δίλογος
dílogos
G1351 substantive adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
Having two modes of speaking; speaking in a duplicitous or inconsistent manner, often with the intent to deceive or flatter different parties. The term primarily denotes someone who says one thing to one person and another thing to someone else, especially in matters requiring trust or integrity. In relevant contexts, it expresses the sense of being insincere or dishonest in conversation.
Semantic Range
speaking with duplicity, inconsistent in conversation, saying different things to different people, equivocal speech, insincere or two-faced in communication
Root / Etymology
From δις ('twice, double') + λόγος ('speech, word, account'); thus, literally 'double-voiced' or 'double-speaking'.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The term δίλογος is rare in Greek literature, with its attestation concentrated in later literary and especially Christian texts. In 1 Timothy 3:8, it describes a character trait undesirable in deacons—those entrusted with community responsibility—highlighting the expectation of integrity and transparency in speech. The concept of 'double-tongued' represented a serious moral failing in Greco-Roman and Hellenistic Jewish ethics, akin to hypocrisy or duplicity, but it is not identical with 'lying' (ψεῦδος, ψευδής), rather it emphasizes inconsistency or self-contradiction in speech aimed at pleasing divergent parties. Standard English translations such as 'double-tongued' or 'deceitful in speech' capture much of its force, though the precise nuance relates more to equivocation or two-faced speech than outright falsehood. The formation is transparent in light of compositional Greek morphology, but the concept, while attested in other languages (see Latin 'dupliciloquus'), is particularly marked for its rarity in classical sources. In the Septuagint, similar concepts are rendered with different vocabulary. In later Christian literature, the term becomes a stock descriptor of hypocrisy or insincerity, but in the New Testament, its scope is narrowly moral and congregational.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from δίς and λόγος; equivocal, i.e. telling a different story:--double-tongued.
Root Family
δίλογος (dilogos) — double, speech, word
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1351-01 |
διλόγους | dilogous | ADJ.S ACC M PL |
double-tongued | double-speaking men | double-speaking men | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1351-01 |
1 Timothy 3:8 | διλόγους | dilogous | ADJ.S ACC M PL |
double-tongued | double-speaking men | double-speaking men |