διάγω
diágō
G1236 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To spend or pass a period of time, to live one's life, to lead (one's life or time) in a certain manner. The central lexical meaning is to conduct or carry on one's life or activities over time. In various contexts, can stress the quality, circumstance, or duration of life as it is actively experienced or maintained.
Semantic Range
to pass time, to spend one's life, to conduct oneself, to continue or persist in a condition, to lead life, to live through (a period or state), to experience life in a particular way
Root / Etymology
Formed from διά ('through, across, during') and ἄγω ('to lead, carry, bring'), indicating the active carrying or leading of life or time through a continuous span.
Historical & Contextual Notes
διάγω appears in both classical and Koine Greek, with earliest attestations in classical authors (e.g., Herodotus) where it commonly denotes 'to pass one's time', often with a temporal or qualitative nuance—for example, to spend life in a particular fashion or under certain conditions. By the Hellenistic and Roman periods—including the New Testament and related literature—the verb most frequently refers to 'leading one's life' or 'living out [a period or condition]', sometimes emphasizing the nature (e.g., in peace, in godlessness, in toil) or duration of one's existence. The semantic focus is on the experience and activity of living, rather than existential being. Standard English translations such as 'lead life' or 'spend one's life' reflect only one aspect, sometimes missing the verb's active and durational sense. διάγω is less focused on existential states (cf. ζάω, 'to live') and more on the passage, conduct, or experience of life or time per se. In the LXX and NT, it is relatively rare compared to other synonyms, and is not typically loaded with theological or philosophical weight, but may be used for both positive and negative descriptions of one's mode of living.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from διά and ἄγω; to pass time or life:--lead life, living.
Root Family
διάγω (diágō) — to carry through, to lead across, to spend time, to conduct life
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1236-02 |
διάγοντες | diagontes | V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M PL |
living | leading through life | leading through life | 1 |
G1236-01 |
διάγωμεν | diagomen | V PRS ACT SUBJ 1P PL |
we may lead | we may go on living | we may lead | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1236-01 |
1 Timothy 2:2 | διάγωμεν | diagomen | V PRS ACT SUBJ 1P PL |
we may lead | we may go on living | we may lead |
G1236-02 |
Titus 3:3 | διάγοντες | diagontes | V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M PL |
living | leading through life | leading through life |