pro-fes', pro-fesh'-un (naghadh; homologeo, homologia): "Profess" means literally "to own before," hence, to make open or public announcement; it occurs only once in the Old Testament as the translation of naghadh, "to put before," often "to tell," "to show," "to declare" (Deuteronomy 26:3); in the New Testament it is the translation of homologeo, "to speak or say together in common," "to assent," "to confess publicly" (Matthew 7:23, "Then will I profess unto them, I never knew you"; 1 Timothy 6:12, the Revised Version (British and American) "didst confess the good confession"; Titus 1:16, "They profess that they know God"); of epaggellomai, "to announce one's self," "to make profession" (1 Timothy 2:10; 6:21); of phasko, "to say," "to assert" (Romans 1:22). "Profession" is the translation of homologia (2 Corinthians 9:13; 1 Timothy 6:12; Hebrews 3:1, the King James Version "the High Priest of our profession" (of our professed faith); Hebrews 4:14; 10:23; in each instance the Revised Version (British and American) has "confession"). "Profess" occurs in the King James Version of Ecclesiastes 3:22, but the verse is omitted by the Revised Version (British and American); margin "Most authorities omit verse 25."

W. L. Walker

From the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Edited by James Orr, published in 1939 by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

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