Greek word · G6016
διακαθαίρω
diakathairō
to scour
To clean out thoroughly or clear completely. It joins kathairō ("clean, clear") with dia- ("through, all the way"). It is used of physically clearing a place.
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
- Range of meaning
To clean out thoroughly or clear completely. It joins kathairō ("clean, clear") with dia- ("through, all the way"). It is used of physically clearing a place.
- Against the English
KJV "throughly purge," WEB/YLT "thoroughly cleanse," BSB/NIV/ESV "clear," NASB "thoroughly clear." "Clear" fits the agricultural picture best. "Purge" now sounds political or medical.
- How it drifted
KJV "purge" meant "make clean." Today it suggests purges of political enemies or bodily evacuation, and "throughly" is an old spelling of "thoroughly."
- Used elsewhere in the period
Matthew 3:12 has the near-synonym diakatharizō (Strong's G1245) in the future tense, and the later manuscripts of Luke have the same form (see textual notes). The dia- compounds are good literary Greek. Luke's choice of diakathairō fits his generally more polished style.
Similar words
Where it appears
Luke · 1
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Luke 3:17 διακαθᾶραι to scour
His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
Here: An infinitive of purpose: the tool is in his hand in order to clear the floor completely. The prefix dia- means "through": every corner, nothing left lying.
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.