peithō · persuade, trust

What it means

peithō (πείθω) is a Greek word of the Bible that means “persuade, trust”.

To persuade, convince; to trust.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. To lead another, by words, to think or do something.
2. To be sure of something, rely on someone.
3. To heed someone.

From Abbott-Smith (1922) · Thayer (1889)

Word study

To persuade, to convince; in the passive, to let oneself be persuaded, and hence to obey; in the perfect, to be convinced or to trust in something or someone. Thayer relates this verb to πίστις, ‘faith’ (G4102).

• Persuading with reasons Acts 18:4Acts 26:28Matthew 27:20
• “I am convinced” Romans 8:38Philippians 1:62 Timothy 1:12
• Trusting in someone or in oneself Matthew 27:43Luke 18:92 Corinthians 1:9
• Obeying, heeding Hebrews 13:17Galatians 5:7Acts 5:36
• “Am I trying to win over human beings?” Galatians 1:10

How we translate it

Each form asks for its own rendering: active, “persuade” (“tried to persuade Jews and Greeks”, Acts 18:4); passive, “obey” or “heed” (“Heed your leaders”, Hebrews 13:17); perfect, “I am convinced” or “being confident” (Romans 8:38; Philippians 1:6), or “trust” (“He has trusted in God”, Matthew 27:43). In Galatians 1:10 it is rendered “win over”, with a note, and in 1 John 3:19, “we will reassure our heart”.

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• persuaded ×9
• confident ×6
• convinced ×5
• I am convinced ×3
• being confident ×3
• obey ×3
• persuading ×3
• trusted ×3
• trusting ×3
• having won over ×2
• others ×12

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Matthew×3
• Luke×4
• Acts×17
• Romans×5
• 2 Corinthians×4
• Galatians×3
• Philippians×6
• 2 Thessalonians×1
• 2 Timothy×2
• Philemon×1
• Hebrews×4
• James×1
• 1 John×1

• Matthew 27:20

  But the high priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to destroy Jesus.

• Matthew 27:43

  He has trusted in God; let him rescue him now, if he wants him; for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”

• Matthew 28:14

  And if this comes to the ears of the governor, we will persuade him and keep you out of trouble.”

• Luke 11:22

  but when one stronger than he comes upon him and overpowers him, he takes away his full armor in which he had trusted and divides up his plunder.

• Luke 16:31

  But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

• Luke 18:9

  And he told this parable also to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised the rest:

• Luke 20:6

  But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us; for they are convinced that John was a prophet.”

• Acts 5:36

  For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming himself to be somebody, to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves; he was killed, and all who obeyed him were dispersed and came to nothing.

• Acts 5:37

  After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away people after him; he too perished, and all who obeyed him were scattered.

• Acts 5:39

  but if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them, lest you even be found fighting against God.” And they heeded him.

• Acts 12:20

  Now he was furious with the people of Tyre and Sidon; and with one mind they came to him, and having won over Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they were asking for peace, because their country was fed from the king’s country.

• Acts 13:43

  And when the meeting broke up, many of the Jews and of the devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, were persuading them to remain in the grace of God.

• Acts 14:19

  But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having won over the crowds and stoned Paul, they dragged him outside the city, thinking that he had died.

• Acts 17:4

  And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, and so did a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women.

• Acts 18:4

  And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks.

• Acts 19:8

  And he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading about the kingdom of God.

• Acts 19:26

  And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all Asia this Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable crowd, saying that those made by hands are not gods.

• Acts 21:14

  And when he would not be persuaded, we fell silent, saying, “The Lord’s will be done.”

• Acts 23:21

  So you must not be persuaded by them, for more than forty men of them are lying in wait for him, who have bound themselves under a curse neither to eat nor to drink until they have killed him; and now they are ready, waiting for the promise from you.”

• Acts 26:26

  For the king knows about these things, to whom I also speak boldly; for I am not persuaded that any of these things escapes his notice, for this has not been done in a corner.

• Acts 26:28

  And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time you are persuading me to make myself a Christian.”

• Acts 27:11

  But the centurion was persuaded by the pilot and the ship owner more than by what was said by Paul.

• Acts 28:23

  And having appointed a day with him, they came to him at his lodging in greater numbers; to them he explained the matter, solemnly testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them about Jesus, both from the law of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning until evening.

• Acts 28:24

  And some were being persuaded by what was said, but others disbelieved.

• Romans 2:8

  but to those who are of rivalry and disobey the truth but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.

• Romans 2:19

  and are confident that you yourself are a guide of the blind, a light to those in darkness,

• Romans 8:38

  For I am convinced that neither death nor life nor angels nor rulers nor things present nor things to come nor powers,

• Romans 14:14

  I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is profane in itself, except to the one who considers anything to be profane; to that one it is profane.

• Romans 15:14

  And I myself am convinced, my brothers, about you, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.

• 2 Corinthians 1:9

  But we ourselves have had the sentence of death within ourselves, so that we would not be trusting in ourselves but in God who raises the dead,

• 2 Corinthians 2:3

  And I wrote this very thing so that when I came I would not have sorrow from those in whom I ought to rejoice, being confident about all of you that my joy is the joy of all of you.

• 2 Corinthians 5:11

  Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade people, but to God we have been made manifest; and I hope that we have been made manifest also in your consciences.

• 2 Corinthians 10:7

  Look at what is before your face. If anyone is confident in himself that he belongs to the Messiah, let him consider this again within himself: that just as he belongs to the Messiah, so also do we.

• Galatians 1:10

  For am I trying to win over human beings now, or God? Or am I seeking to please human beings? If I were still pleasing human beings, I would not be a slave of the Messiah.

• Galatians 5:7

  You were running well; who hindered you so that you do not obey the truth?

• Galatians 5:10

  I am confident about you in the Lord that you will think nothing else; but the one who is troubling you will bear the judgment, whoever he may be.

• Philippians 1:6

  being confident of this very thing, that the one who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of the Messiah Jesus.

• Philippians 1:14

  and most of the brothers, trusting in the Lord because of my chains, dare far more to speak the word without fear.

• Philippians 1:25

  And being confident of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith,

• Philippians 2:24

  but I am confident in the Lord that I myself will also come soon.

And 12 more times.