Bible Dictionary
ACKNOWLEDGE
To acknowledge is to recognize fully the claims or reality of someone or something. Scripture speaks of acknowledging God, sin, and the authority of His servants.
Definition
To acknowledge is to recognize fully the established claims or reality of a person or thing. In biblical language it is commonly expressed through forms of the word “know.”
Biblical Usage
People acknowledge God, acknowledge their sin before him, and recognize the claims and authority of his servants. The Psalmist acknowledged his sin by admitting his guilt to God.
Historical Bible Dictionaries
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>ak-nol'-ej (gignosko): To declare that one recognizes the claims of a person or thing fully established. Both in Old Testament and New Testament expressed by various forms of the word "know" (Pr 3:6; Isa 61:9; Col 2:2 the King James Version). The Psalmist (Ps 32:5) "acknowledged" his sin, when he told God that he knew the guilt of what he had done. The Corinthians (2Co 1:14) "acknowledged" Paul and his companions when they formally recognized their claims and authority.</p>