical Pattern
ἔπω / λέγω (épō / légō)	G2036 / G3004	10x each	wonder accompanied by a quoted reaction ("saying, What manner of man...")
πᾶς (pâs)	G3956	10x	"all marvelled" / "all the world wondered" — totalizing crowd reactions
Ἰησοῦς (Iēsoûs)	G2424	9x	Jesus as object or (less often) subject of the wonder
ὁράω (horáō)	G3708	9x	"when they saw... they marvelled" — wonder as response to sight
λαλέω (laléō)	G2980	8x	wonder as response to speech
ἀκούω (akoúō)	G191	5x	"when he heard it, he marvelled"
ἀποκρίνομαι (apokrínomai)	G611	5x	wonder paired with an answer/reply
ὄχλος (óchlos)	G3793	5x	"the multitude marvelled" (Gospels)
ποιέω (poiéō)	G4160	5x	wonder at deeds done
θεός (theós)	G2316	4x	wonder glorifies God or contemplates his acts
Ἰσραήλ (Israḗl)	G2474	4x	Israel context ("not found so great faith... in Israel")

Word Family / Cognates¶

θαῦμα (G2295) — noun: "a wonder, marvel"; root of G2296. Only Rev 17:6 ("wondered with great admiration" — θαῦμα μέγα).
θαυμάσιος (G2297) — adjective: "wonderful"; Matt 21:15 only.
θαυμαστός (G2298) — adjective: "marvellous, worthy of wonder"; 7x (e.g., Matt 21:42; 1 Pet 2:9; Rev 15:1, 15:3).
ἐκθαυμάζω (G2296a) — intensified compound (Mark 12:17 in some critical texts).

Synonyms¶

No direct synonyms were returned by search_relationships.py for G2296.

Antonyms¶

No antonyms were returned by search_relationships.py for G2296.

Easily Confused Words¶

Word	Strong's	Shared KJV Translation	Key Difference
ἐξίστημι (G1839)	G1839	"wondered" / "amazed"	Stronger cognitive-displacement nuance; "be out of one's wits"; used of ecstatic bewilderment (Acts 2:7 pairs both verbs).
ἐκπλήσσω (G1605)	G1605	"astonished"	Reaction to teaching or miracle that "strikes one out of oneself"; stronger than thaumazō.
θαμβέω (G2284)	G2284	"amazed" / "astonished"	Includes fear/startle element; thaumazō is more neutral.
θαυμαστός (G2298)	G2298	"Marvel" (Matt 21:42 quotation)	Adjective form — the thing wondered at, not the wondering.
תָּמַהּ (tâmahh)	H8539	"marvelled" / "wonder"	Hebrew consternation/astonishment; KJV overlap via LXX rendering.

Hebrew Source (via LXX)¶

Hebrew	Strong's	Co-occ	PMI	Notes
תָּמַהּ (tâmahh)	H8539	4	8.61	Primary direct counterpart — to be astonished/in consternation.
נָשָׂא (nâsâʼ)	H5375	11	3.84	Idiomatic: "lift/accept the face" (πρόσωπον λαμβάνω) → "have in admiration" (Jude 1:16 echoes the idiom).
שָׁמֵם (shâmêm)	H8074	4	5.29	To be appalled / stunned.
בִּין (bîyn)	H995	3	3.87	To discern / perceive — overlap at the edge of "consider, wonder at."
פָּנִים (pânîym)	H6440	10	2.14	"Face" — appears in the "accept the person/face" collocation.

Note: co-occurrence counts are below the automatic trace threshold (≥20); no cross-testament trace file auto-generated. H8539 is the cleanest single Hebrew correspondent.