ὁμολογέω

ὁμολογέω (ὁμόλογος ‘of one mind’) impf. ὡμολόγουν; fut. ὁμολογήσω; 1 aor. ὡμολόγησα. Pass.: aor. 3 sg. ὡμολογήθη (Just.); pf. ὡμολόγηται (Just.) (Soph., Hdt.+)

① to commit oneself to do someth. for someone, promise, assure (Hdt., Pla. et al.; IGR IV, 542, 6f [Phryg.] εὐχὴν … , ἣν ὡμολόγησεν ἐν Ῥώμη; Jos., Ant. 6, 40 ‘consent’) ἐπαγγελίας ἧς (by attr. of the rel. for ἥν) ὡμολόγησεν ὁ θεὸς τῷ Ἀβραάμ promise that God had made to Abraham Ac 7:17; μεθʼ ὅρκου ὁμ. w. aor. inf. foll. (B-D-F §350; Rob. 1031f) promise with an oath Mt 14:7. Solemnly promise, vow ὁ … ὁμολογήσας μὴ γῆμαι ἄγαμος διαμενέτω Agr 18.

② to share a common view or be of common mind about a matter, agree (Hdt. 2, 81 of similarity in cultic rites; Pla., Sym. 202b ὁμολογεῖταί γε παρὰ πάντων μέγας θεὸς εἶναι=there is general agreement that [Love] is a great god; prob. Cleanthes in his definition of τὸ ἀγαθόν: Coll. Alex. p. 229, no. 3, 7; 4 Macc 13:5 reach a conclusion together; pap; Sext. Emp., Adv. Eth. 218 agreement on a subject; Iren. 1, 26, 2 [Harv. I 212, 5] οἱ … Ἐβιωναῖοι ὁμ. μὲν τον κόσμον ὑπὸ τοῦ ὄντως θεοῦ γεγονέναι; Theoph. Ant. 2, 4 [p. 102, 10]) ὁμολογοῦσιν τὰ ἀμφότερα they agree (with one another) on all of them Ac 23:8 (but s. 3a below). This meaning readily shades into

③ to concede that something is factual or true, grant, admit, confess (Just., D. 80, 1 admission of someth. in an argument; sim. 110, 1)

ⓐ gener., to admit the truth of someth. (Pla., Prot. 317b ὁμολογῶ σοφιστὴς εἶναι; Jos., Ant. 3, 322 an admission of factuality by enemies; Just., D. 2, 5 ὡμολόγησα μὴ εἰδέναι admission of ignorance) agree, admit καθάπερ καὶ αὐτὸς ὡμολόγησας Dg 2:1. ὁμολογήσαντες ὅτι ξένοι εἰσίν admitting that they were (only) foreigners Hb 11:13. ὁμολογοῦμεν χάριν μὴ εἰληφέναι we admit that we have not received grace IMg 8:1. For Ac 23:8 s. 2 above.

ⓑ w. a judicial connotation: make a confession, confess abs. MPol 6:1; 9:2. τί τινι: ὁμολογῶ δὲ τοῦτό σοι, ὅτι Ac 24:14. Foll. by acc. and inf. ὡμολόγησεν ἑαυτὸν Χριστιανὸν εἶναι MPol 12:1 (cp. w. inf. foll.: Just., A II, 13, 2 Χριστιανὸς εὑρεθῆναι … ὁμολογῶ; Theoph. Ant. 2, 8 [p. 118, 7] ὁμ. αὐτὰ τὰ πλάνα πνεύματα εἶναι δαίμονες). Cp. John the Baptist’s action in reply to questioning by the authorities καὶ ὡμολόγησεν καὶ οὐκ ἠρνήσατο καὶ ὡμολόγησεν ὅτι (dir. disc. follows) J 1:20 (cp. Plut., Mor. 509e in interrogation; the contrast ὁμ. and ἀρνεῖσθαι as Thu. 6, 60, 3; Phalaris, Ep. 147, 3 ὁμολογοῦμεν κ. οὐκ ἀρνησόμεθα; Aelian, NA 2, 43; Jos., Ant. 6, 151; cp. MPol 9:2 and many of the passages given below).

ⓒ w. focus on admission of wrongdoing (X., An. 1, 6, 7; Ps.-Aristot., Mirabilia 152 ὁμολογοῦντες ἃ ἐπιώρκησαν; Arrian, Anab. 7, 29, 2 [s. ἴασις 2]; Jos., Ant. 6, 151) ἐὰν ὁμολογῶμεν τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν if we confess our sins 1J 1:9 (cp. Appian, Liby. 79 §369 ὁμολογοῦντες ἁμαρτεῖν; Sir 4:26; ApcSed 13:3 [abs.]; ὁμ. τὸ ἁμάρτημα Did., Gen. 93, 6; ins fr. Sardis: ὁμολογῶ τ[ὸ| ἁμάρτημ]α Μηνί=I confess my sin to Men, s. FSteinleitner, Die Beicht 1913, p. 46 no. 20, 4f=ILydiaKP p. 15, no. 25). S. ἐξομολογέω 2a.

④ to acknowledge someth., ordinarily in public, acknowledge, claim, profess, praise

ⓐ of a public declaration as such (Herodian. 4, 4, 5 [fr. Steinleitner, p. 109, s. 3c] expression of thanks) ὁμολογήσω αὐτοῖς ὅτι (w. dir. disc. foll.) I will say to them plainly Mt 7:23. W. inf. foll. (X., Mem. 2, 3, 9; Jos., Ant. 9, 254) θεὸν ὁμολογοῦσιν εἰδέναι they claim to know God Tit 1:16 (opp. ἀρνεῖσθαι, s. 3b).

ⓑ of profession of allegiance (ὁμολογῶ εἶναι χριστιανός Theoph. Ant. 1, 1 [p. 58, 11])—Esp. of confessing Christ, or the teaching of his community/church; w. double acc. (B-D-F §157, 2; 416, 3; Rob. 480.—Jos., Ant. 5, 52; Just., A II, 5, 1 εἰ θεὸν ὡμολογοῦμεν βοηθόν, D. 35, 2 Ἰησοῦν ὁμολογεῖν καὶ κύριον καὶ χριστόν) ἐὰν ὁμολογήσῃς κύριον Ἰησοῦν if you confess Jesus as Lord Ro 10:9 (cp. τὸν Δία ὁμ. θεόν Orig., C. Cels. 5, 46, 7). αὐτὸν ὁμ. Χριστόν confess that he is the Messiah J 9:22. ὁμ. αὐτὸν σαρκοφόρον ISm 5:2. ὁμ. Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ἐν σαρκὶ ἐληλυθότα acknowledge that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh 1J 4:2; cp. 2J 7. W. acc. and inf. (Isocr., Or. 4, 100, 61d; Aelian, VH 1, 27; Orig., C. Cels. 1, 41, 9) ὁμ. Ἰησοῦν Χρ. ἐν σαρκὶ ἐληλυθέναι Pol 7:1a; 1J 4:2 v.l. ὁμ. τὴν εὐχαριστίαν σάρκα εἶναι τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰ. Χρ. ISm 7:1. W. ὅτι foll. (Isocr., Or. 11, 5, 222d, but w. mng. 2; Just., D. 39, 6) ὁμ. ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ἐστιν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ 1J 4:15. ὁμ. ὅτι κύριον ἔχετε Hs 9, 28, 7 (opp. ἀρν.). W. a single acc. of the pers. whom one confesses, or whom one declares to be someth. that is revealed by the context (Just., D. 35, 1, 2 Ἰησοῦν … ὁμολογεῖν; Did., Gen. 176, 13 ὁ γὰρ ὁμολογῶν τὸν θεὸν ἐν Χριστῷ τοῦτο ποιεῖ; Theoph. Ant. 3, 9 [p. 222, 13] θεὸν ὁμ.): ὁμ. τὸν υἱόν 1J 2:23 (opp. ἀρν. as Mel., P. 73, 537 ἀπαρνήσω τὸν ὁμολογήσαντά σε). μὴ ὁμ. τὸν Ἰησοῦν 4:3 (s. λύω 4, end). Cp. 2 Cl 3:2a. τινὰ ἔν τινι someone by someth. ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις 4:3; cp. 3:4. ἐὰν ὁμολογήσωμεν διʼ οὗ ἐσώθημεν if we confess him through whom we were saved 3:3. The acc. (αὐτόν) is supplied fr. the context J 12:42; cp. Hs 9, 28, 4.—W. acc. of thing ὁμ. τὸ μαρτύριον τοῦ σταυροῦ Pol 7:1b. ὁμ. τὴν καλὴν ὁμολογίαν 1 Ti 6:12 (ὁμ. ὁμολογίαν=‘make a promise’: Pla., Crito 52a; Jer 51:25; but = ‘bear testimony to a conviction’: Philo, Mut. Nom. 57, Abr. 203).—Instead of acc. of pers. we may have ἔν τινι confess someone, an Aramaism (s. Mlt-H. 463f; B-D-F §220, 2; EbNestle, ZNW 7,1906, 279f; 8, 1907, 241; 9, 1908, 253; FBurkitt, Earliest Sources for the Life of Jesus 1910, 19f). ὅστις ὁμολογήσει ἐν ἐμοὶ ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων whoever confesses me before people Mt 10:32a; sim. Lk 12:8a. But 2 Cl 3:2 uses the acc. when it quotes this saying (s. above.—In these last three pass. opp. ἀρν.). Jesus’ acknowledgment of the believer on judgment day complements this confession: ἐν αὐτῷ Mt 10:32b; Lk 12:8b. αὐτόν 2 Cl 3:2b (opp. ἀρν. in all these pass.—GBornkamm, D. Wort Jesu vom Bekennen [Mt 10:32]: Pastoraltheologie 34, ’39, 108–18). τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Rv 3:5.—Abs. pass. στόματι ὁμολογεῖται with the mouth confession is made Ro 10:10.

ⓒ praise w. dat. ( Dio Chrys. 10 [11], 147; B-D-F §187, 4; Rob. 541. In the LXX ἐξομολογεῖσθαι τῷ θεῷ. S. ἐξομολογέω 4.) καρπὸς χειλέων ὁμολογούντων τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ the fruit of lips that praise his name Hb 13:15.—B. 1267. DELG s.v. ὁμό. M-M. TW. Sv.