WG: Commandment-Keeping¶
Overview¶
The NT commandment-keeping concept clusters around 7 words. The core triad — entolē (the commandment), tēreō (keeping it), and agapaō (love) — appears together in the densest Johannine passages. Nomos provides the broader legal framework. Entellomai, entalma, and epitagē define the edges: the cognate verb, the counterfeit form (human tradition), and the apostolic variant.
Word Group Members¶
| Strong's | Word | Transliteration | POS | Occurrences | Role in Concept | Library Entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G1785 | ἐντολή | entolē | f. noun | 65 | The commandment itself — divine charge | G1785 |
| G5083 | τηρέω | tēreō | verb | 68 | Keeping/guarding the commandment | G5083-tereo |
| G25 | ἀγαπάω | agapaō | verb | 109 | Love — the motive and the content of the commandment | G25-agapao |
| G3551 | νόμος | nomos | m. noun | 158 | The Law — broader legal category entolē operates within | TODO(need G3551 study) |
| G1781 | ἐντέλλομαι | entellomai | verb | 17 | To command/enjoin — parent verb of entolē | TODO(need G1781 study) |
| G1778 | ἔνταλμα | entalma | n. noun | 3 | Human religious precept (always negative in NT) | G1778 |
| G2003 | ἐπιταγή | epitagē | f. noun | 7 | Apostolic directive/decree (Pauline) | G2003 |
Relationships¶
Word Family¶
- entellomai (G1781) → entolē (G1785) — verb → derived noun
- entellomai (G1781) → entalma (G1778) — same verb root; entalma is the pejorative form (human traditions)
Co-occurrence (shared distinct verses)¶
| Word A | Word B | Shared Verses | Typical Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| G1785 entolē | G5083 tēreō | 14 (22%) | "keep his commandments" — the standard imperative |
| G1785 entolē | G25 agapaō | 11 (17%) | love and commandment-keeping linked |
| G1785 entolē | G3551 nomos | 9 (14%) | commandment within/against the law |
| G5083 tēreō | G25 agapaō | 5 (7%) | "if ye love me, keep my commandments" |
| G25 agapaō | G1781 entellomai | 2 (12%) | Father's charge to the Son |
Key Three-Way Passages¶
- Jhn 14:15 — [G1785 + G5083 + G25] "If ye love me, keep my commandments."
- Jhn 14:21 — [G1785 + G5083 + G25] "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me."
- 1Jo 5:2 — [G1785 + G5083 + G25] "When we love God, and keep his commandments."
Shared Hebrew Sources (LXX Bridge)¶
| Hebrew | Transliteration | Bridge Connections |
|---|---|---|
| H8104 שָׁמַר (shamar) | shamar | → G1785 (78 co-occ), G1781 (63), G5083 (10), G3551 (33), G25 (20) |
| H4687 מִצְוָה (mitsvah) | mitsvah | → G1785 (153 co-occ), G1781 (46), G25 (15) |
Shamar ("to keep/guard") binds the entire cluster: the Hebrew verb of commandment-keeping maps across to tēreō (G5083) in the NT, carrying the LXX pattern of mitsvah + shamar into the Johannine pattern of entolē + tēreō.
Roles in the Concept¶
- The charge: entolē (G1785) — the specific divine or apostolic injunction
- The action: tēreō (G5083) — keeping/guarding the commandment
- The motive: agapaō (G25) — love both commands and motivates keeping
- The framework: nomos (G3551) — the law within which commandments operate
- The source act: entellomai (G1781) — the act of commanding that produces entolē
- The counterfeit: entalma (G1778) — human tradition masquerading as divine commandment
- The apostolic form: epitagē (G2003) — directive issued under apostolic authority
Key Passages Where Multiple Group Words Appear¶
- Jhn 14:15 — "If ye love [G25] me, keep [G5083] my commandments [G1785]."
- Jhn 14:21 — "He that hath my commandments [G1785], and keepeth [G5083] them, he it is that loveth [G25] me."
- 1Jo 5:3 — "This is the love [G25/agapē] of God, that we keep [G5083] his commandments [G1785]."
- Mat 22:36–40 — entolē + nomos: "the great commandment in the law" — the two words in their defining relationship
- Mat 15:3, 9 — entolē vs. entalma contrast: commandment of God vs. commandments of men
Generated from: gather_word_group_data.py, gather_word_data.py Last updated: 2026-04-01