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διδακτός

didaktós

G1318 substantive adjective

SILEX Entry

Definition

taught, instructed—a person or thing having received instruction through formal or systematic teaching; by extension, that which is imparted or communicated by a teaching process, whether by human or divine agency. The term indicates possession of knowledge or information as a result of being taught, not merely acquired incidentally or innately.

Semantic Range

taught, instructed, having received teaching, learned by instruction, able to be taught, imparted by teaching (e.g. divine instruction, formal education)

Root / Etymology

From διδάσκω (“to teach”); passive verbal adjective indicating one to whom teaching has been imparted or something that is the product of teaching. Classical formation: verb stem + -τός suffix, denoting a passive state or possibility (i.e., 'able to be taught,' 'taught').

Historical & Contextual Notes

διδακτός occurs rarely in classical literature, with more frequent attestation in Hellenistic, Second Temple, and early Christian writings, often in philosophical or religious instruction contexts. In the Septuagint, it often describes wisdom, laws, or knowledge communicated to, or acquired by, people through formal instruction, especially in wisdom literature (cf. Isaiah 54:13: 'all your children shall be taught by God'). In the New Testament (John 6:45, 1 Thessalonians 4:9), it captures the sense of being instructed—sometimes specifically by God, contrasting direct divine instruction with human mediation. Standard English translations may render διδακτός as 'taught' or 'instructed,' but this does not always reflect the distinction between learning by direct experience and learning through an intentional act of teaching. The passive form sets it apart from διδακτικός ('able to teach, skilled in teaching'), which denotes an inherent or cultivated capacity to teach others. The term is not limited to religious instruction; it can refer to any domain where formal teaching is contrasted with other means of acquiring knowledge (such as intuition, revelation, or imitation). Later Christian commentators sometimes linked the term narrowly to divine inspiration, though this is a development from the broader Hellenistic usage, where it implied human or divine agency in transmitting knowledge.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from διδάσκω; (subjectively) instructed, or (objectively) communicated by teaching:--taught, which … teacheth.

Root Family

διδακτός (didaktos) — to teach, to instruct; taught, instructed

Root διδακ- to teach, to instruct

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G1318-02 διδακτοῖς didaktois ADJ.S DAT M PL taught to instructed ones taught words 2
G1318-01 διδακτοὶ didaktoi ADJ.S NOM M PL taught instructed ones taught ones 1

Occurrences in Scripture

3 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G1318-01 John 6:45 διδακτοὶ didaktoi ADJ.S NOM M PL taught instructed ones taught ones
G1318-02 1 Corinthians 2:13 διδακτοῖς didaktois ADJ.S DAT M PL taught to instructed ones taught words
G1318-02 1 Corinthians 2:13 διδακτοῖς didaktois-2 ADJ.S DAT M PL taught to instructed ones taught words
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