Greek word · Strong's G4100

πιστεύω

pisteúō · verb · “to believe, trust”

In a sentence

Pisteuō is the verb form of pistis (faith) — to believe, trust, or rely on. It is the verb of John’s Gospel: “whoever believes (pisteuōn) in him shall not perish.”

Pisteuō is more than mental agreement. It means to entrust oneself to — to lean the weight of your hope on another. John’s Gospel uses it nearly a hundred times to describe the right response to Jesus.

To “believe in him” is therefore to rely on Christ for what only he can give: forgiveness and eternal life. Believing is not a one-time decision archived in the past but an ongoing trust that shapes a whole life.

Strong's reference

Definition: to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), i.e. credit; by implication, to entrust (especially one's spiritual well-being to Christ)

KJV usage: believe(-r), commit (to trust), put in trust with

Reference gloss from Strong's Concordance (1890, public domain).

Key verses BSB · Public Domain (CC0)

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 20:31 “But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.” Acts 16:31 “They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.””

Original BibleDawn word study. Original-language data and the public-domain Strong's (1890) gloss are referenced; see sources.