The Greek Meaning of akouō

The Meaning of akouō

The Greek term *akouō* (ακούω) emphasizes active listening and obedience, as seen in Jesus' teaching in Mark 4:23, where He urges, 'He who has ears to hear, let him hear.'

Unlike *heōrāō* ('see'), which focuses on visual perception, or *gnōthi* ('know'), which implies understanding, *akouō* stresses receptive, intentional hearing that often leads to action - such as in John 14:21, where Jesus links obeying His commands to loving Him.

akouō in the New Testament Context

The Greek term *akouō* appears prominently in Jesus’ teachings and Paul’s letters, often signaling a call to spiritual attentiveness.

In Jesus’ parable of the sower (Luke 8:8), He notes that the good soil represents those who ‘hear’ (*akouō*) the word with understanding and bear fruit, illustrating how *akouō* denotes receptive, transformative listening. Matthew 11:15 echoes this urgency: ‘He who has ears to hear, let him hear,’ framing *akouō* as a divine invitation to discern spiritual truth. Paul, in Romans 10:17, links faith to hearing (*akouō*), stating, ‘Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God,’ underscoring the role of active reception in salvation.

These patterns reveal *akouō* as more than passive hearing - it signifies a deliberate, obedient engagement with divine revelation, bridging proclamation and spiritual growth.

Mark 4:23 and the Parable of the Sower

Mark 4:23 exemplifies *akouō*’s dual role as both physical hearing and spiritual discernment.

In this passage, Jesus declares, ‘If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear,’ using *akouō* to call for intentional receptivity to His parables. In the Parable of the Sower (Mark 4:1-34), Jesus contrasts those who hear (*akouō*) with those who understand (*gnōthi*), showing that true spiritual hearing requires more than passive listening. The metaphor of ‘hearing’ intertwines with ‘seeing’ (*theōreō*), as in Mark 4:24, where Jesus urges his disciples to ‘see’ and ‘hear’ carefully, linking perception to moral responsibility. Here, *akouō* signifies a transformative engagement with divine truth, distinguishing between superficial awareness and active obedience.

The passage distinguishes literal hearing from spiritual understanding by framing *akouō* as a choice. While crowds hear Jesus’ words physically, only those with ‘ears to hear’ grasp their deeper meaning, as illustrated by the ‘good soil’ in the parable (Mark 4:20). This duality underscores *akouō*’s theological weight: it is about more than sound reception, focusing on the heart’s responsiveness to God’s revelation.

Putting 'akouō' into Practice

Modern discipleship requires intentional spiritual listening to discern God’s voice amid life’s distractions.

Jesus’ call in Mark 4:23 - ‘He who has ears to hear, let him hear’ - invites believers to make room for prayerful attentiveness, as the disciples did when they listened to His parables. In a world saturated with noise, cultivating akouō demands practices like meditative Scripture reading, silence, and corporate worship, where Romans 10:17’s promise - ‘Faith comes by hearing’ - is lived out through communal and personal engagement. Yet obstacles such as spiritual complacency (Luke 8:8’s ‘hardened heart’), self-centered distractions, and passive consumption of religious content hinder true receptivity. By embracing disciplines that prioritize active, obedient listening over passive absorption, believers align their hearts with the transformative akouō modeled in Christ’s followers.

Going Deeper

For those interested in exploring Greek terms for hearing further, key resources can illuminate nuances often lost in translation.

Consult lexicons like BDAG or commentaries on Mark (e.g., NIVAC) and Romans (e.g., Pillar) for detailed discussions of *akouō* in context. Related terms like *akribōs* (attentively, as in Matthew 13:43) and *katakouō* (listen to, as in Acts 18:24) offer complementary insights into the spectrum of listening in Scripture.