Akin to the base of keleuo; to "call" (properly, aloud, but used in a variety of applications, directly or otherwise) -- bid, call (forth), (whose, whose sur-)name (was (called)).

see GREEK keleuo

1. to call (German rufen (cf. βοάω, at the end));

a. to call aloud, utter in a loud voice: ἄχρις οὗ τό σήμερον καλεῖται, as long as the word 'today' is called out or proclaimed, Hebrews 3:13; τινα, to call one to approach or stand before one, Matthew 20:8; Matthew 22:3 (where εἰς τούς γάμους seems to belong to τούς κεκλημένος); Matthew 25:14; (Mark 3:31 L T Tr WH); Luke 19:13; τά ἰδίᾳ πρόβατα κατ' ὄνομα, his own sheep each by its name, John 10:3 (where L T Tr WH φωνεῖ); used of Christ, calling certain persons to be his disciples and constant companions, Matthew 4:21 (note what precedes in 19: δεῦτε ὀπίσω μου); Mark 1:20; to order one to be summoned, Matthew 2:15 (see just below); before the judges, Acts 4:18; Acts 24:2; followed by ἐκ with the genitive of place, equivalent to to call out, call forth from: Matthew 2:15, cf. Hebrews 11:8. metaphorically, to cause to pass from one state into another: τινα ἐκ σκότους εἰς τό φῶς, 1 Peter 2:9.

b. like the Latinvoco equivalent to to invite; properly: εἰς τούς γάμους, Matthew 22:3, 9; Luke 14:8; John 2:2; to a feast, Luke 14:16; 1 Corinthians 10:27 (cf. Winer's Grammar, 593 (552)); Revelation 19:9; ὁ καλέσας, Luke 7:39; Luke 14:9; ὁ κεκληκώς τινα, Luke 14:10, 12; οἱ κεκλημένοι, Matthew 22:8; Luke 14:7, 17, 24; (2 Samuel 13:23; Esther 5:12; and often so in Greek writings from Homer, Odyssey 4, 532; 11,187 down). β. metaphorically: to invite one, εἰς τί, to something i. e. to participate in it, enjoy it; used thus in the Epistles of Paul and Peter of God as inviting men by the preaching of the gospel (διά τοῦ εὐαγγελίου, 2 Thessalonians 2:14) to the blessings of the heavenly kingdom: εἰς τήν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, 1 Thessalonians 2:12; εἰς ζωήν αἰώνιον, 1 Timothy 6:12; εἰς δόξαν αἰώνιον, 1 Peter 5:10; εἰς τήν κοινωνίαν τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ, 1 Corinthians 1:9; so καλεῖν τινα used alone: Romans 8:30; Romans 9:24; 1 Corinthians 7:17f, 20-22, 24; τινα καλεῖν κλήσει, 2 Timothy 1:9; ἐν ᾧ ἐκληθημεν, in whom lies the reason why we were called, who is the ground of our having been invited, Ephesians 1:11 Lachmann; ἄξιος τῆς κλήσεως, ἧς (by attraction for ἡ (or perhaps ἥν; cf. Winers Grammar, § 24, 1; Buttmann, 287 (247); Ellicott, in the place cited)) ἐκλήθητε, Ephesians 4:1; God is styled ὁ καλῶν τινα (he that calleth one, the caller, cf. Winer's Grammar, § 45, 7), Galatians 5:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:24; and ὁ καλέσας τινα, Galatians 1:6; Colossians 1:12 Lachmann; 1 Peter 1:15; 2 Peter 1:3. οἱ κεκλημένοι, Hebrews 9:15; καλεῖν and καλεῖσθαι are used with a specification of the mediate end (for the highest or final end of the calling is eternal salvation): ἐπ' ἐλευθερία, Galatians 5:13; οὐκ ἐπ' ἀκαθαρσία ἀλλ' ἐν ἁγιασμῷ, 1 Thessalonians 4:7; ἐν εἰρήνη, 1 Corinthians 7:15; ἐν ἑνί ἐλπίδι, that ye might come into one hope, Ephesians 4:4 (see ἐν, I. 7 (yet cf. Winers Grammar, 417 (389); Buttmann, 329 (283); especially Ellicott in loc.), and ἐπί, Buttmann, 2 a. ζ'.); εἰς εἰρήνην τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐν ἑνί σώματι, that ye may be in one body i. e. be members of one and the same body, Colossians 3:15; εἰς τοῦτο (which refers to what precedes) followed by ἵνα, 1 Peter 2:21; 1 Peter 3:9; (but everywhere in the N. T. Epistles only those are spoken of as called by God who have listened to his voice addressed to them in the gospel, hence those who have enlisted in the service of Christ — see Romans 8:30 and Rückert's Commentary, at the passage cited, p. 464, cf. 1 Corinthians 1:24; those who have slighted the invitation are not reckoned among the called); Christ also is said καλεῖν τινα, namely, to embrace the offer of salvation by the Messiah, in Matthew 9:13 and Mark 2:17 (in both passages Rec. adds εἰς μετάνοιαν). God is said to call those who are not yet born, viz. by promises of salvation which have respect to them, so that καλεῖν is for substance equivalent to to appoint one to salvation, Romans 9:12 (11); καλοῦντος τά μή ὄντα ὡς ὄντα, Romans 4:17, where cf. Fritzsche (others besides, cf. Meyer (especially Weiss edition) at the passage). to call (equivalent to to select) to assume some office, τινα, of God appointing or committing an office to one (German berufen): Galatians 1:15; Hebrews 5:4 (Isaiah 42:6; Isaiah 49:1; Isaiah 51:2). to invite equivalent to to rouse, summon: to do something, εἰς μετάνοιαν, Luke 5:32, added in Rec. also in Matthew 9:13 and Mark 2:17.

2. to call i. e. to name, call by name;

a. to give a name to; with two accusatives, one of the object the other of the name as a predicate (to call one (by) a name: Matthew 10:25 Rec.; cf. Winers Grammar, § 32, 4 b.; Buttmann, 151 (132) note); passive with the nominative of the name, to receive the name of, receive as a name: Matthew 2:23; Matthew 27:8; Luke 1:32, 60, 62; Luke 2:4, etc.; καλούμενος, called, whose name or surname is, Luke 7:11; Luke 9:10; Luke 10:39; Acts 7:58; Acts 27:8, 16; ὁ καλούμενος (on its position cf. Buttmann, § 144, 19): Luke 6:15; Luke 8:2; (Luke 22:3 T Tr WH); ; Acts 1:23; Acts 10:1; Acts 13:1; (Acts 15:22 L T Tr WH); ; Revelation 12:9; Revelation 16:16; with ὀνόματι added, Luke 19:2; καλεῖσθαι ὀνόματι τίνι, to be called by a name, Luke 1:61; καλεῖν τινα ἐπί τῷ ὀνόματι τίνος, Luke 1:59 (see ἐπί, Buttmann, 2 a. ἤ., p. 233{b}); after the Hebrew אֶת־שְׁמו קָרָא, καλεῖν τό ὄνομα τίνος, with the name in the accusative, to give some name to one, call his name: Matthew 1:21, 23, 25; Luke 1:13, 31; passive, Luke 2:21; Revelation 19:13; Genesis 17:19; 1 Samuel 1:20, etc. (similarly sometimes in Greek writings, cf. Fritzsche on Matthew, p. 45 (Buttmann, 151 (132))).

b. Passive καλοῦμαι with predicate nominative to be called i. e. to bear a name or title (among men) (cf. Winer's Grammar, § 65, 8): Luke 1:35; Luke 22:25; Acts 8:10 (Rec. omits καλοῦμαι); 1 Corinthians 15:9; to be said to be (equivalent to to be acknowledged, pass as, the nominative expressing the judgment passed on one): Matthew 5:9, 19; Luke 1:32, 35, 76; Luke 2:23; Luke 15:19; Romans 9:26; James 2:23; opposed to εἶναι, 1 John 3:1 L T Tr WH; Hebraistically (Genesis 21:12) ἐν Ἰσαάκ κληθήσεται σοι σπέρμα, through (better in, cf. ἐν, I. 6 c. and Meyer (edited by Weiss) ad Romans, the passage cited) Isaac shall a seed be called for thee, i. e. Isaac (not Ishmael) is the one whose posterity shall obtain the name and honor of thy descendants, Romans 9:7 and Hebrews 11:18.

c. καλῷ τινα, with an accusative of the predicate or a title of honor, to salute one by a name: Matthew 23:9; passive, Matthew 23:7f, 10; Revelation 19:11 (but Tr marginal reading WH brackets καλῷ); to give a name to one and mention him at the same time, Matthew 22:43, 45; Luke 20:44. (Compare: ἀντικαλέω, ἐνκαλέω, εἰσκαλέω (καλέομαι), ἐπικαλέω, μετακαλέω, παρακαλέω, συνπαρακαλέω, προκαλέω, προσκαλέω, συγκαλέω.)