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διάστημα

diástēma

G1292 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A measurable interval or distance between two points, either in space or in time. In context, diástēma most often designates the extent or gap separating objects, locations, or moments, whether literal (physical) or metaphorical (temporal or conceptual). It can refer to any gap, expanse, or period marked out as distinct from others.

Semantic Range

interval, distance, expanse, gap, space (physical or temporal), measure of separation, span (in time or space)

Root / Etymology

From the verb διΐστημι (diístēmi, 'to set apart, to separate, to place at a distance'). διάστημα is the nominal form, formed with the suffix -μα (-ma), indicating the result or product of an action.

Historical & Contextual Notes

διάστημα, while rare in classical or Koine literary Greek, is attested in scientific, philosophical, and mathematical contexts with the meaning 'distance,' 'interval,' or 'extent.' In medical or astronomical literature, it marks measurable spans (e.g., between bodies, times, or states). The distinction from related terms such as χώρα (space, region) or χρόνος/καιρός (time, season) is that διάστημα emphasizes the interval itself, not the entities at the limits. In the Septuagint and New Testament, the word appears infrequently (e.g., LXX 1 Kings 18:26) but retains the sense of measurable interval or space. Standard English translations often render it as 'space,' 'distance,' or 'interval,' but these do not always communicate its potential to reference both spatial and temporal gaps. The word's scientific connotations are more apparent in philosophical Greek than in biblical Greek, where it usually retains a more concrete sense.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from διΐστημι; an interval:--space.

Root Family

διάστημα (diastēma) — interval, distance, expanse, gap, span

Root διΐστημι to separate, to set apart, to establish an interval

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G1292-01 διάστημα diastema N NOM N SG interval an interval an interval 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G1292-01 Acts 5:7 διάστημα diastema N NOM N SG interval an interval an interval
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