Strong's Lexicon
diathéké: Covenant, Testament
Original Word:διαθήκη
Part of Speech:Noun, Feminine
Transliteration:diathéké
Pronunciation:dee-ath-ay'-kay
Phonetic Spelling:(dee-ath-ay'-kay)
Definition:Covenant, Testament
Meaning:(a) a covenant between two parties, (b) (the ordinary, everyday sense [found a countless number of times in papyri]) a will, testament.
Word Origin:From the Greek verb διατίθημι (diatithēmi), meaning "to arrange" or "to dispose."
Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: -H1285 - בְּרִית (berith): Often translated as "covenant," this Hebrew term is used extensively in the Old Testament to describe agreements between God and His people, such as the covenants with Noah, Abraham, and Moses.
Usage:The term "diathéké" primarily refers to a covenant or agreement, often with a legal or formal connotation. In the New Testament, it is used to describe the solemn and binding agreements between God and humanity. It is most commonly translated as "covenant" in the context of God's promises and "testament" when referring to the division of the Bible into Old and New Testaments.
Cultural and Historical Background:In ancient Greek culture, a "diathéké" was akin to a will or testament, a legal document outlining the distribution of one's estate after death. In the Hebrew context, a covenant was a sacred agreement, often sealed with a ritual or sacrifice, signifying a deep, binding relationship. The concept of covenant is central to the biblical narrative, illustrating God's commitment to His people and their responsibilities in return.
HELPS Word-studies
1242diathḗkē (from1223/diá, "thoroughly," intensifying5087/títhēmi, "place, set") – properly, a set-agreement havingcomplete terms determined by theinitiating party, which also are fully affirmed by the one enteringthe agreement.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
diatithémiDefinitiontestament, will, covenant
NASB Translationcovenant (30), covenants (3).
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 1242: διαθήκηδιαθήκη,
διαθήκης,
ἡ (
διατίθημι);
1.a disposition, arrangement, of any sort, which one wishes to be valid (GermanVerordnung, Willensverfugung):Galatians 3:15, where under the name ofa man's disposition is meant specificallya testament, so far forth as it is a specimen and example of that disposition (cf. Meyer orLightfoot at the passage); especiallythe last disposal which one makes of his earthly possessions after his death,a testament orwill (so in Greek writings from (Aristophanes),Plato, legg. 11, p. 922 c. following down):Hebrews 9:16f
2.a compact, covenant (Aristophanes av. 440), very often in the Scriptures forבְּרִית (Vulg.testamentum). For the wordcovenant is used to denote the close relationship which God entered into, first with Noah (Genesis 6:18;Genesis 9:9ff (cf. Sir. 44:18)), then with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their posterity (Leviticus 26:42 (cf. 2 Macc. 1:2)), but especially with Abraham (Genesis 15 andGenesis 17), and afterward through Moses with the people of Israel (Exodus 24;Deuteronomy 5:2;Deuteronomy 28:69 ()). By this last covenant the Israelites are bound to obey God's will as expressed and solemnly promulged in the Mosaic law; and he promises them his almighty protection and blessings of every kind in this world, but threatens transgressors with the severest punishments. Hence, in the N. T. we find mention ofαἱπλάκεςτῆςδιαθήκης (הַבְּרִיתלוּחות,Deuteronomy 9:9, 15),the tables of the law, on whichthe duties of the covenant were inscribed (Exodus 20); ofἡκιβωτόςτῆςδιαθήκης (הַבְּרִיתאֲרון,Deuteronomy 10:8;Deuteronomy 31:9;Joshua 3:6, etc.),the ark of the covenant orlaw, in which those tables were deposited,Hebrews 9:4;Revelation 11:19; ofἡδιαθήκηπεριτομῆς,the covenant of circumcision, made with Abraham, whose sign and seal was circumcision (Genesis 17:10ff),Acts 7:8; ofτόαἷματῆςδιαθήκης, the blood of the victims, by the shedding and sprinkling of which the Mosaic covenant was ratified,Hebrews 9:20 fromExodus 24:8; ofαἱδιαθῆκαι,the covenants, one made with Abraham, the other through Moses with the Israelites,Romans 9:4 (L textTr marginal readingἡδιαθήκη) (Sap). 18:22; Sir. 44:11; 2 Macc. 8:15; Epistle of Barnabas 9 [ET]; (cf.Winer's Grammar, 177 (166))); ofαἱδιαθῆκαιτῆςἐπαγγελίας, the covenants to which the promise of salvation through the Messiah was annexed,Ephesians 2:12 (συνθηκαιἀγαθῶνὑποσχέσεων, Wis. 12:21); for Christian salvation is the fulfillment of the divine promises annexed to those covenants, especially to that made with Abraham:Luke 1:72;Acts 3:25;Romans 11:27;Galatians 3:17 (whereδιαθήκη is God'sarrangement, i. e.the promise made to Abraham). As the new and far more excellent bond of friendship which God in the Messiah's time would enter into with the people of Israel is called,חֲדָשָׁהבְּרִית,καινήδιαθήκη (Jeremiah 38:31 ()) — which divine promise Christ has made good (Hebrews 8:8-10;Hebrews 10:16) — we find in the N. T. two distinct covenants spoken of,δύοδιαθῆκαι (Galatians 4:24), viz. the Mosaic and the Christian, with the former of which (τῇπρώτηδιαθήκη,Hebrews 9:15, 18, cf. 8:9) the latter is contrasted, asκαινήδιαθήκη,Matthew 26:28;Mark 14:24 (in both passages inRGL (in Matthew inTr also));Luke 22:20 (WH reject the passage);1 Corinthians 11:25;2 Corinthians 3:6;Hebrews 8:8;κρείττωνδιαθήκη,Hebrews 7:22;αἰώνιοςδιαθήκη,Hebrews 13:20; and Christ is calledκρείττονος orκαινῆς orνέαςδιαθήκηςμεσίτης:Hebrews 8:6;Hebrews 9:15;Hebrews 12:24. This new covenant binds men to exercise faith in Christ, and God promises them grace and salvation eternal. This covenant Christ set up and ratified by undergoing death; hence, the phrasesτόαἷματῆςκαινῆςδιαθήκης,τόαἷματῆςδιαθήκης (seeαἷμα sub at the end) (Hebrews 10:29);τόαἷμαμουτῆςδιαθήκης, my blood by the shedding of which the covenant is established,Matthew 26:28TWH andMark 14:24TTrWH (on two genitives after one noun cf.Matthiae, § 380, Anm. 1; Kühner, ii., p. 288f; (Jelf, § 543, 1, cf § 466;Winers Grammar, § 30, 3 Note 3;Buttmann, 155 (136))). By metonymy of the contained for the containerἡπαλαιάδιαθήκη is used in2 Corinthians 3:14 ofthe sacred books of the O. T. because in them the conditions and principles of the older covenant were recorded. Finally must be noted the amphiboly or twofold use (cf.Philo de mut. nom. § 6) by which the writer to the Hebrews, inHebrews 9:16f, substitutes for the meaningcovenant whichδιαθήκη bears elsewhere in the Epistle that oftestament (see 1 above), and likens Christ to a testator — not only because the author regards eternal blessedness as an inheritance bequeathed by Christ, but also because he is endeavoring to show, both that the attainment of eternal salvation is made possible for the disciples of Christ by hisdeath (Hebrews 9:15), and that even the Mosaic covenant had been consecrated by blood (Hebrews 9:18ff). This, apparently, led the LatinVulg. to renderδιαθήκη wherever it occurs in the Bible (i. e. in the New Testament, not always in the Old Testament; seeB. D. under the word, andB. D. American edition under the word) by the wordtestamentum.
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
covenant, testament.Fromdiatithemai; properly, a disposition, i.e. (specially) a contract (especially a devisory will) -- covenant, testament.
see GREEKdiatithemai
Forms and Transliterations
διαθηκαι διαθήκαι διαθῆκαι διαθηκη διαθήκη διαθήκῃ διαθηκην διαθήκην διαθηκης διαθήκης διαθηκων διαθηκών διαθηκῶν διάθρυπτε διαθρύψεις διεθρύβη διεθρύβησαν diathekai diathêkai diathēkai diathē̂kai diatheke diathēkē diathḗke diathḗkē diathḗkei diathḗkēi diatheken diathēkēn diathḗken diathḗkēn diathekes diathēkēs diathḗkes diathḗkēs diathekon diathekôn diathēkōn diathēkō̂nLinks
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