martyreō · testify

What it means

martyreō (μαρτυρέω) is a Greek word of the Bible that means “testify”.

Bear witness.

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 tell what one knows or has seen.
2. To have a good name.

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

Word study

To testify: to declare what one has seen or knows, as a witness. It is the verb of μάρτυς (witness) and μαρτυρία (testimony). In the passive it says that someone has a good testimony: that others speak well of him.

• Declaring as a witness what one has seen John 1:32John 3:111 John 1:2
• Testifying about Jesus (John the Immerser, his works, the Father) John 1:7John 5:36John 5:37
• “To testify to the truth” John 18:37
• Having a good name among others Acts 6:3Acts 16:2

How we translate it

“Testify” 29 times, “testified” 21, “testifies” 11, “testifying” 6. When the passive says that someone is well regarded, “received testimony” 4, “well attested” 3 (Acts 16:2) or “of good testimony” (Acts 6:3). This edition's glossary sets martyria / martyreō = “testimony / testify”, so that the same family of words can be seen (“He came for testimony, to testify”, John 1:7). It is a key word in John and in John's letters.

How it is translated

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

• testify ×29
• testified ×21
• testifies ×11
• testifying ×6
• received testimony ×4
• well attested ×3
• good testimony ×1
• well spoken of ×1

Related words

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

Where it appears

• Matthew×1
• Luke×1
• John×33
• Acts×11
• Romans×2
• 1 Corinthians×1
• 2 Corinthians×1
• Galatians×1
• Colossians×1
• 1 Timothy×2
• Hebrews×8
• 1 John×6
• 3 John×4
• Revelation×4

• Matthew 23:31

  So you testify against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.

• Luke 4:22

  And all were testifying about him and marveling at the words of grace that were coming out of his mouth, and they were saying, “Is this not Joseph’s son?”

• John 1:7

  He came for testimony, to testify about the light, so that all might believe through him.

• John 1:8

  He was not the light, but he came to testify about the light.

• John 1:15

  John testifies about him and has cried out, saying, “This was the one I spoke of: ‘He who comes after me has come to be ahead of me, because he existed before me.’”

• John 1:32

  And John testified, saying, “I have seen the Spirit coming down from heaven like a dove, and he remained on him.

• John 1:34

  And I have seen and have testified that this is the Chosen One of God.”

• John 2:25

  and because he had no need for anyone to testify about man; for he himself knew what was in man.

• John 3:11

  Truly, truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen, and you do not receive our testimony.

• John 3:26

  And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you have testified, look, he is immersing, and everyone is going to him.”

• John 3:28

  You yourselves testify for me that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah, but I have been sent ahead of him.’

• John 3:32

  What he has seen and heard, to that he testifies, and no one receives his testimony.

• John 4:39

  And many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me everything that I have done.”

• John 4:44

  For Jesus himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own homeland.

• John 5:31

  If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true.

• John 5:32

  There is another who testifies about me, and I know that the testimony that he testifies about me is true.

• John 5:33

  You have sent to John, and he has testified to the truth.

• John 5:36

  But I have a testimony greater than John’s; for the works that the Father has given me to complete, the very works that I do, testify about me that the Father has sent me.

• John 5:37

  And the Father who sent me, he has testified about me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form,

• John 5:39

  You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that testify about me;

• John 7:7

  The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil.

• John 8:13

  So the Pharisees said to him, “You are testifying about yourself; your testimony is not true.”

• John 8:14

  Jesus answered and said to them, “Even if I testify about myself, my testimony is true, because I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from or where I am going.

• John 8:18

  I am the one who testifies about myself, and the Father who sent me testifies about me.”

• John 10:25

  Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name, these testify about me;

• John 12:17

  So the crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead kept testifying.

• John 13:21

  Having said these things, Jesus was troubled in spirit, and testified and said, “Truly, truly, I tell you, one of you will hand me over.”

• John 15:26

  When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me.

• John 15:27

  And you also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.

• John 18:23

  Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken wrongly, testify about the wrong; but if rightly, why do you strike me?”

• John 18:37

  So Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”

• John 19:35

  And the one who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe.

• John 21:24

  This is the disciple who testifies about these things and who wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true.

• Acts 6:3

  So, brothers, select from among you seven men of good testimony, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint over this task;

• Acts 10:22

  And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous man and one who fears God, and well attested by the whole nation of the Jews, was instructed by a holy angel to summon you to his house and to hear words from you.”

• Acts 10:43

  To him all the prophets testify, that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

• Acts 13:22

  And after removing him, he raised up David for them as king, about whom he also said, testifying, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my heart, who will do all my wishes.’

• Acts 14:3

  So they stayed a long time, speaking boldly in reliance on the Lord, who was testifying to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done through their hands.

• Acts 15:8

  And God, who knows hearts, testified to them, giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did also to us,

• Acts 16:2

  He was well attested by the brothers in Lystra and Iconium.

And 36 more times.