διακατελέγχομαι
diakatelénchomai
G1246 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To thoroughly refute, demonstrate the falsehood or guilt of someone with compelling evidence; to expose or convict by means of complete and detailed argument. The primary sense involves the act of refuting or disproving an accusation or claim, particularly by exposing what is false through rigorous examination. May also, in some contexts, mean to dismantle an opponent's reasoning in public or judicial contexts.
Semantic Range
to refute thoroughly, to confute completely, to expose falsehood in detail, to convict in a public or judicial setting, to overwhelm with proof
Root / Etymology
From διά (through, thoroughly) + κατα- (down, intensifying) + ἐλέγχω (to refute, to reprove). The word compounds the idea of thorough or intensive refutation. Not attested in classical Greek; constructed in Koine to intensify the sense of exposing or refuting.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The verb διακατελέγχομαι is a rare, intensive compound, occurring almost exclusively in later and literary Koine Greek. It is notably found in some manuscripts of Acts 18:28, where it describes a vigorous, public, and detailed refutation—especially in a disputational or courtroom setting. There is no direct equivalent in the classical period, and the term draws on the established force of ἐλέγχω (to expose, refute, convict), intensified by the double prefix διά (through, completely) and κατα- (down, thoroughly), to indicate a refutation that is not just sufficient but total or exhaustive. Standard English translations often render the term as 'confute' or 'refute,' but these may understate the intensive and comprehensive nature of the action. In context, particularly in Acts, the word is associated with scriptural argumentation designed to expose fallacy or error conclusively before an audience.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
middle voice from διά and a compound of κατά and ἐλέγχω; to prove downright, i.e. confute:--convince.
Root Family
ἐλέγχω (diakatelénchomai) — to refute, to expose, to convict
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1246-01 |
διακατηλέγχετο | diakatelegcheto | V IMPF MID IND 3P SG |
refuted | was thoroughly refuting | was thoroughly refuting | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1246-01 |
Acts 18:28 | διακατηλέγχετο | diakatelegcheto | V IMPF MID IND 3P SG |
refuted | was thoroughly refuting | was thoroughly refuting |