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Greek

To call

καλέωStrong’s G2564

kaleō

Appears in 138 verses of the New Testament

In short

Kaleō is the Greek word usually translated “is being called”, “having called” and “being called”. It appears in 138 verses of the New Testament.

“Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
2 Thessalonians 2:14 KJV
Meaning

Usually translated “is being called”, “having called” and “being called”. Open the dictionary entry below for the full range of meaning, with the verses it cites.

How it's translated
  • is being called 14
  • having called 10
  • being called 10
  • invited 9
  • will be called 8
  • is called 7
  • to call 6
  • you were called 6

Word-by-word English from the STEPBible tagged text.

Where it's used most
  • Luke 40
  • Matthew 24
  • Acts 17
  • 1 Corinthians 10
  • Revelation 7
  • Romans 6

20 books in all.

Related words
Explore in Scripture
All 138 verses, by book
John 2
1:422:2
Galatians 4
1:61:155:85:13
Ephesians 2
4:14:4
Colossians 1
3:15
1 Thessalonians 3
2:124:75:24
2 Thessalonians 1
2:14
1 Timothy 1
6:12
2 Timothy 1
1:9
James 1
2:23
2 Peter 1
1:3
1 John 1
3:1
Greek dictionary

καλέω kaleō · to call

καλέω, -ῶ, [in LXX chiefly for קרא ;] 1. to call, summon: with accusative of person(s), Mat.20:8 25:14, Mrk.3:31, Luk.19:13, Act.4:18; before ἐκ, Mat.2:15 (LXX); metaphorically, 1Pe.2:9. 2. to call to one's house, invite: Luk.14:16, 1Co.10:27, Rev.19:9; εἰς τ. γάμους, Mat.22:3, 9 Luk.14:8, 9 Jhn.2:2; ὁ καλέσας, Luk.7:39; οἱ κεκλημένοι, Mat.22:8; metaphorically, of inviting to partake of the blessings of the kingdom of God (Dalman, Words, 118f.): Rom.8:30 9:24, 25 1Co.7:17, 18; before εἰς, 1Co.1:9, 1Th.2:12, 1Ti.6:12; ὁ καλῶν (καλέσας), of God, Gal.1:6 5:8, 1Th.5:24, 1Pe.1:15, 2Pe.1:3; οἱ κε …

From STEPBible’s Greek lexicon (based on Abbott-Smith).

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

How the English word “call” was understood when the King James Version was still the common Bible of English readers.

CALL, verb transitive

[Heb. To hold or restrain.]

In a general sense, to drive; to strain or force out sound. Hence,

  1. To name; to denominate or give a name. Genesis 1:5“And God called the light day, and the darkness he called night” Genesis 1:5
  2. To convoke; to summon; to direct or order to meet; to assemble by order or public notice; often with together; as, the king called his council together; the president called together the congress.
  3. To request to meet or come.
  4. To invite.“Because I have called and ye refused” Proverbs 1:24
All definitions and other forms of “call”
  1. To invite or summon to come or be present; to invite, or collect.
  2. To give notice to come by authority; to command to come; as, call a servant.
  3. To proclaim; to name, or publish the name.
  4. To appoint or designate, as for an office, duty or employment.“See, I have called by name Bezaleel” Exodus 31:2“Paul called to be an apostle” Romans 1:1
  5. To invite; to warn; to exhort. Isaiah 22:12
  6. To invite or draw into union with Christ; to bring to know, believe and obey the gospel.
  7. To own and acknowledge. Hebrews 2:11
  8. To invoke or appeal to.“I call God for a record” 2 Corinthians 1:23
  9. To esteem or account. Isaiah 47:5

CALL, verb intransitive

  1. To utter a loud sound, or to address by name; to utter the name; sometimes with to.“The angel of God called to Hagar” Genesis 21:17
  2. To stop, without intention of staying; to make a short stop; as, to call at the inn.

CALL, noun

  1. A vocal address, of summons or invitation; as, he will not come at a call
  2. Demand; requisition; public claim; as, listen to the calls of justice or humanity.
  3. Divine vocation, or summons; as the call of Abraham.
  4. Invitation; request of a public body or society; as, a clergyman has a call to settle in the ministry.
  5. A summons from heaven; impulse.
  6. Authority; command.
  7. A short visit; as, to make a call; to give one a call that is, a speaking to; D.
  8. Vocation; employment.
  9. A naming; a nomination.
  10. Among hunters, a lesson blown on the horn, to comfort the hounds.
  11. Among seamen, a whistle or pipe, used by the boatswain and his mate, to summon the sailors to their duty.
  12. The English name of the mineral called by the Germans tungsten or wolfram.
  13. Among fowlers, the noise or cry of a fowl, or a pipe to call birds by imitating their voice.
  14. In legislative bodies, the call of the house, is a calling over the names of the members, to discover who is absent or for other purpose; a calling of names with a view to obtain answers from the person named.

Noah Webster, An American Dictionary of the English Language (1828). Verse references are checked against the KJV. Read the full entry.

Verses are from the King James Version. Word meanings come from the original Greek, not from any one translation.