Word

διακονία

diakonía · G1248 · Greek · 34 occurrences

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Meanings

to serve, to render service, to help, service, help

To render assistance or help by performing certain duties, often of a humble or menial nature

Examples
Romans 12:7 if service, in the act of serving; or the one who teaches, in the act of teaching;
Romans 15:31 that I may be rescued from those who are disobedient in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may prove acceptable to the saints;
2 Corinthians 11:8 I robbed other churches by taking wages from them to serve you;
ministry, task

(Derivative of διακονέω ‘to serve,’) The role or position of serving

Examples
Acts 1:17 “For he was counted among us and received his share in this ministry.”
Acts 1:25 to occupy this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.”
Acts 6:4 “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
provision for taking care of, arrangement for support

A procedure for taking care of the needs of people

Examples
Acts 6:1 Now at this time, as the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint developed on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food.
2 Corinthians 9:12 For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God.
to serve, to wait upon

To serve food and drink to those who are eating

Examples
Luke 10:40 But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do the serving by myself? Then tell her to help me.”
contribution, help, support

(Semantic derivative of διακονία ‘to serve,’) Money given to help someone in need

Examples
Acts 6:1 Now at this time, as the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint developed on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food.
Acts 11:29 And to the extent that any of the disciples had means, each of them determined to send a contribution for the relief of the brothers and sisters living in Judea.
Acts 12:25 And Barnabas and Saul returned when they had fulfilled their mission to Jerusalem, taking along with them John, who was also called Mark.

How it’s used In 8 roles

Every occurrence, grouped by the words it is grammatically related to.

the word studied the word it goes with

Whose, or of whatGenitive or possessive

13 occurrences in 11 groups

Other words · 11 groups that occur once or twice (13) 13

Words describing itAdjectives, demonstratives, participles

5 occurrences in 3 groups

οὗτοςthis 3
καθημερινόςdaily 1
πολύςmany 1

Named alongside itApposition

6 occurrences in 5 groups

ἅγιοςholy 2
ἹερουσαλήμJerusalem 1
λαμβάνωto receive, to take 1
παραβαίνωto disobey 1
παραλαμβάνωto take along, to receive 1

What it doesIt is the subject

5 occurrences in 4 groups

εἰμίto be 2
γίνομαιto become, to happen, to be 1
μωμάομαιto criticize 1
περισσεύωto abound, to be left over 1

What is done to itIt is the object

9 occurrences in 9 groups

Other words · 9 groups that occur once or twice (9) 9

What it is said to bePredicate

1 occurrences in 1 groups

εὐπρόσδεκτοςvery acceptable 1

After prepositionsPrepositional phrases

10 occurrences in 5 groups

εἰςto 9
περίconcerning, about, for 3
διάthrough 2
ἐνin 2
πρόςto, toward, with 2

In phrases “… of it”It is the genitive

6 occurrences in 6 groups

διαίρεσιςvariety, distribution 1
δοκιμήproof, character, testing 1
ἔργονwork, deed 1
κλῆροςlot 1
κοινωνίαfellowship, participation 1
τόποςplace 1

When two words share a role, as in “Paul and Barnabas said”, the verse appears under each, so a section’s counts can add up to more than the number of occurrences.

MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.

Semantic domains 6 entries

To serve, to render service, to help, service, help35.19: Used of the general activity of rendering aid, as of Martha being distracted with all her preparations of service in Luke 10:40.
Ministry, task35.21: Used of an assigned role of service, as of Judas's share in this ministry in Acts 1:17 and the ministry and apostleship from which he turned aside in Acts 1:25.
Provision for taking care of, arrangement for support35.38: Used of an organized relief effort, as of the daily distribution of food to widows becoming an occasion for complaint in Acts 6:1.
To serve, to wait upon46.13: Used of devoted attention to a task, as of the apostles devoting themselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word in Acts 6:4.
Contribution, help, support57.119: Used of material aid gathered and given, drawn from the same broad range of meaning as the gift-bringing entry below.
Bringing of gifts57.86: Used of a collection carried to those in need, as of the relief sent to the brothers in Judea, each according to his ability, in Acts 11:29.

Word family 3 words

Words formed from the same root. They share a form, not always a meaning.

διάκονος diákonos · G1249 · servant, deacon, one who helps the believers · 30×διακονέω diakonéō · G1247 · to serve, to render service, to help · 37×διακονίαdiakonía · G1248

Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon διακονίας, ἡ (διάκονος) (from Thucydides, Plato down), service, ministering, especially…

διακονίας, ἡ (διάκονος) (from Thucydides, Plato down), service, ministering, especially of those who execute the commands of others;
1. universally: 2 Tim 4:11; Heb 1:14.
2. of those who by the command of God proclaim and promote religion among men;
a. of the office of Moses: ἡ διακονία τοῦ θανάτου, concisely for the ministration by which the law is promulgated that threatens and brings death, 2 Cor 3:7; τῆς κατακρίσεως, the ministration by which condemnation is announced, ibid. 9.
b. of the office of the apostles and its administration: Acts 1:17, Acts 1:25; Acts 20:24; Acts 21:19; Rom 11:13; 2 Cor 4:1; 2 Cor 6:3; 1 Tim 1:12; τοῦ λόγου, Acts 6:4; τοῦ πνεύματος, the ministry whose office it is to cause men to obtain and be governed by the Holy Spirit, 2 Cor 3:8; τῆς δικαιοσύνης, by which men are taught how they may become righteous with God, ibid. 9; τῆς καταλλαγῆς, the ministry whose work it is to induce men to embrace the offered reconciliation with God, 2 Cor 5:18; πρός τήν ὑμῶν διακονίαν, that by preaching the gospel I might minister unto you, 2 Cor 11:8.
c. of the ministration or service of all who, endowed by God with powers of mind and heart peculiarly adapted to this end, endeavor zealously and laboriously to promote the cause of Christ among men, as apostles, prophets, evangelists, elders, etc.: 1 Cor 12:5; Eph 4:12; 2 Tim 4:5. What ministry is referred to in Col 4:17 is not clear.
3. the ministration of those who render to others the offices of Christian affection: 1 Cor 16:15; Rev 2:19, especially of those who succor need by either collecting or bestowing benefactions (Acts 12:25); the care of the poor, the supplying or distributing of charities (Luther uses Handreichung): Acts 6:1; 2 Cor 9:13; ἡ διακονία ἡ εἰς τούς ἁγίους, 2 Cor 8:4; 2 Cor 9:1; ἡ διακονία τῆς λειτουργίας, the ministration rendered through this λειτουργία, 2 Cor 9:12; πέμπειν εἰς διακονίαν τίνι, to send a thing to one for the relief of his want (A. V. to send relief unto), Acts 11:29 (κομίζειν χρήματα πολλά εἰς διακονίαν τῶν χηρῶν, Acta Thomae § 56, p. 233, Tdf. edition); ἡ διακονία μου ἡ εἰς Ἰερουσαλήμ. my ministration in bringing the money collected by me, a ministration intended for Jerusalem (Fritzsche), Rom 15:31 (here L Tr marginal reading read ἡ δωροφορία... ἐν, etc.).
4. the office of deacon in the primitive church (see διάκονος, 2): Rom 12:7.
5. the service of those who prepare and present food: Lk 10:40 (as in Xenophon, oec. 7, 41).

Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (1889), public domain

Topical studies with this word 4 entries

Serve29 occurrences Care For, Take Care Of2 occurrences Household Activities1 occurrence Give5 occurrences

Meanings adapted from the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament, © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0 and the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew (from the Semantic Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew), © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0; MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.

Sources

eRhema lexical overview, based on the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew and the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament (© United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Macula Hebrew and Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0); released under CC BY-SA 4.0