λογίζομαι

I reckon, count, decide

Definition

Logizomai primarily means 'to reckon, calculate, or consider,' often involving careful thought leading to a conclusion. In financial contexts, it means 'to count or credit' something to an account, as when righteousness is credited to believers (Romans 4:3-5). In a judicial or relational sense, it means 'to consider, regard, or hold a view about' someone, such as considering oneself dead to sin (Romans 6:11). It can also mean 'to reason, deliberate, or suppose,' as seen when the Pharisees reasoned among themselves (Mark 11:31).

Biblical Usage

Logizomai appears 40 times in the New Testament, with heavy concentration in Paul's letters (especially Romans and 2 Corinthians) where it carries significant theological weight. Paul uses it repeatedly in Romans 4 to describe God 'crediting' righteousness through faith, a key argument in his doctrine of justification. In other contexts, it denotes human reasoning or supposition (e.g., Acts 19:27, Mark 11:31) or a deliberate mental reckoning (e.g., Romans 6:11, Philippians 4:8).

Etymology

Derived from the Greek noun 'logos' (λόγος, G3056), meaning 'word, reason, or account.' Logizomai is a middle/passive verb literally meaning 'to reason with oneself' or 'to take into account.' It originally had a commercial background related to accounting or calculating sums, which influenced its metaphorical use for moral and spiritual 'reckoning.'

Semantic Range

This word is central to the doctrine of justification by faith. In Romans 4, Paul uses logizomai repeatedly (e.g., Romans 4:3, 4:5, 4:9-10) to explain that righteousness is 'credited' or 'reckoned' to believers based on faith, not works. Understanding this accounting metaphor enriches the reading of passages about God's grace, showing justification as a legal declaration where Christ's righteousness is placed in the believer's account.

In the Greco-Roman world, logizomai was commonly used in commercial, legal, and philosophical contexts. The commercial sense of 'crediting to an account' was familiar, making Paul's metaphor in Romans 4 easily understood. The word implied careful, rational calculation, not just casual thought, which underscores the deliberate nature of God's act in justification and the believer's conscious reckoning of spiritual truths.

δοκέω (dokeō, G1380) — emphasizes subjective opinion or seeming; νομίζω (nomizō, G3543) — focuses on customary belief or practice; λογίζομαι is more objective, involving calculation or accounting.

Word Details

Scripture References