Bible Dictionary: Comprehend

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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

1. (v. t.) To contain; to embrace; to include; as, the states comprehended in the Austrian Empire.

2. (v. t.) To take in or include by construction or implication; to comprise; to imply.

3. (v. t.) To take into the mind; to grasp with the understanding; to apprehend the meaning of; to understand.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

COMPREHEND

kom-pre-hend': Used in a twofold sense in both the Old Testament and New Testament. This double meaning appears in two Hebrew and two Greek words which signify in turn

(1) mental or spiritual perception,

(2) capacity to hold or contain, as in a measure or in an all-inclusive principle, e.g.:

(1) yadha`, "to see with the eyes or the mind," hence, "know," "understand." Job was urged by Elihu to accept as inscrutable the ways of God, inasmuch as His operations in the physical world are so mighty and mysterious that "we cannot comprehend" them (Job 37:5). Modern science, in unveiling the secrets of Nature, is opening the way for a better understanding of God's creative purpose and plan.

katalambano, "to lay hold of," hence, mentally to apprehend: used of the spiritual capacity of the Christian "to comprehend (the Revised Version (British and American) "apprehend") with all saints" (Ephesians 3:18) the measureless love of God; and of the inability of the unrenewed heart to know or perceive the revelation of God made in Christ: "the darkness comprehended it not" (John 1:5 the Revised Version (British and American) "apprehended"; the Revised Version, margin "overcame"; compare John 12:35).

(2) kul, "to measure" or "contain," as grain in a bushel. So God's immeasurable greatness is seen in His being able to hold oceans in the hollow of His hand and "comprehend the dust of the earth in a measure" (Isaiah 40:12).

anakephalaioo, "to sum up under one head," e.g. love includes every other moral principle and process. The entire law on its manward side, says Paul, "is comprehended (the Revised Version (British and American) "summed up") in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" (Romans 13:9).

Dwight M. Pratt

Greek

4894. suneidon -- to see together, hence to comprehend
... to see together, hence to comprehend. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: suneidon
Phonetic Spelling: (soon-i'-do) Short Definition: I know, consider, am ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4894.htm - 6k

2638. katalambano -- to lay hold of, seize
... of Speech: Verb Transliteration: katalambano Phonetic Spelling: (kat-al-am-ban'-
o) Short Definition: I seize tight hold of, overtake, comprehend Definition: (a ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2638.htm - 8k

4920. suniemi -- to set together, fig. to understand
... From sun and hiemi (to send); to put together, ie (mentally) to comprehend; by
implication, to act piously -- consider, understand, be wise. see GREEK sun. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4920.htm - 8k

1097. ginosko -- to come to know, recognize, perceive
... root gno- Definition to come to know, recognize, perceive NASB Word Usage ascertaining
(1), aware (7), certainty (1), come to know (1), comprehend (1), felt (1 ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1097.htm - 12k

1840. exischuo -- to have strength enough
... Eph 3:17,18: " 17 So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through (4102 ); and that
you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 (1840) to comprehend with all ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1840.htm - 7k

421. anexichniastos -- that cannot be traced out
... able to trace the steps of") -- properly, impossible to "track" ("trace the steps
of"); unable to follow or fully comprehend ("incomprehensible"); inscrutable ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/421.htm - 7k

3539. noeo -- to perceive, think
... From nous; to exercise the mind (observe), ie (figuratively) to comprehend,
heed -- consider, perceive, think, understand. see GREEK nous. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3539.htm - 7k

191. akouo -- to hear, listen
... Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: akouo Phonetic Spelling: (ak-oo'-o) Short
Definition: I hear, listen Definition: I hear, listen, comprehend by hearing ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/191.htm - 11k

346. anakephalaioo -- to sum up, gather up
... summarize. From ana and kephalaioo (in its original sense); to sum up -- briefly
comprehend, gather together in one. see GREEK ana. see GREEK kephalaioo. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/346.htm - 7k

1987. epistamai -- to know, to understand
... know, understand. Apparently a middle voice of ephistemi (with nous implied); to
put the mind upon, ie Comprehend, or be acquainted with -- know, understand. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1987.htm - 7k

Strong's Hebrew

3557. kul -- to comprehend, contain
... 3556, 3557. kul. 3558 . to comprehend, contain. Transliteration: kul Phonetic
Spelling: (kool) Short Definition: provided. Word Origin a prim. ...
/hebrew/3557.htm - 6k

3045. yada -- to know
... 5), acquainted (1), aware (6), becomes known (1), bring forth (1), cared (1), chosen
(2), clearly understand (2), cohabit (1), comprehend (1), concern (2 ...
/hebrew/3045.htm - 8k

7919a. sakal -- to be prudent
... root Definition to be prudent NASB Word Usage act wisely (1), acts wisely (3), behaved
himself wisely (1), comprehend (1), consider (1), considers (2), discern ...
/hebrew/7919a.htm - 6k

Library

Whether those who See the Essence of God Comprehend Him?
... HOW GOD IS KNOWN BY US (THIRTEEN ARTICLES) Whether those who see the essence
of God comprehend Him? Objection 1: It seems that those ...
//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether those who see the.htm

How Sweetness and Tenderness in Prayer Differ from Consolations. ...
... EXPLAINS HOW ADVANTAGEOUS IT WAS FOR ST. TERESA TO COMPREHEND THAT THE
IMAGINATION AND THE UNDERSTANDING ARE NOT THE SAME THING. ...
/.../teresa/the interior castle or the mansions/chapter i how sweetness and.htm

Must I Demonstrate to You So Simple a Truth? Can You not ...
... VII. Must I demonstrate to you so simple a truth? Can you not comprehend�
Must I demonstrate to you so simple a truth? Can you ...
/.../lamartine/atheism among the people/vii must i demonstrate to.htm

The Carnal Mind is Unable to Comprehend this Doctrine of the ...
... Fifth Head of Doctrine Article 15 The carnal mind is unable to comprehend
this doctrine of the perseverance of the saints� The ...
/.../various/the canons of dordt/article 15 the carnal mind.htm

That we Ought not to Seek to Comprehend the Infinite Ages of Time ...
... Book XI. Chapter 5."That We Ought Not to Seek to Comprehend the Infinite Ages
of Time Before the World, Nor the Infinite Realms of Space. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/city of god/chapter 5 that we ought not.htm

The Domain or Province of Science.
... When you apprehend a phenomenon and discover its law you have accomplished all that
the term indicates, even though you fail to comprehend the whys and ...
/.../the domain or province of.htm

Not with Outward Show
... Because of their selfishness and earthliness, even the disciples of Jesus could
not comprehend the spiritual glory which He sought to reveal unto them. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/white/the desire of ages/chapter 55 not with outward.htm

Of Temperance and Sobriety
... For all that a creature can comprehend is of the creature; but God is above all
creatures and within and without all creatures, and every created comprehension ...
/.../john/the adornment of the spritual marriage/chapter xxi of temperance and.htm

On the Trinity
... the world.". 6. But it is objected: "Whatever becomes of the text, we cannot
believe what we cannot comprehend. When, therefore, you ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 55 on the trinity.htm

The Essence of the Self-Existent Being Incomprehensible.
... substance or essence of that being, which is self-existent, or necessarily-existing,
is, we have no idea; neither is it at all possible for us to comprehend it ...
/.../iv proposition iv the essence.htm

Thesaurus

Comprehend (9 Occurrences)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. COMPREHEND. kom-pre-hend': Used in a
twofold sense in both the Old Testament and New Testament. ...
/c/comprehend.htm - 11k

Grasp (20 Occurrences)
... possession of. 2. (vt) To lay hold of with the mind; to become thoroughly
acquainted or conversant with; to comprehend. 3. (vi) To ...
/g/grasp.htm - 13k

Unchangeableness (1 Occurrence)
... Moreover, since the finite mind cannot comprehend the infinite God, back of all
that God has revealed of Himself, back even of His absoluteness, eternity and ...
/u/unchangeableness.htm - 27k

Understand (208 Occurrences)
... 1. (vt) To have just and adequate ideas of; to apprehended the meaning or intention
of; to have knowledge of; to comprehend; to know; as, to understand a ...
/u/understand.htm - 36k

Unchangeable (4 Occurrences)
... Moreover, since the finite mind cannot comprehend the infinite God, back of all
that God has revealed of Himself, back even of His absoluteness, eternity and ...
/u/unchangeable.htm - 28k

Logos
... conception of God. To comprehend the relation of the Deity to the world
has been the aim of all religious philosophy. While widely ...
/l/logos.htm - 38k

Lord (59401 Occurrences)
... He was teaching in His own town, Nazareth, His neighbors, who, since they had watched
His natural growth among them, could not comprehend the extraordinary ...
/l/lord.htm - 61k

Insight (39 Occurrences)
... meditation. (See NAS NIV). Proverbs 1:2 To know wisdom and instruction; to
comprehend the words of understanding; (See RSV NIV). Proverbs ...
/i/insight.htm - 16k

Include (7 Occurrences)
... 2. (vt) To comprehend or comprise, as a genus the species, the whole a part, an
argument or reason the inference; to contain; to embrace; as, this volume of ...
/i/include.htm - 8k

Foreknowledge (2 Occurrences)
... Acts 2:23; Romans 8:29; 11:2; 1 Peter 1:2 ), one of those high attributes essentially
appertaining to him the full import of which we cannot comprehend. ...
/f/foreknowledge.htm - 37k

Bible Concordance

Comprehend (9 Occurrences)

Luke 18:34 They understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they didn't understand the things that were said.
(See NAS)

John 1:5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
(Root in KJV WBS NAS)

Ephesians 3:18 may be strengthened to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
(WEB KJV WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Job 36:26 Lo, ?God is great, and we comprehend him not, neither can the number of his years be searched out.
(DBY)

Job 37:5 God thunders marvelously with his voice. He does great things, which we can't comprehend.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS NAS RSV)

Proverbs 1:2 To know wisdom and instruction; To discern the words of understanding;
(See JPS)

Ecclesiastes 8:17 then I saw all the work of God, that man can't find out the work that is done under the sun, because however much a man labors to seek it out, yet he won't find it. Yes even though a wise man thinks he can comprehend it, he won't be able to find it.
(WEB NIV)

Isaiah 33:19 You will no longer see the fierce people, a people of a deep speech that you can't comprehend, with a strange language that you can't understand.
(WEB ASV DBY NAS RSV)

Isaiah 44:18 They have no knowledge or wisdom; for he has put a veil over their eyes, so that they may not see; and on their hearts, so that they may not give attention.
(See NAS)

Subtopics

Comprehend

Related Terms

Grasp (20 Occurrences)

Unchangeableness (1 Occurrence)

Understand (208 Occurrences)

Unchangeable (4 Occurrences)

Logos

Lord (59401 Occurrences)

Insight (39 Occurrences)

Include (7 Occurrences)

Foreknowledge (2 Occurrences)