Bible Dictionary: Call

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Easton's Bible Dictionary

(1.) To cry for help, hence to pray (Genesis 4:26). Thus men are said to "call upon the name of the Lord" (Acts 2:21; 7:59; 9:14; Romans 10:12; 1 Corinthians 1:2).

(2.) God calls with respect to men when he designates them to some special office (Exodus 31:2; Isaiah 22:20; Acts 13:2), and when he invites them to accept his offered grace (Matthew 9:13; 11:28; 22:4).

In the message of the gospel his call is addressed to all men, to Jews and Gentiles alike (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15; Romans 9:24, 25). But this universal call is not inseparably connected with salvation, although it leaves all to whom it comes inexcusable if they reject it (John 3:14-19; Matthew 22:14).

An effectual call is something more than the outward message of the Word of God to men. It is internal, and is the result of the enlightening and sanctifying influence of the Holy Spirit (John 16:14; Acts 26:18; John 6:44), effectually drawing men to Christ, and disposing and enabling them to receive the truth (John 6:45; Acts 16:14; Ephesians 1:17).

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

1. (v. t.) To command or request to come or be present; to summon; as, to call a servant.

2. (v. t.) To summon to the discharge of a particular duty; to designate for an office, or employment, especially of a religious character; -- often used of a divine summons; as, to be called to the ministry; sometimes, to invite; as, to call a minister to be the pastor of a church.

3. (v. t.) To invite or command to meet; to convoke; -- often with together; as, the President called Congress together; to appoint and summon; as, to call a meeting of the Board of Aldermen.

4. (v. t.) To give name to; to name; to address, or speak of, by a specified name.

5. (v. t.) To regard or characterize as of a certain kind; to denominate; to designate.

6. (v. t.) To state, or estimate, approximately or loosely; to characterize without strict regard to fact; as, they call the distance ten miles; he called it a full day's work.

7. (v. t.) To show or disclose the class, character, or nationality of.

8. (v. t.) To utter in a loud or distinct voice; -- often with off; as, to call, or call off, the items of an account; to call the roll of a military company.

9. (v. t.) To invoke; to appeal to.

10. (v. t.) To rouse from sleep; to awaken.

11. (v. i.) To speak in loud voice; to cry out; to address by name; -- sometimes with to.

12. (v. i.) To make a demand, requirement, or request.

13. (v. i.) To make a brief visit; also, to stop at some place designated, as for orders.

14. (n.) The act of calling; -- usually with the voice, but often otherwise, as by signs, the sound of some instrument, or by writing; a summons; an entreaty; an invitation; as, a call for help; the bugle's call.

15. (n.) A signal, as on a drum, bugle, trumpet, or pipe, to summon soldiers or sailors to duty.

16. (n.) An invitation to take charge of or serve a church as its pastor.

17. (n.) A requirement or appeal arising from the circumstances of the case; a moral requirement or appeal.

18. (n.) A divine vocation or summons.

19. (n.) Vocation; employment.

20. (n.) A short visit; as, to make a call on a neighbor; also, the daily coming of a tradesman to solicit orders.

21. (n.) A note blown on the horn to encourage the hounds.

22. (n.) A whistle or pipe, used by the boatswain and his mate, to summon the sailors to duty.

23. (n.) The cry of a bird; also a noise or cry in imitation of a bird; or a pipe to call birds by imitating their note or cry.

24. (n.) A reference to, or statement of, an object, course, distance, or other matter of description in a survey or grant requiring or calling for a corresponding object, etc., on the land.

25. (n.) The privilege to demand the delivery of stock, grain, or any commodity, at a fixed, price, at or within a certain time agreed on.

26. (n.) See Assessment, 4.

Greek

2564. kaleo -- to call
... to call. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: kaleo Phonetic Spelling:
(kal-eh'-o) Short Definition: I call, invite, name Definition: (a) I call, summon, ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2564.htm - 10k

3870. parakaleo -- to call to or for, to exhort, to encourage
... to call to or for, to exhort, to encourage. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration:
parakaleo Phonetic Spelling: (par-ak-al-eh'-o) Short Definition: I summon ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3870.htm - 10k

4377. prosphoneo -- to call to
... to call to. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: prosphoneo Phonetic Spelling:
(pros-fo-neh'-o) Short Definition: I call to, summon Definition: I call to ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4377.htm - 6k

1941. epikaleo -- to call upon
... to call upon. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: epikaleo Phonetic Spelling:
(ep-ee-kal-eh'-om-ahee) Short Definition: I call by an additional name, appeal ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1941.htm - 8k

4341. proskaleo -- to call to
... to call to. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: proskaleo Phonetic Spelling:
(pros-kal-eh'-om-ahee) Short Definition: I summon Definition: I call to myself ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4341.htm - 7k

5455. phoneo -- to call out
... to call out. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: phoneo Phonetic Spelling:
(fo-neh'-o) Short Definition: I crow, shout, summon Definition: I give forth a sound ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5455.htm - 7k

1951. epilego -- to call or name, to choose
... to call or name, to choose. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: epilego Phonetic
Spelling: (ep-ee-leg'-om-ahee) Short Definition: I call, choose for myself ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1951.htm - 6k

4779. sugkaleo -- to call together
... to call together. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: sugkaleo Phonetic Spelling:
(soong-kal-eh'-o) Short Definition: I call together Definition: I call ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4779.htm - 6k

1528. eiskaleomai -- to call in
... to call in. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: eiskaleomai Phonetic Spelling:
(ice-kal-eh'-o) Short Definition: I call in, invite Definition: I call in (to ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1528.htm - 6k

2019. epiphoneo -- to call out
... to call out. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: epiphoneo Phonetic Spelling:
(ep-ee-fo-neh'-o) Short Definition: I call out, shout Definition: I call out ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2019.htm - 6k

Strong's Hebrew

7121. qara -- to call, proclaim, read
... 7120, 7121. qara. 7122 . to call, proclaim, read. Transliteration: qara Phonetic
Spelling: (kaw-raw') Short Definition: call. Word Origin a prim. ...
/hebrew/7121.htm - 7k

2199. zaaq -- to cry, cry out, call
... 2198, 2199. zaaq. 2200 . to cry, cry out, call. Transliteration: zaaq Phonetic
Spelling: (zaw-ak') Short Definition: cried. Word Origin a prim. ...
/hebrew/2199.htm - 6k

6817. tsaaq -- to cry, cry out, call
... tsaaq. 6818 . to cry, cry out, call. Transliteration: tsaaq Phonetic Spelling:
(tsaw-ak') Short Definition: cried. ... call together, cry out, gather selves together ...
/hebrew/6817.htm - 6k

7123. qera -- to call, read out or aloud
... 7122, 7123. qera. 7124 . to call, read out or aloud. Transliteration: qera
Phonetic Spelling: (ker-aw') Short Definition: read. ... call, cry, read. ...
/hebrew/7123.htm - 6k

2200. zeiq -- to cry, call
... 2199, 2200. zeiq. 2201 . to cry, call. Transliteration: zeiq Phonetic
Spelling: (zek'-eek) Short Definition: cried. Word Origin ...
/hebrew/2200.htm - 6k

833. ashar -- to go straight, go on, advance
... root Definition to go straight, go on, advance NASB Word Usage bless (1), call him
blessed (1), call the blessed (1), call you blessed (1), called her blessed ...
/hebrew/833.htm - 6k

559. amar -- to utter, say
... NASB Word Usage address (1), advised (1), answer (2), answered (50), answers (1),
ask (2), asked (4), asking (1), Asserting (1), assigned (1), call (2), called ...
/hebrew/559.htm - 7k

5749. uwd -- to return, go about, repeat, do again
... admonish, charge, earnestly, lift up, protest, call take to record, relieve,
rob, A primitive root; to duplicate or repeat; by implication ...
/hebrew/5749.htm - 5k

7725. shub -- to turn back, return
... me back (4), brought the again (1), brought them back (2), brought us back (1),
brought again (1), brought back (17), brought...back (1), call (1), came again ...
/hebrew/7725.htm - 9k

8085. shama -- to hear
... attentively, call gather together, carefully, certainly, consent, consider. A
primitive root; to hear intelligently (often with implication ...
/hebrew/8085.htm - 7k

Library

Call for Volunteers.
... Gideon's Band: Sifted for Service. (1 Corinthians i:18-31; Judges vi and vii.) Call
for Volunteers. ... When the call came they rallied to the leader's side. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/gordon/quiet talks on service/call for volunteers.htm

The Call of Matthew
... THE CALL OF MATTHEW. 'And as Jesus passed forth from thence, He saw a man, named
Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and He saith unto him, Follow Me. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture b/the call of matthew.htm

A Call to Judgment
... A CALL TO JUDGMENT. TEXT: "I call heaven and earth to record this day against
you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing ...
//christianbookshelf.org/chapman/and judas iscariot/a call to judgment.htm

The Call of Abraham
... The Call of Abraham. A Sermon (No.261). ... Add now I conclude this sketch of the
Patriarch's call, by observing that Abraham's faith was well rewarded. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 5 1859/the call of abraham.htm

A Call to the Unconverted
... A Call to the Unconverted. ... Why, I will give thee what I may call the outside of it,
but remember that within it there is a broader spirit than the mere words. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 4 1858/a call to the unconverted.htm

Call to Service in India
... CALL TO SERVICE IN INDIA. The story of Dr. Swain's call to go to India has
been told many times. Mrs. DW Thomas, who, with her husband ...
//christianbookshelf.org/hoskins/clara a swain md/call to service in india.htm

The Call of Moses
... THE BOOK OF EXODUS THE CALL OF MOSES. 'Come now therefore, and I will send
thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth My people ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the call of moses.htm

The Messianic Call
... Part I. Preparatory VII The Messianic Call. Matt. ... Mark 14:62), and the message
can have signified for him nothing less than a Messianic call. ...
/.../rhees/the life of jesus of nazareth/vii the messianic call.htm

Wisdom's Call
... THE PROVERBS WISDOM'S CALL. ... Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer;
they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: 29. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/wisdoms call.htm

God's Call
... I God's Call. 'What manner of persons ought ye to be?' (2 Peter 3:11.)
'As He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all ...
//christianbookshelf.org/howard/standards of life and service/i gods call.htm

Thesaurus

Call
... 4:26). Thus men are said to "call upon the name of the Lord" (Acts 2:21;
7:59; 9:14; Romans 10:12; 1 Corinthians 1:2). (2.) God ...
/c/call.htm - 11k

Summon (25 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (vt) To call, bid, or cite; to notify to come to appear; --
often with up. ... 3. (vt) To call upon to surrender, as a fort. ...
/s/summon.htm - 13k

Elisha (70 Occurrences)
... Elisha accepted the call thus given (about four years before the death of Ahab),
and for some seven or eight years became the close attendant on Elijah till he ...
/e/elisha.htm - 61k

Andrew (12 Occurrences)
... 1. Early History and First Call: Andrew belonged to Bethsaida of Galilee (compare
John 1:44). ... There are three stages in the call of Andrew to the apostleship. ...
/a/andrew.htm - 20k

Cry (431 Occurrences)
... 1. (vi) To make a loud call or cry; to call or exclaim vehemently or earnestly;
to shout; to vociferate; to proclaim; to pray; to implore. ...
/c/cry.htm - 46k

Demand (34 Occurrences)
... 1. (vt) To ask or call for with authority; to claim or seek from, as by authority
or right; to claim, as something due; to call for urgently or peremptorily; as ...
/d/demand.htm - 19k

Mara (1 Occurrence)
... Changed beyond recognition, she creates astonishment among her former acquaintances,
who ask, "Is this Naomi?" She replies, "Call me not Naomi" (ie "pleasant ...
/m/mara.htm - 7k

Pipe (13 Occurrences)
... 6. (n.) The peeping whistle, call, or note of a bird. ... 10. (n.) A boatswain's whistle,
used to call the crew to their duties; also, the sound of it. 11. ...
/p/pipe.htm - 13k

Challenge (6 Occurrences)
... 7. (n.) To call to a contest of any kind; to call to answer; to defy. 8. (n.) To
call, invite, or summon to answer for an offense by personal combat. ...
/c/challenge.htm - 10k

Appeal (30 Occurrences)
... 6. (vt) To call upon another to decide a question controverted, to corroborate a
statement, to vindicate one's rights, etc.; as, I appeal to all mankind for ...
/a/appeal.htm - 20k

Subtopics

Call

Call: Personal by Christ

Call: To Special Religious Duty of Abraham

Call: To Special Religious Duty,

Call: To Special Religious Duty: Aaron and his Sons

Call: To Special Religious Duty: All Who are Called of God

Call: To Special Religious Duty: Amos

Call: To Special Religious Duty: Apostles

Call: To Special Religious Duty: Cyrus

Call: To Special Religious Duty: Gideon

Call: To Special Religious Duty: Jehu