Greek word · G1280

διαπορέω

diaporeō

be perplexed

To be thoroughly at a loss, to be unable to find a way through a question or situation. It is built from dia ("through, thoroughly") and aporeō ("to be without a way, to be stuck"). The word describes mental blockage rather than fear as such, although fear can accompany it.

Appears 4 times in 4 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

δι-απορέω, -ῶ

[in Sm.: Psalms 77:5, Daniel 2:1 * ;]

to be quite at a loss, be in great perplexity: absol., Acts 2:12; before διὰ τό, with inf., Luke 9:7; περί, Acts 5:24; ἐν ἑαυτῷ, Acts 10:17.†

(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 9:7

Range of meaning

To be thoroughly at a loss, to be unable to find a way through a question or situation. It is built from dia ("through, thoroughly") and aporeō ("to be without a way, to be stuck"). The word describes mental blockage rather than fear as such, although fear can accompany it.

Against the English

"Perplexed" (KJV, BSB, YyLT) is accurate, though it can sound mild to modern ears. WEB's "very perplexed" and NASB's "greatly perplexed" try to carry the force of the prefix. NLT's "baffled" is close. None of these makes him terrified, and readers should not import that from Mark and Matthew.

Used elsewhere in the period

Lexicons give "be greatly perplexed, at a loss" (BDAG), and the word appears in classical prose such as Plato for being stuck on a problem. In the New Testament it is firmly attested only in Luke's two volumes: here, Acts 2:12 (the crowd at Pentecost), Acts 5:24 (temple officials facing an empty, locked jail) and Acts 10:17 (Peter puzzling over his vision). The traditional text also has it at Luke 24:4, where the critical text has the simpler verb for the women at the empty tomb.

Similar words

Where it appears

Luke · 1

  1. Luke 9:7 διηπόρει was perplexed

    When Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, he was perplexed. For some were saying that John had risen from the dead,

    Here: "He was at a complete loss", unable to find a way through the problem. The tense pictures a continuing state: he stayed stuck, and this was not a passing moment of surprise.

Acts · 3

  1. Acts 2:12 διηπόρουν they were perplexed

    Astounded and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”

  2. Acts 5:24 διηπόρουν were perplexed

    When the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard this account, they were perplexed as to what was happening.

  3. Acts 10:17 διηπόρει was perplexed

    While Peter was puzzling over the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found Simon’s house and approached the gate.

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