Greek word · G1335
διήγησις
diēgēsis
narrative
A telling or narration. It can be an account or story (Luke 1:1 uses it for a written account), or more broadly what someone talks about, their conversation.
Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·
What it means
δι-ήγησις, -εως, ἡ
(διηγέομαι), [in LXX: Judges 7:15 מִסְפָּר Habakkuk 2:6 חִידָה), frequently in (Sirach 6:35, al.), 2Ma.2:32 2Mac 6:17 ;]
a narrative: Luke 1:1 (cf. Milligan, NTD, 130).†
(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 Sirach 27:13
- Range of meaning
A telling or narration. It can be an account or story (Luke 1:1 uses it for a written account), or more broadly what someone talks about, their conversation.
- Against the English
KJV and Brenton: "discourse". WEB and NRSV: "talk". "Discourse" now sounds formal, like a lecture. The Greek here means everyday talk and storytelling.
- Used elsewhere in the period
Ben Sira likes this word for the topics of a person's conversation. 6:35: "be willing to listen to every godly discourse". 9:15: "let all your talk be about the law of the Most High". 22:6: "ill-timed talk is like music in mourning". 38:25: the ploughman "whose talk is about bulls". 27:11: "the talk of the godly is always wisdom".
Where it appears
Luke · 1
-
Luke 1:1 διήγησιν a narration
Many have undertaken to compose an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us,
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.