"heart-knower, searcher of hearts, Acts 1:24; 15:8*"
Definition and meaning
heart-knower, searcher of hearts, Acts 1:24; 15:8*
In the original Greek the word is written: καρδιογνώστης
Historical context
The Roman Empire provided infrastructure no previous civilization had built — roads, sea routes, a common language in Greek, and relative peace across the Mediterranean. Jewish synagogues existed in every major city, giving Paul a starting point everywhere he traveled. The early church had no buildings, no political power, no social standing — and spread faster than any movement in ancient history.
The people who first heard this word were not reading a book — they were living through empires, oppression, exile, and covenant. Every word carried the weight of that reality. Understanding it changes how you read Scripture.
Scripture references
These are the most notable occurrences of kardiognostes (G2589) across the King James Bible.
And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen,
And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;
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Common questions
Strong's G2589 (kardiognostes) is a Greek word that means: heart-knower, searcher of hearts, Acts 1:24; 15:8* It appears 2 times in the King James Bible.
The word kardiognostes (G2589) appears 2 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G2589 is kardiognostes, a Greek word defined as: heart-knower, searcher of hearts, Acts 1:24; 15:8*. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
kardiognostes is a Greek word found in the New Testament.