διηκόνουν

diekonoun

were ministering

from διάκονος; to be an attendant, i.e. wait upon (menially or as a host, friend, or (figuratively) teacher); technically, to act as a Christian deacon:--(ad-)minister (unto), serve, use the office of a deacon.

G1247

Mark 1:13 · Word #20

Lexicon G1247

Lemmaδιακονέω
Transliterationdiakonéō
Strong'sG1247
In-contextwere ministering
Literalwere-ministering

Morphology V IMPF ACT IND 3P PL All morphology codes

Part of Speech V — Verb — An action or state of being
Tense IMPF — Imperfect — Continuous or repeated past action
Voice ACT — Active — The subject performs the action
Mood IND — Indicative — States a fact or reality
Person 3P — 3rd person — The one spoken about ("he/she/it/they")
Number PL — Plural — More than one

Lexical Info

Lemmaδιακονέω
Strong'sG1247

SIBI-P1 G1247-18

they were serving-as-attendants

Rootδιακονέω (diakonéō)
Core Meaningsto serve, to attend, to minister, to render service, to act as a deacon
Semantic Rangeto wait on tables, to provide practical assistance, to minister in a supportive role, to render aid, to carry out the function of a deacon, to supply needs
Conceptual Significanceδιακονέω expresses embodied, often humble service within the community, forming the basis for the role of the deacon (διάκονος). In the biblical context, it highlights servant-hearted leadership and practical care as essential expressions of covenant faithfulness and Messiah-like ministry.
Morphological NotesVerb; imperfect tense (past ongoing), active voice, indicative mood, 3rd person plural — "they were continually serving."
Rendering RationaleThe rendering preserves the core idea of personal service inherent in διακονέω, which denotes active attendance or ministry to others. The imperfect indicative active (3rd person plural) is reflected by "they were," indicating ongoing past action, while "serving-as-attendants" maintains the root connection to hands-on service rather than abstract ministry.

AI-generated (openai/gpt-5.2-chat-latest)

Words from Root διακονέω (to serve, to attend, to minister, to render service, to act as a deacon)

SILEX Code Transliteration SIBI-P1
G1247-01 diakone may be serving
G1247-02 diakonei you be serving-for-yourself / he-or-she is serving
G1247-04 diakoneitosan let them be serving in devoted attendance

Word Usage (37 occurrences of G1247)

Location Form Transliteration Meaning
Matthew 4:11 διηκόνουν diekonoun
Matthew 8:15 διηκόνει diekonei
Matthew 20:28 διακονηθῆναι diakonethenai