Greek word · G1251
διακούω
diakouō
to give a hearing
In legal settings it means to hear a case through to the end, to give someone a formal hearing in court. In ordinary use it can mean to hear someone out or listen carefully, but in the New Testament it appears only here, as a technical legal term.
Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·
What it means
δι-ακούω
[in LXX: Deuteronomy 1:16 (שׁמע), Job 9:33 (יָד שִׁית hi.)* ;]
to hear through, hear fully; technically, to hear judicially (as De, l.with; of. Deiss., BS, 230): Acts 23:35.†
(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
In legal settings it means to hear a case through to the end, to give someone a formal hearing in court. In ordinary use it can mean to hear someone out or listen carefully, but in the New Testament it appears only here, as a technical legal term.
- Against the English
KJV 'I will hear thee' and NIV/BSB 'I will hear your case' are both acceptable. 'Hear thee' sounds as if Felix will merely listen, while the Greek promises a formal judicial examination. WEB 'hear you fully' and ESV/NASB 'give you a hearing' keep the legal sense better.
- Used elsewhere in the period
BDAG defines it as 'to give someone an opportunity to be heard in court.' The Greek Old Testament (Septuagint) uses it for judges hearing a case: Deut 1:16, 'hear (the cases) between your brothers.' Greek papyri and inscriptions use it for officials hearing a dispute.
Where it appears
Acts · 1
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Acts 23:35 διακούσομαί I will hear fully
he said, “I will hear your case when your accusers arrive.” Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard in Herod’s Praetorium.
Here: A courtroom word: 'I will hold your hearing,' meaning a full examination of the case in court, not just listening. The future tense is a formal promise from the governor's seat.
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.