4828. summartureó
Lexical Summary
summartureó: To bear witness with, to testify together

Original Word: συμμαρτυρέω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: summartureó
Pronunciation: soom-mar-too-reh'-o
Phonetic Spelling: (soom-mar-too-reh'-o)
KJV: testify unto, (also) bear witness (with)
NASB: testifies, bearing witness
Word Origin: [from G4862 (σύν - along) and G3140 (μαρτυρέω - testify)]

1. to testify jointly, i.e. corroborate by (concurrent) evidence

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
testify unto, bear witness

From sun and martureo; to testify jointly, i.e. Corroborate by (concurrent) evidence -- testify unto, (also) bear witness (with).

see GREEK sun

see GREEK martureo

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from sun and martureó
Definition
to testify or bear witness with
NASB Translation
bearing witness (1), testifies (2).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 4828: συμμαρτυρέω

συμμαρτυρέω, συμμαρτύρω (T WH συνμαρτυρέω (cf. σύν, II. at the end)); to bear witness with, bear joint witness (with one): συμμαρτυρούσης τῆς συνειδήσεως, their conscience also bearing witness, Romans 2:15 (i. e. together with the deeds of the Gentiles, which accord with the law of God and so bear witness (cf. Winer's Grammar, 580 (539))); followed by ὅτι, Romans 9:1 (besides the fact that the close felloship I have with Christ compels me to tell the truth); τῷ πνεύματι ἡμῶν, with our spirit already giving its testimony, Romans 8:16. Middle present 1 person singular Συμμαρτυροῦμαι, I testify on my own behalf besides (i. e. besides those things which I have already testified in this book), Revelation 22:18 Rec.; but the true reading here, μαρτυρῶ, was restored by Griesbach (Sophocles, Euripides, Thucydides, Plato, others.)

Topical Lexicon
Overview of Meaning and Emphasis

The verb translated “to bear witness with” joins the ideas of testimony and partnership. It conveys an allied, corroborating witness—never a solitary voice, but one that adds weight to an already existing testimony. The New Testament confines the term to Paul’s Letter to the Romans, where it appears three times and describes three distinct yet harmonious spheres of witness: the conscience, the Holy Spirit, and the apostle’s own spiritual perception.

Occurrences in Scripture

1. Romans 2:15 – the conscience bears witness with the work of the law written on the heart.
2. Romans 8:16 – the Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.
3. Romans 9:1 – Paul’s conscience bears witness with him in the Holy Spirit that he is speaking truthfully.

Witness of Conscience (Romans 2:15; 9:1)

• In Romans 2:15 the Gentile conscience “bearing witness” affirms the moral imprint of God’s law on every human heart, leaving all people accountable to divine standards whether or not they possess the Mosaic code.
• In Romans 9:1 Paul appeals to this same inner faculty—now illuminated by the Holy Spirit—to authenticate the sincerity of his anguish for Israel: “I speak the truth in Christ; I am not lying; my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit.”

Taken together, these verses present conscience as a God-given internal court that corroborates truth. When informed by the Spirit, it becomes a reliable ally to apostolic proclamation and personal integrity.

Witness of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:16)

“The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” Here the verb describes the Spirit’s direct, experiential assurance of adoption. The apostle does not ground assurance merely in external rites or intellectual assent but in a joint testimony—Spirit with spirit—producing filial confidence and freedom from fear (Romans 8:15). This inner witness anchors the believer’s identity and empowers victorious Christian living.

Apostolic Witness

Paul models transparent dependence on this co-witnessing. Whether defending God’s universal justice (Romans 2) or expressing personal grief (Romans 9), he refuses to rely solely on rhetorical skill. Instead, he invokes corroboration from conscience and Spirit, demonstrating that authentic ministry operates in concert with God’s internal testimony.

Theological Implications

• Universality of moral awareness: Romans 2:15 teaches that every human possesses an echo of divine law, leaving all accountable and removing any excuse of ignorance.
• Assurance of salvation: Romans 8:16 underlines that saving faith is accompanied by Spirit-given confirmation, offering believers a subjective certainty that rests on objective gospel truth.
• Integrity in ministry: Romans 9:1 exemplifies that Christian leaders must minister with a conscience attuned to the Spirit, ensuring authenticity before God and people.

Practical Ministry Applications

• Counseling: Guide believers to listen for the Spirit’s corroborating voice alongside Scripture, strengthening assurance without fostering introspective anxiety.
• Evangelism: Appeal to the hearer’s conscience as Paul did, trusting that the innate moral awareness will resonate with the gospel’s call to repentance.
• Self-examination: Encourage regular, prayerful assessment before God, inviting the Spirit to align conscience with biblical standards (Psalm 139:23-24).
• Preaching and teaching: Like Paul, ground assertions in both the written Word and an upright conscience, demonstrating credibility and dependence on divine attestation.

Historical Interpretation

Early church fathers such as Augustine cited Romans 8:16 to explain the believer’s inner certainty of salvation, while Reformers emphasized the passage in articulating the doctrine of assurance. In systematic theology, the witness of the Spirit remains a cornerstone for discussions of regeneration and adoption, balanced with the external testimony of Scripture to safeguard against subjectivism.

Related Biblical Themes

• Two or three witnesses establish a matter (Deuteronomy 19:15; Matthew 18:16).
• The inward testimony of the Spirit (1 John 3:24; 1 John 5:6-10).
• The role of conscience in moral discernment (Acts 24:16; 1 Timothy 1:5, 19).
• Adoption as sons and daughters (Galatians 4:4-7; Ephesians 1:5).

Conclusion

Strong’s Greek 4828 highlights God’s gracious provision of corroborating testimony—an intertwined chorus of conscience, Spirit, and apostolic integrity—securing both the believer’s assurance and the credibility of gospel proclamation.

Forms and Transliterations
συμμαρτυρεῖ σύμμαρτυρει συμμαρτυρόμενος συμμαρτυρούσης συμμαχήσετε συμμαχία συνεμαρτυρόμην συνεμάχησαν συνμαρτυρει συνμαρτυρεῖ συνμαρτυρουσης συνμαρτυρούσης summarturei summarturouses summarturousēs symmartyrei symmartyreî symmartyrouses symmartyrousēs symmartyroúses symmartyroúsēs
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Englishman's Concordance
Romans 2:15 V-PPA-GFS
GRK: καρδίαις αὐτῶν συμμαρτυρούσης αὐτῶν τῆς
NAS: their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts
KJV: conscience also bearing witness, and
INT: hearts of them bearing witness with their

Romans 8:16 V-PIA-3S
GRK: τὸ πνεῦμα συμμαρτυρεῖ τῷ πνεύματι
NAS: Himself testifies with our spirit
KJV: itself beareth witness with our
INT: the Spirit bears witness with the Spirit

Romans 9:1 V-PPA-GFS
GRK: οὐ ψεύδομαι συμμαρτυρούσης μοι τῆς
NAS: my conscience testifies with me in the Holy
KJV: also bearing me witness in the Holy
INT: not I lie bearing witness with me the

Strong's Greek 4828
3 Occurrences


συμμαρτυρεῖ — 1 Occ.
συμμαρτυρούσης — 2 Occ.

4827
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