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διαθήκη

diathḗkē

G1242 noun

SILEX Entry

Root τιθη- to place, to set, to arrange

Definition

An agreement or declaration established by one party, often a formal arrangement or settlement; in Hellenistic and New Testament Greek, especially denotes a unilateral disposition or will, but is also used to convey the idea of a solemn arrangement or covenant between parties. The word commonly refers to a legal testament or a binding arrangement, and, in specific contexts, to a covenant initiated by a deity with humans.

Semantic Range

a legal will or testament, a formal disposition, a pact or agreement, a divinely initiated covenant, an arrangement, testamentary disposition, declaration or pledge (esp. in religious context), solemn arrangement

Root / Etymology

Derived from the verb διατίθημι (to set out, to arrange, to make a disposition).

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, διαθήκη primarily signifies a will or testament—an individual's disposition of his property posthumously. In the Septuagint, διαθήκη was used to render the Hebrew ברית (berith), expanding its sense to 'covenant,' especially in relation to agreements or solemn pacts, most prominently the covenant between deity and the Israelites. In Hellenistic Greek, the word retained its legal testamentary meaning but acquired this new religious connotation through the influence of Jewish translators. In the New Testament, διαθήκη functions with this dual legacy: emphasizing the unilateral character of the divine promise or arrangement but often translated in English as 'covenant' rather than 'testament.' The usage in Paul and Hebrews draws on both the Hellenistic legal background of a will and the scriptural tradition of divine promises. This sense differs from συνθήκη, which refers to a mutual compact or bilateral agreement. Thus, standard translations such as 'testament' and 'covenant' reflect aspects of the word's semantic field, but no single English term fully expresses its range in Koine usage.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from διατίθεμαι; properly, a disposition, i.e. (specially) a contract (especially a devisory will):--covenant, testament.

Root Family

διαθήκη (diathēkē) — arrangement, disposition, formal agreement, covenant, testament

Word Forms

5 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
G1242-04 διαθήκης diathekes N GEN F SG covenant of a solemn arrangement 16
G1242-02 διαθήκη diatheke N NOM F SG covenant solemn arrangement 9
G1242-03 διαθήκην diatheken N ACC F SG covenant formal arrangement 5
G1242-01 διαθῆκαι diathekai N NOM F PL covenants solemn arrangements 2
G1242-05 διαθηκῶν diathekon N GEN F PL covenants of formal arrangements 1

Occurrences in Scripture

33 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
G1242-04 Matthew 26:28 διαθήκης diathekes N GEN F SG of a solemn arrangement
G1242-04 Mark 14:24 διαθήκης diathekes N GEN F SG covenant of a solemn arrangement
G1242-04 Luke 1:72 διαθήκης diathekes N GEN F SG covenant of a solemn arrangement
G1242-02 Luke 22:20 διαθήκη diatheke N NOM F SG covenant solemn arrangement
G1242-04 Acts 3:25 διαθήκης diathekes N GEN F SG covenant of a solemn arrangement
G1242-03 Acts 7:8 διαθήκην diatheken N ACC F SG the covenant formal arrangement
G1242-01 Romans 9:4 διαθῆκαι diathekai N NOM F PL solemn arrangements
G1242-02 Romans 11:27 διαθήκη diatheke N NOM F SG covenant solemn arrangement
G1242-02 1 Corinthians 11:25 διαθήκη diatheke N NOM F SG covenant solemn arrangement
G1242-04 2 Corinthians 3:6 διαθήκης diathekes N GEN F SG of a solemn arrangement
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