Bible Dictionaries
Understand, Understood

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words

primarily, "to bring or set together," is used metaphorically of "perceiving, understanding, uniting" (sun), so to speak, the perception with what is perceived, e.g., Matthew 13:13-15,19,23,51; 15:10; 16:12; 17:13 , and similar passages in Mark and Luke; Acts 7:25 (twice); 28:26,27; in Romans 3:11 , the present participle, with the article, is used as a noun, lit., "there is not the understanding (one)," in a moral and spiritual sense; Romans 15:21; 2 Corinthians 10:12 , RV, "are (without) understanding," AV, "are (not) wise;" Ephesians 5:17 , RV, "understand." See CONSIDER , Note (2).

"to perceive with the mind," as distinct from perception by feeling, is so used in Matthew 15:17 , AV, "understand," RV, "perceive;" Matthew 16:9,11; 24:15 (here rather perhaps in the sense of considering) and parallels in Mark (not in Luke); John 12:40; Romans 1:20; 1 Timothy 1:7; Hebrews 11:3; in Ephesians 3:4 , AV, "may understand" (RV, "can perceive"); Ephesians 3:20 , "think;" 2 Timothy 2:7 , "consider," See CONSIDER , No. 4.

"to know, to come to know," is translated "to understand" in the AV in Matthew 26:10; John 8:27 (RV, "to perceive;") AV and RV in John 8:43; 10:6; in John 10:38 , RV (in some texts pisteuo, AV, "believe"); AV and RV in John 12:16; 13:7 RV, AV, "know" (see Note under KNOW, No. 2); Acts 8:30; in Philippians 1:12 , AV, RV, "know" (in some texts, Acts 24:11 , AV). See KNOW , No. 1.

"to know well," is rendered "to understand" in Mark 14:68; Jude 1:10 , RV, 2nd clause (AV, "know"). See KNOW , No. 5.

"to inquire," is rendered "to understand" in Acts 23:34 . See INQUIRE.

"to make known," is rendered "I give ... to understand" in 1 Corinthians 12:3 . See KNOW , No. 8.

"to be ignorant," is rendered "they understood not" in Mark 9:32; Luke 9:45; in 2 Peter 2:12 , AV, RV, "they are ignorant of." See IGNORANT , B, No. 1.

Notes: (1) In 1 Corinthians 13:2 , AV, oida, "to know, to perceive," is rendered "understand" (RV, "know"); so in 1 Corinthians 14:16 . (2) For manthano, rendered "understand" in Acts 23:27 , AV, see LEARN , No. 1. (3) In 1 Corinthians 13:11 , AV, phroneo, "to be minded," is rendered "I understood" (RV, "I felt"). (4) For parakoloutheo, Luke 1:3 , AV, "have perfect understanding of," see TRACE.

primarily denotes "conspicuous" or "glorious" (as in Psalm 81:3 , Sept.; EV, "solemn"), then, "distinct, clear to understanding," 1 Corinthians 14:9 , "easy to be understood" (AV, marg., "significant").

"hard to be understood" (dus, a prefix like Eng., "mis-," or "un-," and A, No. 2), occurs in 2 Peter 3:16 .