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δόλιος

dólios

G1386 attributive adjective

SILEX Entry

Definition

Characterized by or practicing deceit, treacherous, crafty; denotes a person or action marked by deliberate deception or trickery. Carries the sense of intentionally misleading, duplicitous, or false behavior.

Semantic Range

deceitful, guileful, crafty, treacherous, practicing fraud, marked by cunning or trickery

Root / Etymology

From the noun δόλος (deceit, trickery), formed by adding the adjectival suffix -ιος to denote a quality or tendency related to deceit. Root ultimately connected to PIE *del-, to reckon, count, though its development in Greek is via semantic shift toward 'ensnaring' or 'baiting.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

δόλιος appears primarily in later Greek, including the Koine period, and describes an individual, action, or character as actively engaging in cunning or guile. Unlike ἄδολος (without deceit, sincere), δόλιος always has a negative moral evaluation. In its New Testament use (e.g., 2 Corinthians 11:13), it identifies those whose actions are fraudulent or deceptive, often in contrast to the expected honesty of legitimate teaching or behavior. In the Septuagint and later Hellenistic Greek, δόλιος is rare but can serve to translate Hebrew terms for 'treacherous' or 'deceitful.' English Bible translations often simply render the word as 'deceitful,' which can obscure its specific emphasis on purposeful misrepresentation or craftiness. Related to δόλος but serves as the qualitative/adjectival form, marking a person or thing possessing the trait of δόλος rather than simply acting with it on a single occasion. Contrasts with terms like ὑποκριτής (hypocrite, one acting under false pretense) by focusing specifically on active deception or cunning rather than performative insincerity.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from δόλος; guileful:--deceitful.

Root Family

δολ- (dólios) — to deceive, to ensnare, to act with guile

Root δολ- to deceive, to ensnare, to act with guile
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
G1388 δόλος by deceitful craft
G1389 δολόω deceiving

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G1386-01 δόλιοι dolioi ADJ.A NOM M PL deceitful deceitful ones deceitful ones 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G1386-01 2 Corinthians 11:13 δόλιοι dolioi ADJ.A NOM M PL deceitful deceitful ones deceitful ones
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