EDD La confession
[3933] ὁμολογέω homologeō 26× to speak in accordance, adopt the same terms of language; to engage, promise, Mt. 14:7; to admit, avow frankly, Jn. 1:20; Acts 24:14; to confess, 1 Jn. 1:9; to profess, confess, Jn. 9:22; 12:42; Acts 23:8; to avouch, declare openly and solemnly, Mt. 7:23; in NT ὁμολογεῖν ἐν, to accord belief, Mt. 10:32; Lk. 12:8; to accord approbation, Lk. 12:8; from the Hebrew, to accord praise, Heb. 13:15 [3670] See acknowledge; confess; promise.
Verb: ἑξομολογέω (exomologeō), GK 2018 (S 1843), 10×. exomologeō is closely related to homologeō (GK 3933), especially with respect to the meaning “to confess.” It can also mean “to profess, praise.” On three occasions, exomologeō refers to confessing sins. John instructs those who come to him for baptism to confess their sins (Mt 3:6; Mk 1:5); those in Ephesus who formerly practiced sorcery and magic come and confess them (Acts 19:18); and James urges believers to confess their sins to one another and to pray for one another for healing (Jas 5:16).
exomologeō can also describe the confession or profession of something other than sins, as when Paul describes looks ahead to the day when every being will profess Christ as Lord (Rom 14:11; Phil. 2:11). This type of profession may have the connotation of praise: Jesus “praises” the Father for hiding the truth from the wise and revealing it to children (Mt 11:25; Lk 10:21), and Paul describes God as being “praised” among the Gentiles (Rom 15:19).
1. homologeo (ὁμολογέω, 3670), lit., “to speak the same thing” (homos, “same,” lego, “to speak”), “to assent, accord, agree with,” denotes, (a) “to confess, declare, admit,” John 1:20; e.g., Acts 24:14; Heb. 11:13; (b) “to confess by way of admitting oneself guilty of what one is accused of, the result of inward conviction,” 1 John 1:9; (c) “to declare openly by way of speaking out freely, such confession being the effect of deep conviction of facts,” Matt. 7:23; 10:32 (twice) and Luke 12:8 (see next par.); John 9:22; 12:42; Acts 23:8; Rom. 10:9–10 (“confession is made”); 1 Tim. 6:12 (RV); Titus 1:16; 1 John 2:23; 4:2, 15; 2 John 7 (in John’s epistle it is the necessary antithesis to Gnostic doceticism); Rev. 3:5, in the best mss. (some have No. 2 here); (d) “to confess by way of celebrating with praise,” Heb. 13:15; (e) “to promise,” Matt. 14:7.
In Matt. 10:32 and Luke 12:8 the construction of this verb with en, “in,” followed by the dative case of the personal pronoun, has a special significance, namely, to “confess” in a person’s name, the nature of the “confession” being determined by the context, the suggestion being to make a public “confession.” Thus the statement, “every one … who shall confess Me (lit. “in Me,” i.e., in My case) before men, him (lit., “in him,” i.e., in his case) will I also confess before My Father …,” conveys the thought of “confessing” allegiance to Christ as one’s Master and Lord, and, on the other hand, of acknowledgment, on His part, of the faithful one as being His worshipper and servant, His loyal follower; this is appropriate to the original idea in homologeo of being identified in thought or language. See PROFESS, PROMISE, THANK.¶
2. exomologeo (ἐξομολογέω, 1843), ek, “out,” intensive, and No. 1, and accordingly stronger than No. 1, “to confess forth,” i.e., “freely, openly,” is used (a) “of a public acknowledgment or confession of sins,” Matt. 3:6; Mark 1:5; Acts 19:18; Jas. 5:16; (b) “to profess or acknowledge openly,” Matt. 11:25 (translated “thank,” but indicating the fuller idea); Phil. 2:11 (some mss. have it in Rev. 3:5: see No. 1); (c) “to confess by way of celebrating, giving praise,” Rom. 14:11; 15:9. In Luke 10:21, it is translated “I thank,” the true meaning being “I gladly acknowledge.” In Luke 22:6 it signifies to consent (RV), for KJV, “promised.” See CONSENT, PROMISE, THANK.¶
