Greek word · G1240
διάδοχος
diadochos
successor
Someone who takes over an office or position from another person: a successor, or a deputy taking someone's place. The famous 'Diadochi' were Alexander the Great's generals who divided his empire.
Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·
What it means
διά-δοχος, -ου, ὁ, ἡ
(διαδέχομαι), [in LXX: 1 Chronicles 18:17 (לְיַד), 2 Chronicles 26:11 (שַׂר) 28:7 (מִשְׁנֶה), Sirach 46:1 48:8, 2Ma.4:29 14:26 * ;]
a successor: Acts 24:27 (for usage in LXX and π. in sense of court official, see Deiss., BS, 115).†
(AS)
From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).
In depth
- Range of meaning
Someone who takes over an office or position from another person: a successor, or a deputy taking someone's place. The famous 'Diadochi' were Alexander the Great's generals who divided his empire.
- Against the English
'Was succeeded by' (BSB, WEB, ESV, NIV) is accurate. The KJV's 'came into Felix' room' uses 'room' in the old sense of 'place' or 'office'. A modern reader may picture Festus walking into Felix's chamber.
- How it drifted
In KJV English (1611), 'room' still commonly meant a position or place, as in 'in the room of' = 'in place of'. That sense has since died out.
- Used elsewhere in the period
Josephus, Antiquities 20.182, describes Festus being sent by Nero 'as successor to Felix' (diadochou Phēliki). The idiom 'receive a successor' is common in Greek historians and in papyri about changes of officials.
Where it appears
Acts · 1
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Acts 24:27 διάδοχον successor
After two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. And wishing to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison.
Here: The official who takes over a post. Josephus uses the same word for Festus being sent 'as successor to Felix' (Antiquities 20.182).
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.