What does διατρίβω (diatríbō) mean in the Bible?
The Greek verb diatribo means to remain, stay, or spend time in a place. John uses it when Jesus spends time with His disciples in the Judean countryside.
Greek · G1304
διατρίβω
To remain
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διατρίβωG1304
Pronunciationdiatríbō
What does διατρίβω (diatríbō) mean in the Bible?
The Greek verb diatribo means to remain, stay, or spend time in a place. John uses it when Jesus spends time with His disciples in the Judean countryside.
Reader summary
Full entry for διατρίβω (G1304) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G1304?
The BSB source-word alignment has 9 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include we stayed (2), [and] spent some time [there] (1), [Paul and Barnabas] spent (1), He spent some time (1), remained (1).
Where does διατρίβω (diatríbō) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at John 3:22. Its strongest book concentrations include Acts (8), John (1).
What This Word Actually Means
The Greek verb diatribo means to remain, stay, or spend time in a place. John uses it when Jesus spends time with His disciples in the Judean countryside. Acts repeatedly uses it for people staying somewhere for days or for a longer period during ministry, travel, government business, or an unfolding legal case. The verb describes duration at a location, but it does not by itself explain why the person stayed, whether the stay was voluntary, whether every activity during it was approved, or whether the arrangement was permanent.
Paul and Barnabas can spend considerable time speaking boldly, while Herod can spend time in Caesarea after ordering the guards' execution. Festus and visiting rulers also remain for periods connected with Paul's custody. Readers must therefore combine the verb with the subject, purpose, activities, and wider narrative evaluation. Diatribo does not make length of stay a measure of faithfulness, and it does not turn remaining, leaving, waiting, or relocating into a universal spiritual rule.
How the Bible Uses It
Diatribo describes staying or spending time in a place across discipleship, mission, travel, royal activity, and legal proceedings, while context supplies purpose, agency, and moral evaluation.
- John.3.22
After this, Jesus and His disciples went into the Judean countryside, where He spent some time with them and baptized.
Jesus goes into the Judean countryside with His disciples and spends time there as the narrative describes baptismal activity.
- Acts.14.3
So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who affirmed the message of His grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders.
Paul and Barnabas spend considerable time speaking boldly for the Lord amid both belief and organized opposition in Iconium.
- Acts.14.28
And they spent a long time there with the disciples.
After reporting God's work through their journey, the missionaries spend a long time with the disciples in Antioch.
- Acts.15.35
But Paul and Barnabas remained at Antioch, along with many others, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord.
Paul and Barnabas remain in Antioch teaching and preaching with many others before their later disagreement and separation.
- Acts.20.6
And after the Feast of Unleavened Bread, we sailed from Philippi, and five days later we rejoined them in Troas, where we stayed seven days.
The travel account states that Paul's company stays seven days in Troas after a five-day voyage from Philippi.
- Acts.25.14
Since they were staying several days, Festus laid out Paul’s case before the king: “There is a certain man whom Felix left in prison.
Agrippa and Bernice stay several days while Festus explains Paul's unresolved case, placing duration inside a complex custody narrative.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Itwe stayed2×Acts 16:12, Acts 20:6
[and] spent some time [there]1×Acts 12:19
[Paul and Barnabas] spent1×Acts 14:3
He spent some time1×John 3:22
remained1×Acts 15:35
spending1×Acts 25:6
they spent1×Acts 14:28
they were staying1×Acts 25:14
Show sample aligned rows
John 3:22διέτριβενtoHe spent some timeVerb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularActs 12:19διέτριβενto[and] spent some time [there]Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularActs 14:3διέτριψανto[Paul and Barnabas] spentVerb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralActs 14:28διέτριβονtothey spentVerb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralActs 15:35διέτριβονtoremainedVerb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralActs 16:12διατρίβοντεςtowe stayedVerb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine PluralActs 20:6διετρίψαμενtowe stayedVerb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person PluralActs 25:6ΔιατρίψαςtospendingVerb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine SingularActs 25:14διέτριβονtothey were stayingVerb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowJohn 3:22
Aligned rows9
Books represented2
John1Acts8
Source forms
διέτριβον3xdietribonActs 14:28, Acts 15:35, Acts 25:14
διέτριβεν2xdietribenJohn 3:22, Acts 12:19
διατρίβοντες1xdiatribontesActs 16:12
Διατρίψας1xDiatripsasActs 25:6
διετρίψαμεν1xdietripsamenActs 20:6
διέτριψαν1xdietripsanActs 14:3
Parsing patterns
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural3xActs 14:28, Acts 15:35, Acts 25:14
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular2xJohn 3:22, Acts 12:19
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural1xActs 20:6
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural1xActs 14:3
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular1xActs 25:6
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural1xActs 16:12
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Decisions to stay or leave a ministry, workplace, home, or region should consider safety, responsibilities, counsel, and concrete circumstances.
- Leaders should not use years of service to silence questions about doctrine, conduct, safeguarding, or present fitness.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim that diatribo means abide in every theological sense; its governed witnesses describe spending time or staying in a place.
- Do not claim that Paul and Barnabas remained indefinitely or that every believer must copy the duration of a narrated visit.
- Do not claim that staying is inherently faithful or leaving inherently disobedient, since the verb itself supplies no such verdict.
Evidence Summary
Greek word. to remain
Source Gloss
to remain
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpusGreek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
10 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
John 3:22Verb Third Person Singular Imperfect Active Indicative
διέτριβεdietriben
I tarry, continue, stay
Read verseJohn 11:54Verb Third Person Singular Imperfect Active Indicative
διέτριβεdietriben
I tarry, continue, stay
Read verseActs 12:19Verb Third Person Singular Imperfect Active Indicative
διέτριβεν.dietriben
I tarry, continue, stay
Read verseActs 14:3Verb Third Person Plural Aorist Active Indicative
διέτριψανdietriyan
I tarry, continue, stay
Read verseActs 14:28Verb Third Person Plural Imperfect Active Indicative
διέτριβονdietribon
I tarry, continue, stay
Read verseActs 15:35Verb Third Person Plural Imperfect Active Indicative
διέτριβονdietribon
I tarry, continue, stay
Read verseActs 16:12Verb Present Active Participle Nominative Plural Masculine
διατρίβοντεςdiatribontev
I tarry, continue, stay
Read verseActs 20:6Verb First Person Plural Aorist Active Indicative
διετρίψαμενdietriyamen
I tarry, continue, stay
Read verseActs 25:6Verb Aorist Active Participle Nominative Singular Masculine
Διατρίψαςdiatriyav
I tarry, continue, stay
Read verseActs 25:14Verb Third Person Plural Imperfect Active Indicative
διέτριβονdietribon
I tarry, continue, stay
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 8 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect
Tense
imperfect5aorist3
Voice
active8
Mood
indicative7participle1
NT Occurrences
John 3:22διέτριβενimperfect active indicativebackgroundActs 12:19διέτριβενimperfect active indicativebackgroundActs 14:28διέτριβονimperfect active indicativebackgroundActs 14:3διέτριψανaorist active indicativecompletedActs 15:35διέτριβονimperfect active indicativebackgroundActs 20:6διετρίψαμενaorist active indicativecompletedActs 25:14διέτριβονimperfect active indicativebackgroundActs 25:6Διατρίψαςaorist active participleparticiple
Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.
Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)
Word Origins
διατρίβω is built from these roots:
For the Preacher and Teacher
Diatribo makes duration visible without interpreting duration for the reader. Jesus spends time with His disciples in the Judean countryside. Paul and Barnabas remain in places where they teach, preach, strengthen disciples, and face opposition. A travel notice can simply record seven days in Troas. The same verb also describes Herod spending time in Caesarea after a brutal order and royal visitors remaining while Festus discusses Paul's case.
These scenes show that staying is a circumstance within which faithful, ordinary, negligent, or harmful actions may occur. The verb does not make presence virtuous by itself. Nor does it prescribe one response to conflict, danger, calling, or institutional pressure. Acts sometimes records extended presence and elsewhere records departure, escape, escort, or renewed travel.
Faithful application should consider mission, relationships, safety, responsibility, and explicit guidance rather than treating time in place as a spiritual score. A sustained presence can support patient ministry, but longevity cannot excuse abuse, conceal stagnation, or bind someone to an unsafe situation. Context explains what people do with the time they spend.
Anchor passage
Acts.14.3
Doctrinal connections
- Patient ministry may require meaningful time for teaching, witness, relationship, and strengthening disciples.
- God can confirm the message of grace during sustained opposition without making danger itself spiritually valuable.
- Shared time with disciples can support reporting, encouragement, formation, and ordinary fellowship.
- Narrated duration does not equal moral approval because rulers and officials also spend time pursuing flawed or harmful purposes.
- Christian mission includes both remaining and moving, with each decision accountable to calling, wisdom, relationships, and safety.
- Time is a setting for faithful action rather than a substitute for truth, fruit, accountability, or care.
Diatribo is a Greek verb meaning to spend time, remain, or stay. Its tense and accompanying duration phrases can portray an ongoing or completed stay, but the verb itself does not specify permanent residence, passivity, consent, approval, or the complete reason for remaining.
From Old to New Testament
Scripture often portrays faithful people waiting, dwelling, sojourning, or moving, but those ideas use many Hebrew and Greek words. The New Testament witnesses here should not be made the lexical key to every biblical theme of abiding, perseverance, exile, or pilgrimage.