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Greek · G1377 · unreviewed

διώκω

To pursue

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διώκω G1377
Pronunciation diṓkō

What does διώκω (diṓkō) mean in the Bible?

διώκω (diṓkō) is a Greek word meaning "to pursue". διώκω [in LXX chiefly for רָדַף ;] __1. Christian character requires intentional pursuit of righteousness and godly virtues.

Full entry for διώκω (G1377) · Browse the biblical lexicon

Meaning

to pursue
Extended definition

Pursue with intensity; in NT often means persecute actively or seek eagerly after virtues.

1to put to flight, drive away: Mat.23:34.
2to pursue;
aof persons; with accusative, without hostility, to follow after: Luk.17:23; with hostile purpose: Act.26:11, Rev.12:13. Hence, to persecute: Mat.5:10-12, 44 10:23, Luk.11:49 21:12, Jhn.5:16 15:20, Act.7:52 9:4-5 22:4, 7-8 26:14-15 Rom.12:14, 1Co.4:12 15:9, 2Co.4:9, Gal.1:13, 23 4:29 5:11 6:12, Php.3:6, 2Ti.3:12;
bmetaphorically, with accusative of thing(s), of seeking eagerly after: Rom.9:30, 1Ti.6:11, 2Ti.2:22; νόμον δικαιοσύνης, Rom.9:31; τ. φιλοξενίαν, Rom.12:13; εἰρήνην, Heb.12:14, 1Pe.3:11; τὰ τῆς εἰ., Rom.14:19; τ. ἀγάπην, 1Co.14:1; τὸ ἀγαθόν, 1Th.5:15; absol., to follow on, drive, or speed on (Æsch.), Php.3:12, 14.
Source: STEPBible TBESG + Abbott-Smith
Why This Word Matters
Christian character requires intentional pursuit of righteousness and godly virtues. 1 Timothy 6:11-16
Christian virtue requires intentional, energetic pursuit. 2 Timothy 2:20-26
Grammatical Forms

How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.

Tenses
Present Aorist Future Imperfect Perfect
Voices
Active Passive
Indicative states a fact or reality 24×
Present Active Acts 9:4 · Acts 9:5 · Acts 22:7 · Acts 22:8 · Acts 26:14 · Acts 26:15 · Phil 3:12 · Phil 3:14 8×
Aorist Active Matt 5:12 · John 15:20 · Acts 7:52 · Acts 22:4 · 1 Cor 15:9 · Rev 12:13 6×
Future Active Luke 11:49 · Luke 21:12 · John 15:20 · Matt 23:34 4×
Imperfect Active Acts 26:11 · Gal 1:13 · John 5:16 · Gal 4:29 4×
Present Passive Gal 5:11 1×
Future Passive 2 Tim 3:12 1×
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 10×
Present Active Rom 9:31 · Gal 1:23 · Phil 3:6 · Matt 5:44 · Rom 9:30 · Rom 12:13 · Rom 12:14 7×
Present Passive 1 Cor 4:12 · 2 Cor 4:9 2×
Perfect Passive Matt 5:10 1×
Imperative command or strong request 6×
Present Active 1 Cor 14:1 · 1 Thess 5:15 · Heb 12:14 · 1 Tim 6:11 · 2 Tim 2:22 5×
Aorist Active 1 Pet 3:11 1×
Subjunctive possibility, probability, or purpose 5×
Aorist Active Matt 5:11 · Luke 17:23 2×
Present Active Matt 10:23 · Rom 14:19 2×
Present Passive Gal 6:12 1×
45 total occurrences across all forms in the biblical text Morphology: MorphGNT SBLGNT — CC BY-SA 3.0
Discourse Aspect

How this verb appears across 44 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).

Aspect
completed 6 ongoing 9 prospective 4 imperative 6 background 4 subjunctive 5 participle 10
Tense
present 26 aorist 9 future 4 imperfect 4 perfect 1
Voice
active 38 passive 6
Mood
indicative 23 participle 10 imperative 6 subjunctive 5
NT Occurrences
Matthew 5:10 δεδιωγμένοι perfect passive participle participle Matthew 5:11 διώξωσιν aorist active subjunctive subjunctive Matthew 5:12 ἐδίωξαν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 5:44 διωκόντων present active participle participle Matthew 10:23 διώκωσιν present active subjunctive subjunctive Matthew 23:34 διώξετε future active indicative prospective Luke 17:23 διώξητε aorist active subjunctive subjunctive Luke 21:12 διώξουσιν future active indicative prospective John 5:16 ἐδίωκον imperfect active indicative background John 15:20 ἐδίωξαν aorist active indicative completed John 15:20 διώξουσιν future active indicative prospective Acts 7:52 ἐδίωξαν aorist active indicative completed Acts 9:4 διώκεις present active indicative ongoing Acts 9:5 διώκεις present active indicative ongoing Acts 22:4 ἐδίωξα aorist active indicative completed Acts 22:7 διώκεις present active indicative ongoing Acts 22:8 διώκεις present active indicative ongoing Acts 26:11 ἐδίωκον imperfect active indicative background Acts 26:14 διώκεις present active indicative ongoing Acts 26:15 διώκεις present active indicative ongoing Romans 9:30 διώκοντα present active participle participle Romans 9:31 διώκων present active participle participle Romans 12:13 διώκοντες present active participle participle Romans 12:14 διώκοντας present active participle participle Romans 14:19 διώκωμεν present active subjunctive subjunctive 1 Corinthians 4:12 διωκόμενοι present passive participle participle 1 Corinthians 14:1 Διώκετε present active imperative imperative 1 Corinthians 15:9 ἐδίωξα aorist active indicative completed 2 Corinthians 4:9 διωκόμενοι present passive participle participle Galatians 1:13 ἐδίωκον imperfect active indicative background Galatians 1:23 διώκων present active participle participle Galatians 4:29 ἐδίωκε imperfect active indicative background Galatians 5:11 διώκομαι present passive indicative ongoing Galatians 6:12 διώκωνται present passive subjunctive subjunctive Philippians 3:12 διώκω present active indicative ongoing Philippians 3:14 διώκω present active indicative ongoing Philippians 3:6 διώκων present active participle participle 1 Thessalonians 5:15 διώκετε present active imperative imperative 1 Timothy 6:11 δίωκε present active imperative imperative 2 Timothy 2:22 δίωκε present active imperative imperative +4 more occurrences

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)

Biblical Occurrences

Each occurrence shows the passage reference, the original language term as it appears in that context, its transliteration, and the contextual sense.

New Testament Witnesses
1 Timothy 6:11-16 pursue diṓkō Imperative · Present Active
To actively seek with intensity.
2 Timothy 2:20-26 Pursue diṓkō Imperative · Present Active
to pursue earnestly or strive for
Appears In

Compound and idiomatic lexemes in which this word is a constituent. Follow a link to study the phrase and its other participating words.

μή · ἀπέρχομαι · μηδέ · διώκω G3361, G565, G3366, G1377
do not go away and do not pursue/run after
Word Pictures (Robertson)

A.T. Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) discusses this term in the following chapters. Open any chapter and go to the Word Pictures tab to read his verse-by-verse commentary.

1 Corinthians 14 — Pursue Love, Desire Gifts, and Let All Things Be Done for Edification and Order Acts 22 — Paul’s Defense: Christ Appears, Sends, and Preserves His Witness Acts 26 — Paul Before Agrippa: The Risen Christ Sends Light to Jews and Gentiles Acts 9 — The Risen Christ Converts His Fiercest Persecutor John 15 — The True Vine, Abiding Fruitfulness, Christlike Love, and the World’s Hatred Luke 21 — The Widow’s Gift, Jerusalem’s Fall, and Watchfulness before the Son of Man Matthew 23 — Woes upon Hypocritical Leadership and the Lament over Jerusalem Matthew 5 — Kingdom Blessedness, Fulfilled Law, and Heart-Level Righteousness Philippians 3 — Counting All Things Loss and Pressing On Toward Christ Romans 12 — Living Sacrifices, Renewed Minds, Humble Service, and Love Without Hypocrisy Romans 14 — Receiving One Another, Honoring the Lord, and Pursuing Peace in Matters of Conscience Romans 9 — God’s Faithfulness, Sovereign Mercy, and Israel’s Stumbling Over Christ

A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) — public domain

Sources

MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain

Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0

Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0

STEPBible Data — CC BY 4.0

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