Greek word · G1376
διώκτης
diōktēs
persecutor
'Pursuer', 'persecutor'. It comes from διώκω (diōkō), 'to chase, pursue, hunt down', and by extension 'to harass or persecute'. The noun is rare. BDAG notes it is hardly attested before Christian writings, and this is its only New Testament occurrence.
Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·
What it means
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 1 Timothy 1:13
- Range of meaning
'Pursuer', 'persecutor'. It comes from διώκω (diōkō), 'to chase, pursue, hunt down', and by extension 'to harass or persecute'. The noun is rare. BDAG notes it is hardly attested before Christian writings, and this is its only New Testament occurrence.
- Against the English
Every major translation says 'persecutor', which is accurate. The root image of chasing someone down adds vividness.
- Used elsewhere in the period
The related verb is Paul's own word for his past: Gal 1:13, 23 ('I persecuted the church of God violently'); 1 Cor 15:9; Phil 3:6 ('as to zeal, a persecutor of the church'). The risen Jesus asks, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?' (Acts 9:4). In Acts 9:2 and 22:4–5 Saul travels to Damascus to arrest believers.
Where it appears
1 Timothy · 1
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1 Timothy 1:13 διώκτην a persecutor
I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent man; yet because I had acted in ignorance and unbelief, I was shown mercy.
Here: Literally 'a pursuer', one who hunts people down. It names Paul's campaign against the Jesus movement (Acts 8:3; 9:1–2; Gal 1:13).
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.