WG: Obedience¶
Overview¶
The obedience concept in the NT involves a tight word family built on the Greek root ἀκούω ("to hear") prefixed with ὑπό ("under"), plus a contrasting cluster of disobedience terms. Six words define the full semantic space of compliance and refusal.
Word Group Members¶
| Strong's | Word | Transliteration | POS | Occurrences | Role in Concept | Library Entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G5218 | ὑπακοή | hupakŏē | noun | 14 | The act/quality: obedience | G5218-hupakoe.md |
| G5219 | ὑπακούω | hupakŏuō | verb | 21 | The action: to obey, to heed | G5219-hupakouo.md |
| G5255 | ὑπήκοος | hupēkŏŏs | adjective | 3 | The quality: being obedient | TODO(need G5255 study) |
| G3876 | παρακοή | parakoē | noun | 3 | The antonym: disobedience (lit. "hearing amiss") | TODO(need G3876 study) |
| G0543 | ἀπείθεια | apeitheia | noun | 7 | Obstinate disbelief / rebellious non-compliance | G543-apeitheia.md |
| G0544 | ἀπειθέω | apeitheo | verb | 16 | To disbelieve wilfully; to disobey the gospel | G544-apeitheo.md |
Relationships¶
Shared Root¶
- G5218 ὑπακοή, G5219 ὑπακούω, G5255 ὑπήκοος — all from ὑπό + ἀκούω ("to hear under")
- G3876 παρακοή — same base ἀκούω with παρά ("beside/amiss") — "hearing amiss" → disobedience
- G0543 ἀπείθεια, G0544 ἀπειθέω — from ἀ- (not) + πείθω (persuade) — unpersuadable stubbornness
Co-occurrence (appear in same verses)¶
| Word A | Word B | Shared Verses | Typical Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| G5218 ὑπακοή | G3876 παρακοή | 2 | Adam/Christ contrast (Rom 5:19); punishing all disobedience (2 Cor 10:6) |
| G5218 ὑπακοή | G5219 ὑπακούω | 1 | Rom 6:16 — the obedience you submit yourself to |
| G0543 ἀπείθεια | G0544 ἀπειθέω | 1 | Rom 11:30 — past disobedience / present mercy |
Shared Hebrew Source (LXX Bridge)¶
| Hebrew | Strong's | Greek bridge | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| שָׁמַע (shama') | H8085 | G5219 (25 co-occ, PMI 11.26) | "Hear intelligently" → Hebrew root for obedient hearing |
| שָׁמַע (shama') | H8085 | G0544 (8 co-occ, PMI 5.24) | Same root bridges to the disobedience verb in LXX |
The Hebrew shama' covers both "hearing" and "obeying" in one word — the obedience/hearing link is built into the OT foundation that the NT ὑπακ- words carry forward.
Roles in the Concept¶
- The act: ὑπακοή (G5218) — obedience as an event or quality ("the obedience of faith")
- The behavior: ὑπακούω (G5219) — the verb of obeying ("children, obey your parents")
- The character: ὑπήκοος (G5255) — the adjective describing someone as obedient
- The antonym noun: παρακοή (G3876) — disobedience as inattentive/wayward hearing
- The stubborn refusal (noun): ἀπείθεια (G0543) — obstinate unbelief/non-compliance
- The stubborn refusal (verb): ἀπειθέω (G0544) — to actively disbelieve or refuse the gospel
Key Passages Where Multiple Group Words Appear Together¶
- Rom 5:19 — G3876 / G5218: "by one man's disobedience (parakoē) many were made sinners; by the obedience (hupakoe) of one shall many be made righteous" — the sharpest Adam/Christ contrast in Scripture
- Rom 6:16 — G5218 / G5219: "servants to obey (hupakouō)...whether of sin...or of obedience (hupakoe) unto righteousness"
- 2 Cor 10:5–6 — G5218 / G3876: "bringing every thought captive to the obedience of Christ...revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled"
Generated from: gather_word_group_data.py, gather_word_data.py Last updated: 2026-04-02