Lexical Definition

‎καλέω‎ kaléō (kal-eh'-o) to call: call ^G:V
akin to the base of ‎κελεύω‎

bid, call (forth), (whose, whose sur-)name (was (called)).

• to "call" (properly, aloud, but used in a variety of applications, directly or otherwise)

Abbott-Smith

καλέω, -ῶ, [in LXX chiefly for קרא;]

1. to call, summon: c. acc. pers., Mt 20:8 25:14, Mk 3:31, Lk 19:13, Ac 4:18; seq. ἐκ, Mt 2:15(LXX); metaph., I Pe 2:9.
2. to call to one's house, invite: Lk 14:16, I Co 10:27, Re 19:9; εἰς τ. γάμους, Mt 22:3, 9, Lk 14:8, 9, Jo 2:2; ὁ καλέσας, Lk 7:39; οἱ κεκλημένοι, Mt 22:8; metaph., of inviting to partake of the blessings of the kingdom of God (Dalman, Words, 118 f.): Ro 8:30 9:24, 25, I Co 7:17, 18; seq. εἰς, I Co 1:9, I Th 2:12, I Ti 6:12; ὁ καλῶν (καλέσας), of God, Ga 1:6 5:8, I Th 5:24, I Pe 1:15, II Pe 1:3; οἱ κεκλκλημένοι, He 9:15; seq. ἐν (ἐπί), I Co 7:15, Ga 5:13, Eph 4:4, I Th 4:7; κλήσει, Eph 4:1, II Ti 1:9.
3. to call, name, call by name: pass., Mt 2:23, Lk 1:32, al.; καλούμενος, Lk 7:11, Ac 7:58, al.; ὁ κ. (Deiss., BS, 210), Lk 6:15 22:3 23:33, Ac 10:1, Re 12:9, al.; c. pred. nom., Mt 5:9, Lk 1:35, Ro 9:26, Ja 2:23, I Jo 3:1. (Cf. ἀντι-, ἐν-, εἰσ- (-μαι), ἐπι-, μετα-, παρα-, συν-παρα-, προ-, προσ-, συν-καλέω.)

Abbott-Smith References

Liddell-Scott-Jones

meaning of: καλέω

καλέω,

Aeolic dialect κάλημι (which see), Epic dialect infinitive καλήμεναι [Refs 8th c.BC+]: Ionic dialect imperfect καλέεσκον [Refs]; 3rd.pers. singular κάλεσκε [Refs 3rd c.BC+]: future, Ionic dialect καλέω [Refs 8th c.BC+], Attic dialect καλῶ [LXX+5th c.BC+]aorist 1 subjunctive): aorist 1 ἐκάλεσα, Epic dialect ἐκάλεσσα, κάλεσσα, [Refs 8th c.BC+] (late Epic dialect ἔκλησα [Refs 2nd c.BC+]: perfect κέκληκα [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—middle, Attic dialect future καλοῦμαι [Refs 5th c.BC+]; later καλέσομαι (ἐκ-, ἐπι-) uncertain reading in [Refs 4th c.BC+]: aorist 1 ἐκαλεσάμην [Refs 5th c.BC+]; Epic dialect καλεσσάμην [Refs 8th c.BC+]:—passive, future κεκλήσομαι [LXX+8th c.BC+]: aorist ἐκλήθην [Refs 7th c.BC+]perfect κέκλημαι, Epic dialect 3rd.pers. plural κεκλήαται [Refs 3rd c.BC+], Ionic dialect κεκλέαται [Refs 5th c.BC+]; Epic dialect 3rd.pers. plural pluperfect κεκλήατο [Refs 8th c.BC+]perfect κεκάλεσμαι Suid. see at {κλητή}.

__I call, summon, εἰς ἀγορὴν καλέσαντα [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἀγορήνδε, θάλαμόνδε, θάνατόνδε, [Refs 8th c.BC+] they had been summoned to the council, [Refs]infinitive, αὐτοὶ γὰρ κάλεον συμμητιάασθαι[Refs 5th c.BC+]; κ. τινὰ εἰς ἕ, ἐπὶ οἷ, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; demand, require, ἡ ἡμέρα 'κείνη εὔνουν καὶ πλούσιον ἄνδρα ἐκάλει [Refs 4th c.BC+]aorist middle, καλέσασθαί τινα call to oneself, frequently in Epic dialect, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; call a witness, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__I.2 call to one's house or to a repast, invite (not in [NT+8th c.BC+]; later usually with a word added, κ. ἐπὶ δεῖπνον [Refs 5th c.BC+]; κληθέντες πρός τινα invited to his house, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; ὁ κεκλημένος the guest, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
__I.3 invoke, Δία [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—middle, τοὺς θεοὺς καλούμεθα [Refs 4th c.BC+]; but ἀράς, ἅς σοι καλοῦμαι which I call down on thee, [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—passive, of the god, to be invoked, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
__I.4 as law-term, summon, of the judge, καλεῖν τινας εἰς τὸ δικαστήριον cite or summon before the court, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; simply καλεῖν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; also ὁ ἄρχων τὴν δίκην καλεῖ calls on the case, [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—passive, ἡ πατροκτόνος δίκη κεκλῇτ᾽ ἂν αὐτῷ [Refs 5th c.BC+]; πρὶν τὴν ἐμὴν [δίκην] καλεῖσθαι before it is called on, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; but,
__I.4.b of the plaintiff in middle, καλεῖσθαί τινα to sue at law, bring before the court, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ὁ καλεσάμενος the plaintiff, [Refs 3rd c.BC+]
__I.5 with an abstract subject, demand, require, καλεῖ ἡ τάξις with infinitive, [Refs 3rd c.AD+]
__I.6 metaphorically in passive, καλουμένης τῆς δυνάμεως πρὸς τὴν συναναληψίαν called forth, summoned, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
__II call by name, name, ὃν Βριάρεων καλέουσι θεοί [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ὄνομα καλεῖν τινα call him by a name, εἴπ᾽ ὄνομ᾽ ὅττι σε κεῖθι κάλεον [Refs 8th c.BC+] (in passive, οὔνομα καλέεσθαι [Refs 5th c.BC+] shall be given to thy tomb, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; κ. ὄνομα ἐπί τινι give a name to something, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; but call (a man) a name because of some function, [NT+2nd c.BC+]:—passive, to be named or called, Μυρμιδόνες δὲ καλεῦντο [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ὁ καλούμενος the socalled, ἐν τῇ Θεράπνῃ καλεομένῃ [Refs 5th c.BC+]; οἱ τῶν ὁμοτίμων κ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; κεκλημένος τινός called from or after him, [LXX+5th c.BC+]
__II.2 passive, to be called, almost ={εἰμί}, especially with words expressing kinship or status, ἐμὸς γαμβρὸς καλέεσθαι [Refs 8th c.BC+]; especially in perfect passive κέκλημαι, οὕνεκα σὴ παράκοιτις κέκλημαι because I am thy wife, [Refs 8th c.BC+]
__II.3 special constructions, a. Ἀλησίου ἔνθα κολώνη κέκληται where is the hill called the hill of Alesios, [Refs 8th c.BC+]active, ἔνθα Ῥέας πόρον ἄνθρωποι καλέοισιν where is the ford men call the ford of Rhea, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II.3.b folld by a dependent clause, ἐκάλεσσέ νιν ἰσώνυμον ἔμμεν said that his name should be the same, [Refs]; καλεῖ με πλαστὸς ὡς εἴην πατρί, i.e. καλεῖ με πλαστόν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; καλοῦμέν γε παραδιδόντα μὲν διδάσκειν we say that one who delivers teaches, [Refs 5th c.BC+]

_{LSJ Scripture Refs: LXX.Gen.16.11 ☩ LXX.Gen.48.6 ☩ 1Cor.10.27 ☩ Luke.1.59 ☩ LXX.Gen.48.6}