ear
ous denotes the bodily organ of hearing, often used in calls to hear, receive, or refuse what is spoken.
The dominant usage places the noun in expressions of hearing and attending to spoken words, especially calls for those who have the capacity to hear. Other verses use it for the physical organ itself, while several pair hearing with responsiveness or resistance to what is heard.
Senses in use
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Hearing and attending to spoken words · dominant
Accusative forms occur in repeated calls to hear: in Mark 4:9 the APB renders, “Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear,” and in Revelation 2:11 it renders a call to hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. In Matthew 10:27, the singular accusative stands in the clause about hearing privately before proclaiming publicly.
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The bodily organ in concrete settings · common
The noun names a bodily member in scenes of physical action: in Luke 22:50 the APB renders the cutting off of a servant’s right ear, and in Mark 7:33 it renders fingers being put into a man’s ears. In 1 Corinthians 12:16, the nominative singular appears as one body member speaking alongside the eye.
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Hearing as responsiveness or refusal · occasional
Plural forms occur in descriptions where hearing is joined to inward response: in Matthew 13:15 the APB renders people hearing “with difficulty” and not understanding with the heart, while Acts 28:27 similarly joins difficult hearing, closed eyes, and failure to understand. In Acts 7:51, ears are named with the heart in a charge of resisting the Holy Spirit.
In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB commonly presents the noun as “ear” or “ears,” including physical actions in Luke 22:50 and calls to hear in Mark 4:9. In several clauses it renders hearing together with comprehension, difficulty, or resistance; these are presentations of the whole verse rather than definitions.