Greek word · G1269

διανεύω

dianeuō

to signify

To nod or beckon to someone, to make signs, to signal with the eyes or head; to communicate without speech.

Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

δια-νεύω

[in LXX: Psalm 35:19 (קרץ), Sirach 27:22 * ;]

to wink at, nod to, beckon to: Luke 1:22.†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Luke 1:22

Range of meaning

To nod or beckon to someone, to make signs, to signal with the eyes or head; to communicate without speech.

Against the English

KJV and YLT say 'beckoned', which today usually means 'motioned someone to come over'. BSB, WEB, ESV and NASB say 'making signs', and NLT speaks of his 'gestures'. 'Making signs' is the most accurate.

How it drifted

In older English 'beckon' could mean any gesture or nod of signal. In modern usage it has narrowed to summoning.

Used elsewhere in the period

Greek Psalm 34:19 (Hebrew 35:19): those who hate me 'wink (dianeuontes) with the eyes'. Sirach 27:22: 'whoever winks (dianeuōn) the eye plots evil.' In these the word is a signal given without words. Common in classical Greek for nodding a signal. Used only here in the New Testament. See BDAG and LSJ s.v.

Where it appears

Luke · 1

  1. Luke 1:22 διανεύων making signs

    When he came out and was unable to speak to them, they realized he had seen a vision in the temple. He kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.

    Here: Signalling with nods, eyes and hands. It is the only use in the New Testament. The picture is a priest with something urgent to say, trying again and again to convey it without words.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.