Greek verb · G1247
διακονέω
diakoneodee-ak-on-eh'-o
generally; to serve as deacon; C. accusative of thing(s)
37 uses in the Greek text, one for each word STEP Bible has tagged with this key
Concordance spelling: diakonéō
Word page · Part of the concordance, one page for every word of the Hebrew and Greek text. Strong's G1247is this word's number in James Strong's 1890 index of the King James Bible.
- 12 of 27New Testament books
- 19spellings
- 3meanings
The definition in full
Strong's key (1890) · G1247
to be an attendant, i.e. wait upon (menially or as a host, friend, or (figuratively) teacher); technically, to act as a Christian deacon
The King James renders it: (ad-)minister (unto), serve, use the office of a deacon.
James Strong, The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890), public domain. Strong indexed the King James text, and this site quotes his entry as that index.
Summary
diakoneo is rendered "generally; to serve as deacon; C. accusative of thing(s)". It stands 37 times in the Greek text, across twelve books.
- Eight of the uses stand in Luke, more than in any other book.
- The lexicon lists three meanings for it, beginning with "generally".
- Its first use in canonical order opens the ledger below.Matthew 4:11Then the devil left Him, and angels came and ministered to Him.
- The Greek text spells it nineteen different ways.
The first use
Then the devil left Him, and angels came and ministered to Him.
Matthew 4:11διηκόνουν
The first use, in the order of the New Testament's books.
Where the word stands
The word stands in twelve of the 27 New Testament books.
What the word means
The word carries three meanings: generally, and to serve as deacon, and C. accusative of thing(s).
Each meaning, and the words it is translated by
| Meaning | Tagged as | Where |
|---|---|---|
| generallyto minister, serre, wait upon, especially at table, to do one a service, cure for one's needs | Tagged as
and 14 more, 34 uses in all | WhereMatthew 20:28just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve… |
| to serve as deacon1Ti.3:10, 3:13. | Tagged as
| Where1 Timothy 3:10Additionally, they must first be tested. Then, if they are above reproach… |
| C. accusative of thing(s)to minister, supply, supply by ministration | Tagged as
| Where2 Corinthians 3:3It is clear that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry… |
The words built on the same word-part
Each word below begins with the same letters this one begins with. A shared word-part shows a family. It does not settle what any one of them means, so each word carries its own uses on its own page. Scholars call that shared part the stem.
| Word | Written | Meaning | Uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| διακονία | diakonia | service | Uses34 |
| διάκονος | diakonos | servant | Uses29 |
| διακρίνω | diakrino | to judge/doubt | Uses19 |
| διακόσιοι | diakosioi | two hundred | Uses8 |
| διάκρισις | diakrisis | discernment | Uses3 |
| διακωλύω | diakolyo | to hinder | Uses1 |
| διακούομαι | diakouomai | to give a hearing | Uses1 |
| διακαθαρίζω | diakatharizo | to clear out | Uses1 |
| διακατελέγχομαι | diakatelenchomai | to refute | Uses1 |
All 37, in canonical order
Every use, in order
Every use, grouped by book, with its verse.
19 spellings and their grammar
STEP Bible tags every word of the Hebrew and Greek text with its spelling and its grammar. Both lists below count the rows printed underneath, written out in English, with the code beside each one as it was tagged.
How it is spelled
- διηκόνουν5
- διακονῶν4
- διηκόνει4
- διακονῇ3
- διακονεῖν2
- διακονηθῆναι2
- διακονῆσαι2
- διακονήσαντες2
- διακονουμένῃ2
- διακονοῦντες2
- διακονεῖ1
- διακόνει1
and 7 more spellings in the ledger below.
The grammar of each form
- verb · imperfect active, indicative · 3rd person plural5V-IAI-3P
- verb · imperfect active, indicative · 3rd person singular4V-IAI-3S
- verb · present active, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine singular4V-PAP-NSM
- verb · present active, subjunctive · 3rd person singular3V-PAS-3S
- verb · aorist active, infinitive (“to…”)2V-AAN
- verb · aorist active, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine plural2V-AAP-NPM
- verb · aorist passive, infinitive (“to…”)2V-APN
- verb · present active, infinitive (“to…”)2V-PAN
- verb · present active, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine plural2V-PAP-NPM
- verb · present passive, participle · dative (“to / for”) · feminine singular2V-PPP-DSF
- verb · aorist active, indicative · 1st person plural1V-AAI-1P
- verb · aorist active, indicative · 3rd person singular1V-AAI-3S
Matthew
six uses
Then the devil left Him, and angels came and ministered to Him.
- διηκόνουνdiekonounverb · imperfect active, indicative · 3rd person pluraltagged: they were ministering
So He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she got up and began to serve Him.
- διηκόνειdiekoneiverb · imperfect active, indicative · 3rd person singulartagged: was ministering
just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
- διακονηθῆναιdiakonethenaiverb · aorist passive, infinitive (“to…”)tagged: to be served
- διακονῆσαιdiakonesaiverb · aorist active, infinitive (“to…”)tagged: to serve
And they too will reply, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’
- διηκονήσαμένdiekonesamenverb · aorist active, indicative · 1st person pluraltagged: did minister
And many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to minister to Him.
- διακονοῦσαιdiakonousaiverb · present active, participle · nominative (subject) · feminine pluraltagged: ministering
Mark
five uses
and He was there for forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and the angels ministered to Him.
- διηκόνουνdiekonounverb · imperfect active, indicative · 3rd person pluraltagged: were ministering
So He went to her, took her by the hand, and helped her up. The fever left her, and she began to serve them.
- διηκόνειdiekoneiverb · imperfect active, indicative · 3rd person singulartagged: she was ministering
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
- διακονηθῆναιdiakonethenaiverb · aorist passive, infinitive (“to…”)tagged: to be served
- διακονῆσαιdiakonesaiverb · aorist active, infinitive (“to…”)tagged: to serve
These women had followed Jesus and ministered to Him while He was in Galilee, and there were many other women who had come up to Jerusalem with Him.
- διηκόνουνdiekonounverb · imperfect active, indicative · 3rd person pluraltagged: they were ministering
Luke
eight uses
and He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And she got up at once and began to serve them.
- διηκόνειdiekoneiverb · imperfect active, indicative · 3rd person singulartagged: she was serving
Joanna the wife of Herod’s household manager Chuza, Susanna, and many others. These women were ministering to them out of their own means.
- διηκόνουνdiekonounverb · imperfect active, indicative · 3rd person pluraltagged: were ministering
But Martha was distracted by all the preparations to be made. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her to help me!”
- διακονεῖνdiakoneinverb · present active, infinitive (“to…”)tagged: to serve
Blessed are those servants whom the master finds on watch when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve and will have them recline at the table, and he himself will come and wait on them.
- διακονήσειdiakoneseiverb · future active, indicative · 3rd person singulartagged: he will serve
Instead, won’t he tell him, ‘Prepare my meal and dress yourself to serve me while I eat and drink; and afterward you may eat and drink’?
- διακόνειdiakoneiverb · present active, command · 2nd person singulartagged: do serve
But you shall not be like them. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who leads like the one who serves.
- διακονῶνdiakononverb · present active, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: serving
For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines? But I am among you as one who serves.
- διακονῶνdiakononverb · present active, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: serving
- διακονῶνdiakononverb · present active, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: serving
John
three uses
So they hosted a dinner for Jesus there. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with Him.
- διηκόνειdiekoneiverb · imperfect active, indicative · 3rd person singulartagged: was serving
If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, My servant will be as well. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.
- διακονῇdiakoneaverb · present active, subjunctive · 3rd person singulartagged: shall serve
- διακονῇdiakoneaverb · present active, subjunctive · 3rd person singulartagged: shall serve
Acts
two uses
So the Twelve summoned all the disciples and said, “It is unacceptable for us to neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables.
- διακονεῖνdiakoneinverb · present active, infinitive (“to…”)tagged: to attend
He sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he stayed for a time in the province of Asia.
- διακονούντωνdiakonountonverb · present active, participle · genitive (“of”) · masculine pluraltagged: ministering
Romans
one use
Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem to serve the saints there.
- διακονῶνdiakononverb · present active, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: ministering
2 Corinthians
three uses
It is clear that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
- διακονηθεῖσαdiakonetheisaverb · aorist passive, participle · nominative (subject) · feminine singulartagged: having been ministered to
More than that, this brother was chosen by the churches to accompany us with the offering—the gracious gift we administer to honor the Lord Himself and to show our eagerness to help.
- διακονουμένῃdiakonoumeneverb · present passive, participle · dative (“to / for”) · feminine singulartagged: being administered
We hope to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this generous gift.
- διακονουμένῃdiakonoumeneverb · present passive, participle · dative (“to / for”) · feminine singulartagged: is being administered
1 Timothy
two uses
Additionally, they must first be tested. Then, if they are above reproach, let them serve as deacons.
- διακονείτωσανdiakoneitosanverb · present active, command · 3rd person pluraltagged: they should serve
For those who have served well as deacons acquire for themselves a high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.
- διακονήσαντεςdiakonesantesverb · aorist active, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine pluraltagged: having served
2 Timothy
one use
May the Lord grant Onesiphorus His mercy on that day. You know very well how much he ministered to me in Ephesus.
- διηκόνησενdiekonesenverb · aorist active, indicative · 3rd person singulartagged: he served
Philemon
one use
I would have liked to keep him with me, so that on your behalf he could minister to me in my chains for the gospel.
- διακονῇdiakoneaverb · present active, subjunctive · 3rd person singulartagged: he may serve
Hebrews
two uses
For God is not unjust. He will not forget your work and the love you have shown for His name as you have ministered to the saints and continue to do so.
- διακονήσαντεςdiakonesantesverb · aorist active, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine pluraltagged: having ministered
- διακονοῦντεςdiakonountesverb · present active, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine pluraltagged: ministering
1 Peter
three uses
It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, when they foretold the things now announced by those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.
- διηκόνουνdiekonounverb · imperfect active, indicative · 3rd person pluraltagged: they were serving
As good stewards of the manifold grace of God, each of you should use whatever gift he has received to serve one another.
- διακονοῦντεςdiakonountesverb · present active, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine pluraltagged: serving
If anyone speaks, he should speak as one conveying the words of God. If anyone serves, he should serve with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.
- διακονεῖdiakoneiverb · present active, indicative · 3rd person singulartagged: serves
Where it leads
How the numbers are counted
Every count on this page comes from STEP Bible's tagged Hebrew and Greek text, the same text the ledger prints. A use is counted once each time the tagging marks a word with this key.
Spellings are counted as the Greek text spells them, with the sentence's own punctuation taken off the word first, so a form that ends a clause is not counted as a second spelling.
The family is read from the lexicon by the stem the two words share, with the accents off, and a person or a place named on the stem is left out.