Understand

April 26

Understand
suniēmi

Back on February 25 we considered the word dianoia (G1271). Another word translated as understanding and understand, however, is suniēmi (G4920), another fascinating word that was in use as far back in Greek as Homer’s writings (eighth century BC).

It “originally meant to bring together.” Greek scholar Spiros Zodhiates explains: “The comprehending activity of the mind denoted by suniēmi entails the assembling of individual facts into an organized whole, as collecting the pieces of a puzzle and putting them together. The mind grasps concepts and sees the proper relationship between them.”

A graphic example of this word appears in Act_28:25-28. While under house arrest in Rome for two years, Paul taught those who visited him. Some believed, but some didn’t.

When he saw the unbelief of the Jews, He said, quoting Isa_6:9-10, “Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear [April 28] with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.”

Rom_3:11 likewise declares, “There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.”

 In both cases the point is that the unbeliever does not understand spiritual truth; he cannot “put the pieces together” and comprehend what he is hearing. As we’ll examine tomorrow, that is why Jesus used parables in His teaching.

In contrast, Rom_15:21, another quote from Isaiah (Isa_50:12), declares that Paul’s word among the Gentiles fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy, that the Gentiles who had never before heard God’s truth would hear and understand.

That is a great encouragement to us. After Peter’s confession that Jesus was “the Christ, the Son of the living God,” our Lord responded, “Flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.” Likewise, the Holy Spirit illumines spiritual truth to us so we can understand it, so we can “put the pieces together.” What a blessed gift!

Scriptures for Study: Who couldn’t understand what Jesus was saying in Luk_2:50? What is the scene there? What does God want us to understand in Eph_5:17?

 
 Top of page